Higher Gills Farm, Gisburn

Higher Gills Farm sits high above the Ribble Valley between Rimington and Gisburn, a working farm with two self-contained flats and the kind of long views across Lancashire moorland that make you want to walk somewhere before breakfast. Clitheroe is about eight miles south-west, so the setting is genuinely rural rather than village-edge.

Dogs are welcome, but the rules here are tighter than most farm stays and worth understanding before you book. Guests travelling with dogs consistently report that pets are restricted to a single room within the accommodation rather than having the run of it, and that dogs must be kept on a lead outdoors, including on the grounds themselves. Several also found the restrictions stricter in practice than they had been led to expect at the time of booking, which is the main thing to clarify directly with the owner in advance.

The owner lives on the site, and guest opinion on that splits sharply. Some value the local knowledge and the close eye kept on the property; others found the level of oversight intrusive, and some report house rules being applied without much flexibility when circumstances changed mid-stay. If you are hoping for a stay where nobody else is around, weigh that up first.

The location is the strongest reason to come. The farm sits on quiet single-track lanes with open pasture and moorland immediately beyond the gate, and the Ribble Valley footpath network starts more or less at the door. There are no pubs or shops within walking distance, though, so plan on driving for supplies and evening meals.

The 3.7/5 paw rating reflects that split. The setting is excellent and the flats are well equipped, but the pet arrangements are the most constrained part of the stay. It suits calm, lead-trained dogs and owners happy to keep them close; a lively dog that expects to roam a farm's fields will not get what it wants here. Confirm exactly which rooms and which outdoor areas your dog may use before you travel.