Low Shipley Cottage

Low Shipley Cottage is a spacious stone holiday cottage set in the open, rolling countryside of Teesdale near Cotherstone, on the edge of the North Pennines in County Durham. It is a remote, self-catering retreat rather than a hotel, and it makes an outstanding base for dog owners who come to this corner of the north for one thing above all: the walking.

Guests travelling with dogs return again and again to the setting. Fantastic walks start straight from the door, the views are consistently described as stunning, and there is a hot tub in the garden that guests love for soaking tired legs after a long day on the fells - often with the same far-reaching valley views. The cottage itself surprises people with its size (several note it is bigger than expected), and it earns steady praise for being spotlessly clean, warm and thoroughly equipped, with plenty of room for a dog to stretch out after a muddy walk.

The hosts add a lot to the experience. Visitors describe them as genuinely friendly and accommodating, from firing up the hot tub so it is ready on arrival to helping guests find the cottage after dark. That personal touch is a recurring note, and it suits the away-from-it-all feel of the place.

Two practical points are worth knowing. The cottage is properly remote, reached by a farm track, so it rewards those who want peace and quiet but is worth approaching with care and is not the choice for anyone wanting shops on the doorstep - Barnard Castle and its supermarkets are a few miles away. The listing also welcomes one well-behaved dog. Low Shipley Cottage is best suited to dog owners after a scenic, peaceful Pennine base with superb doorstep walking and a hot tub, who are happy with a genuinely rural, off-the-beaten-track location.