Forest of Bowland & Lancashire Burnley
Rita's Roost, Burnley
Independent pet-friendly review by Four Legged Guests · updated September 2026 · paw rating built from 3 verified guest reviews mentioning pets
Bring your dog if
- You want a whole-property rental - no shared lobbies or corridors to navigate with your dog
- You're basing yourself in Burnley / the Forest of Bowland & Lancashire and want a pet-friendly anchor for day trips
- The wider guest experience is strong - guests rate this 9.7/10 overall on booking platforms
Worth knowing
- Paw rating is based on 3 reviews - limited sample, treat as directional
- Pet fee and any size restrictions aren't published - confirm directly with the property before booking
How this review was built Evidence, sources, refresh cadence
- Evidence: 3 pet-mention guest reviews sourced from major booking platforms - guests who explicitly mentioned travelling with a dog. Each review is screened for pet-relevance, then judged for sentiment to compute the paw rating.
- Not a personal visit. We don't stay at every hotel we cover - we summarise patterns from real guest reviews, paraphrased and never quoted verbatim. Full standard on our editorial policy page.
- Wider context: The property has 40 guest reviews overall across booking platforms, averaging 9.7/10 - the paw rating reflects only the pet-mentioning subset.
- Last refreshed: September 2026. Policies and pricing drift; we re-check on a rolling basis. Confirm specifics with the property at the moment you book.
- How the paw rating works: Full detail on the methodology page, including the three verification gates and known limitations.
Pet-friendly summary
Rita's Roost is a small hillside hideaway above Briercliffe, on the moors just outside Burnley, and it earns a 4.3/5 paw rating from the dog owners who have stayed. The setting is the big draw: open Pennine views, sheep for neighbours and walks that start straight from the door, so a morning circuit with the dog needs no car at all.
Guests travelling with dogs describe the place as genuinely dog-friendly rather than merely tolerant, with the surrounding lanes and moorland giving plenty of options for a leg-stretch at any hour. The owner lives on site and is warmly reviewed - fresh eggs left for breakfast, quick replies to questions - though it does mean the stay feels hosted rather than fully private.
Two practical points are worth planning around. First, dogs cannot be left unattended in the property, and guests report the rule is applied firmly - a past party only discovered it after arriving and had to reshape their plans, so if your itinerary includes dog-free outings this is not the place for them. Second, housekeeping around dogs has come up in past feedback: dog hair on the rug and mess on the grass at handover, which sits oddly against the otherwise spotless reviews but is worth knowing if you are particular.
The cottage itself is compact and furnished for a small party rather than a full house - seating is limited - with a log burner, a heated bathroom floor, a balcony and a small garden. Livestock graze close by, so keep the lead handy around the sheep.
Best suited to a couple with one well-exercised dog who want dark skies, quiet and walking from the doorstep; less suitable for anyone who needs to leave the dog behind for a few hours.
Highlights from pet-mentioning reviews
What reviewers travelling with dogs consistently noted about staying here.
- Walks straight from the door
- Dogs cannot be left unattended
- Sheep and livestock close by
- Quiet hillside setting suits active dogs
- Compact space best for one dog
About this hotel
Rita's Roost is a compact four-star holiday house at Shuttleworth Pasture Barn, Briercliffe, in the hills above Burnley, Lancashire. Guests get far-reaching Pennine views, a log burner, a heated bathroom floor, a balcony and a small garden, with parking on site. Check-in is from 2pm, with checkout by 10am.
Hotel facts
Photos
Location
Shuttleworth Pasture Barn Back Lane Briercliffe BB10 3RD, Burnley, BB10 3RD