The Yewdale Inn and Hotel Coniston Village

The Yewdale Inn is a traditional pub with rooms in the middle of Coniston village, and for a Lake District break with one dog it does the simple things well. There are eight en-suite rooms above a busy bar and Enzo's Caffe and Pizzeria, the lake is about ten minutes' walk away, and the Old Man of Coniston and the surrounding fells start from the edge of the village.

Dogs need to be arranged at the time of booking, and the limit is firm: one dog per room, for £10 per night per room. Groups travelling with two or more dogs will need a second room. Inside, dogs are welcome on the non-carpeted floor of the bar but not on the carpeted parts or in the pizzeria dining area, which still leaves room for a drink and a meal with the dog at your feet.

The staff are the reason most guests with dogs come back, and many are repeat visitors. Reviews return again and again to how friendly and helpful the team are, how easy it is to have a dog in the pub and the room, and to the food, from vegan options to wood-fired pizza. Water and biscuits for dogs at the bar are a regular touch.

There are trade-offs, and they are mostly about the building. Rooms above the bar and beside the beer garden can be noisy late into the evening, including the first-floor room set aside for dogs, and running water from other rooms has kept at least one dog awake at night. Showers with weak pressure, rooms that feel dated, and an occasional doggy smell come up more than once, as does a breakfast that starts at 8.30am, late if you want an early start on the fells. Private parking is limited, so the public car parks in the village are the fallback at busy times.

Best suited to couples and solo walkers with one well-behaved dog who want a lively village pub base and value friendly staff over polish. Less suited to light sleepers or anyone travelling with more than one dog.