Stone Barn, Pooley Bridge (Penrith)

Stone Barn is a two-bedroom barn conversion at Barton Hall Farm, a working farm at the northern end of Ullswater about five miles outside Penrith. It is a stand-out choice for a couple or small family travelling with a dog: the on-site dog facilities go well beyond what most self-catering Lakeland cottages offer, and the walking starts at the door.

The facilities are the headline. There is an outdoor dog bath and shower with plenty of warm water, invaluable after a wet day on the fells, and an on-site kennel where the dog can be left safely for a few hours if you want to eat somewhere in Pooley Bridge that does not take dogs. That second one is the kind of detail that decides where dog owners book. Up to two dogs are welcome, and a charge applies for pets.

The barn sits in an enclosed garden looking down towards the foot of Ullswater, with walks starting straight from the door - about twenty minutes across the fields and moor brings you into Pooley Bridge and its tearooms and shops. The High Street fell range is a mile away, and Helvellyn and the bigger central-Lakes walks are within easy driving distance. Inside it is a two-bedroom layout sleeping four, with a wood burner, wood-fired central heating and a basket of wood provided.

Hosts Amanda and Nigel live on site and draw consistent praise from guests with dogs, with tea, coffee, biscuits and milk waiting on arrival. Repeat visitors are common.

Two practical notes. It is a working farm, so children need supervising around farm hazards; adults and well-managed dogs are fine, and the enclosed garden is genuinely enclosed. The garden is also shared with the other properties on the site, so it is not exclusively yours if you need somewhere completely private for a reactive dog.

Best suited to a couple or small family with one or two dogs who want a comfortable Ullswater base with door-step walking, and who value the dog bath, kennel and enclosed garden enough to pay the pet charge. It earns a 4.7 out of 5 paw rating.