Hawthorn Cottage, Hackness

Hawthorn Cottage is a converted cottage on a working farm at Silpho, in the wooded hills above Hackness on the edge of the North York Moors, and the setting is the main reason to bring a dog. The whole place is yours, there are no shared corridors or neighbouring rooms, and the farm sits far enough down its own track that there is nothing much to walk past on the way out. Dog owners' feedback so far amounts to a single stay, so treat the dog-specific detail below as one account rather than a settled pattern.

The clearest dog-specific detail is the gate now fitted across the front of the property, which lets you leave the front door open with the dog safely enclosed, and there is an enclosed patio to go with it. That is a small thing that makes a genuine difference on a warm afternoon. The limits are firmer than the setting suggests, though: the cottage takes one small dog only, so a large breed or a second dog rules it out. No fee is published, so confirm that with the owners before you arrive. Worth knowing too: this is a working farm with dogs of its own around the yard, so a dog that reacts to other animals will need managing.

Cleanliness is the thing the wider guest feedback agrees on. The cottage is consistently described as spotless and well kept, which is not always a given at pet-friendly self-catering, and the hot tub and the views across the valley do most of the rest of the work. Silpho sits in forested country between the moors and the coast, secluded enough to feel remote while still being a short drive from Scarborough and the coastal towns.

The practical caveats are real and worth planning for. The access road is a working farm track, bumpy and unsurfaced and not suitable for a low car, and it isn't gritted, so winter arrivals can be a struggle. Guests have also reported the shower swinging between scalding and freezing, towels on the small side, and an outdoor security light that flickers through the night. Satnavs and mapping apps routinely send people to the wrong spot, so read the directions the owners send before you set off.

It earns a 4.3/5 paw rating. Best suited to owners of one small dog who want seclusion, a hot tub and forest walks from the doorstep, and who don't mind a rough track and a few rough edges to get them.