Slade Cottage, Ashbourne

Slade Cottage is a stone cottage on a working farm high on the Staffordshire side of the Peak District, a few minutes from Ilam and around twenty minutes from Ashbourne. Walks start at the door: open grazing land, field paths and moorland views, with no need to load the dog into the car first.

Up to three dogs can stay. The practical touches are what dog owners notice - an outdoor hose by the door for rinsing off after a muddy walk, and a tiled kitchen that stays warm, so a wet dog can dry off and sleep before coming up to the living room. The owners live on site and are quick to help without being intrusive, and the welcome pack of homemade cake, prosecco and the kitchen basics is mentioned by almost everyone who stays.

The setting is genuinely remote. Guests describe a half-mile unmade track up to the farm, single-track lanes and very little noise, which suits dogs that are unsettled by traffic or neighbours. Several regulars return each year, and dogs staying in the other cottages on the farm often end up walking and playing together.

Two things are worth knowing before booking. The garden is neither private nor fully enclosed - it is shared with the larger house the cottage adjoins, and people walk past it - so a dog that cannot be trusted off lead will need supervising outside. The surrounding fields carry cows and sheep, so lead discipline matters on the walks straight from the gate.

For walkers with two or three dogs who want quiet, space and a warm cottage to come back to, Slade Cottage is hard to beat, and its 4.9/5 paw rating reflects a long run of guests who brought dogs and returned. Anyone needing a secure garden to let a dog out unsupervised should look at a property with fully enclosed outdoor space instead.