Locka Old Hall Cottage

Locka Old Hall Cottage sits above the Lune Valley at Arkholme, a few miles inland from Carnforth, with a big fenced garden and long views east towards the Yorkshire fells. The garden is the reason dog owners keep coming back: private, generous in size, and enclosed well enough that most guests are happy to let a dog off the lead in it while they sit out with the view.

Inside, the cottage is warm and well provisioned. There is a woodburner, a kitchen with dishwasher, washing machine, microwave and fridge-freezer, and the owner leaves a proper welcome of fresh eggs from free-range hens, honey, homemade jam, tea, coffee and milk. Directions arrive in advance and are worth following closely, because the lane in is not obvious. Once there it is genuinely quiet, to the point that guests staying over New Year noted the absence of fireworks, which is a rare thing for a nervous dog.

Walking is the point of the location. The Yorkshire Three Peaks are within reach for a day out, the southern Lakes are a short drive, and there are dog-friendly pubs and cafes in the surrounding villages. Two things temper that. Cattle occupy many of the neighbouring fields through the summer, which limits off-lead walking close by, and the stock fencing around the garden is partly hidden behind mature borders, so it is worth walking the boundary yourself on arrival if your dog's recall is unreliable.

The honest caveat is condition. Setting, garden and hospitality all rate consistently well, but the interior has drawn repeated criticism: stained carpets, a lifting bathroom floor that let woodlice through, and dust and cobwebs that arriving guests have had to clear themselves. Guests have been told a full refurbishment is planned. The bed is a small double rather than a king, and the mattress is firm.

At 4.6/5, Locka Old Hall Cottage is a strong pick for a couple with dogs who want a secure garden, silence and fell views, and who care more about what is outside the door than about the state of the carpets.