Troutbeck Inn

The Troutbeck Inn is the sort of country pub people book because of the dog rather than in spite of it. It stands on its own a few miles north-west of Penrith just off the A66, with Ullswater, Keswick and the northern fells all a short drive away, and it has built a steady following among walkers who bring a dog along. It earns a 4.6/5 paw rating.

Dogs are welcome in the bar and the breakfast room as well as the bedrooms, so there is no shutting the dog upstairs while you eat, and the kitchen runs a dog menu alongside the human one. Log fires in the bar do the rest of the work in the evening. Guests travelling with dogs describe a welcome aimed squarely at the dog as much as the owner, and repeat visits are common, with plenty of people booking a second or third stay after a good first one. The owners are hands-on and the cooking, particularly the evening meals and breakfast, draws as much praise as the pet welcome.

Two things are worth knowing before you book. Dogs stay in designated rooms rather than anywhere in the building, and because those rooms see heavy dog traffic a few guests have arrived to find theirs smelled strongly of dog, or was tight on space once a dog bed was in it. Ask about room size if you have a larger breed. The other is the walking. There is no enclosed area on site and no pavement immediately outside, so the first walk of the morning means the verge of a country road before you reach anything off-road.

Best suited to walkers and north-south travellers with one or two settled dogs who want proper cooking, a fire to lie in front of and no awkwardness about where the dog can go. Anyone hoping for a dog-free lounge should look elsewhere: this is a busy dog inn and there are usually several about.