The View, Millom

The View is a self-contained holiday home on the marina village at Haverigg, on the edge of Millom where the Duddon estuary meets the sea, and it is set up for dogs in the simplest way possible. The whole place is yours, there is outdoor seating looking over the water, and the walks start where the parking does.

Everyone who has brought a dog here says much the same thing: it is easy. The property is let to one party, so there are no corridors and no shared lounges to negotiate indoors; the rules that matter here belong to the marina village rather than the building. Inside it is clean, comfortable and stocked with what a self-catering week needs. The owner is attentive without being intrusive, and has been quick to sort out practical things - fans appeared during a heatwave without anyone having to ask.

The location is the real reason to come. An RSPB nature reserve sits immediately alongside the marina, there is a long stretch of beach at Haverigg, and the southern fells are a short drive inland - Coniston and the Duddon valley rather than the crowded central lakes. It is quiet in a way the honeypot Lakeland villages no longer are, which suits a nervous or reactive dog as much as it suits the humans.

A couple of practical notes. The fee, any weight limit and the number of dogs allowed are still not published, so agree those with the owner directly. The marina village does set its own ground rules, though: dogs stay on a lead across the park, only assistance dogs go inside the park's facilities, and breeds listed under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 are not permitted on site at all. The bedroom has blinds rather than curtains, which means choosing between privacy and an open window on a warm night. And Millom is where you will do the food shop on the way in, so arrive stocked rather than expecting to pop out.

Best suited to a couple or small group who want water, beach and quiet fell walking with a dog, and who would rather cook than be catered for. It earns a 4.5/5 paw rating.