Primrose Cottage, Matlock

Primrose Cottage is a small stone cottage in a quiet rural spot about five minutes' drive from Matlock, with a lake and waterfall nearby and footpaths heading off in every direction. For dog owners the appeal is straightforward: it is a whole house rather than a room, there is usable outdoor space, and the walking on the doorstep is genuinely good.

Guests travelling with dogs describe it as a comfortable, cosy base. It warms up quickly on a cold afternoon, the beds are consistently praised, and it is quiet enough that a dog settles. Some come back year after year, which is usually the clearest signal that a place works for the way people actually travel with a dog.

The most important thing to know before booking is that dogs are not allowed upstairs, and this is not made obvious at the point of booking. If your dog normally sleeps in a crate or on the floor of your bedroom, that is a change of routine you will discover on arrival rather than in advance, and it has made the first evening more stressful for guests who did not expect it. Ask the owner to confirm the arrangement before you commit, particularly if you have an anxious dog or one that will not settle alone downstairs.

A few practical points follow from that. There is no vacuum cleaner in the cottage, which dog owners notice when they want to leave the place as they found it, so bring a brush if that matters to you. The kitchen is sparse by self-catering standards, with no microwave and a fridge that does not run especially cold. The bedroom curtains are thin and let in a lot of early light. The cottage is small with low beams, and the twin room is a tight fit, so four adults plus a dog would be cramped. One quirk worth flagging: a neighbouring dog will let itself in if you leave the front door open, which is charming or not depending on your own dog.

Best suited to a couple or small family with one dog who want a quiet Derbyshire Dales base and are happy for the dog to sleep downstairs. It earns a 4.5/5 paw rating.