Lake District Kendal
The Smithy Cumbria
Independent pet-friendly review by Four Legged Guests · updated August 2026 · paw rating built from 1 verified guest review mentioning pets
Bring your dog if
- You want a whole-property rental - no shared lobbies or corridors to navigate with your dog
- You're basing yourself in Kendal / the Lake District and want a pet-friendly anchor for day trips
- The wider guest experience is strong - guests rate this 9.8/10 overall on booking platforms
Worth knowing
- Paw rating sits on a single confirmed pet review - expect movement as more data arrives
- Pet fee: £20 (max 2 pets) - the amount is published but not what it covers, so confirm the terms when you book
How this review was built Evidence, sources, refresh cadence
- Evidence: 1 pet-mention guest review sourced from major booking platforms - guests who explicitly mentioned travelling with a dog. Each review is screened for pet-relevance, then judged for sentiment to compute the paw rating.
- Not a personal visit. We don't stay at every hotel we cover - we summarise patterns from real guest reviews, paraphrased and never quoted verbatim. Full standard on our editorial policy page.
- Wider context: The property has 8 guest reviews overall across booking platforms, averaging 9.8/10 - the paw rating reflects only the pet-mentioning subset.
- Last refreshed: August 2026. Policies and pricing drift; we re-check on a rolling basis. Confirm specifics with the property at the moment you book.
- How the paw rating works: Full detail on the methodology page, including the three verification gates and known limitations.
Pet policy at a glance
- Pet fee: £20.
- Up to two pets per booking.
- A dog welcome hamper is provided.
- The owners ask that you leave a heavily moulting dog at home, out of consideration for the cleaners and later guests.
Pet-friendly summary
The Smithy is a five-star whole-house rental at Patton, in the quiet countryside a few miles north-east of Kendal, and it is built for the kind of group holiday where the dog comes too. Having the entire property means no shared spaces to negotiate, and the rural setting gives dogs somewhere to stretch out between trips into the wider Lake District.
Dogs are properly catered for rather than merely tolerated: a welcome hamper is laid on for them, and the house takes up to two per booking for a £20 pet charge. There is one unusual condition worth knowing before you book - the owners ask that heavily moulting dogs are left at home, out of consideration for the cleaners and the guests who follow. If your dog is mid-moult, this is not the week to bring them.
What guests consistently describe is a characterful old building modernised to a high standard, with enough on-site entertainment to keep a mixed party occupied: a hot tub, a pizza oven, a cinema room and table football among it. Larger groups travelling with dogs have found the house absorbs adults, children and two dogs without feeling crowded.
The one practical snag is the approach. There is parking for around four cars, but the entrance is tight and takes a careful turn in, which is worth knowing if you are arriving in something large or towing.
On a 4.5 out of 5 paw rating, The Smithy suits groups and families planning a special occasion who want a luxurious rural base with their dogs along, and whose dogs are not heavy shedders.
Highlights from pet-mentioning reviews
What reviewers travelling with dogs consistently noted about staying here.
- Welcome hamper laid on for dogs
- Up to two dogs per booking
- Heavy moulters asked to stay at home
- Whole house with hot tub and cinema room
- Tight entrance for larger vehicles
About this hotel
The Smithy Cumbria is a five-star whole-house rental at Patton, a few miles north-east of Kendal in south Cumbria. The converted building sleeps a group and comes with a hot tub, pizza oven, cinema room and table football, with parking for around four cars and open countryside on the doorstep.
Hotel facts
Photos
Location
The Smithy, Patton, Kendal, LA8 9DX
