The Hen House, Lothersdale

The Hen House is an open-plan chalet on a working smallholding at Raygill Lane, in the quiet North Yorkshire village of Lothersdale about five miles from Skipton. It is the kind of place people book to slow down for a couple of nights, and dogs are part of the arrangement rather than a grudging extra - the chalet sits in its own space within the owners' grounds, with a balcony and countryside on every side.

No pet fee is flagged on the property's booking listing, so confirm the position directly if the cost matters to your plans. Guests regularly comment on how clean and fresh the chalet is for somewhere that takes dogs, which is not always a given in rural self-catering.

The owners live on the same site and clearly enjoy the job. Guests travelling with dogs mention clear, detailed communication before arrival and the sort of small courtesies that make a first night simpler. Beyond the door there is a good stretch of woodland walking, and the Hare and Hounds in the village - a short walk or a few minutes' drive - welcomes dogs and draws consistently warm write-ups for its food.

Two things are worth knowing before you book. The smallholding is home to free-roaming chickens, pheasants, rabbits and cats, which makes for good watching from the big window but is a genuine complication for a dog with a strong prey drive. And the outdoor space dogs can use sits a little way from the chalet rather than directly outside the door, which guests travelling with dogs have flagged as an inconvenience. Add a vocal cockerel at dawn, patchy mobile signal and unreliable wifi, and this is a stay that rewards people who actively want to be off the grid.

For a steady, sociable dog who is happy around livestock, The Hen House is a comfortable and genuinely welcoming base for the Dales, and it earns a 4.4 out of 5 paw rating. A dog who cannot resist a chicken will find it a harder week.