Dog-friendly
Lake District.

Everything else in the Poochouse collection points at the coast; the Lake District is the exception, and a welcome one. This is mountain-and-water country, for a dog who lives to walk and an owner who feels the same. We keep two places here: one near Ambleside and the central fells, one on the quieter southern edge at Grange-over-Sands. The two suit different dogs — the central fells for the tireless, the gentler southern Lakes for an older or smaller dog who would find the high tops hard going.

From Ambleside you can walk straight onto lakeside paths and gentle valley routes, or climb as high as the legs allow — Loughrigg Fell and the shore of Windermere are both close and manageable. The southern Lakes around Grange are softer: limestone, estuary and woodland, with the level walks of the Cartmel peninsula and the views from Hampsfell. Both bases put you within reach of the dog-friendly pubs the Lakes does so well, where a wet dog by the fire is the norm rather than the exception.

One thing to know plainly, because it is unusual for our collection: Skelwith Fold is a dog-friendly holiday park rather than a standalone cottage, with a mix of cottages and glamping set in woodland and a dog wash on site. It suits someone happy with a managed-park setting close to Ambleside, rather than a remote bolt-hole. The Cartmel Cottage at Grange is the more conventional cottage of the two.

A serious seasonal note: in spring and early summer, much of the open fell is grazed by sheep with lambs, and dogs must be under close control or on a lead across most open-access land. Ground-nesting birds add to the case for care. When stock is about, the lower lakeside and valley walks are the safer, easier choice — and no less beautiful for it.

Planning what to do once you arrive? read our Lake District guide for walks, beaches and days out.