Tower View Belthorn

Tower View is a renovated cottage in Belthorn, a hilltop village above Blackburn in the borough of Hyndburn, with long views over the fields towards Darwen. For dog owners the appeal is straightforward: moorland-edge country immediately outside, a dog-friendly pub within a five-minute walk, and quick access to the M65 for anyone breaking a longer journey north.

Dogs are welcome, and guests travelling with them consistently name the pub and the walking as the reasons the stay worked. The village pub takes dogs, which removes the usual evening problem of either eating in or leaving the dog behind. The cottage itself is warm and comfortable, and it is quieter inside than its closeness to a busy road would suggest. It earns a 4.1/5 paw rating.

That rating reflects some real reservations, and they are worth setting out because they are maintenance rather than anything structural. The garden has repeatedly come in for criticism: guests have found the grass long enough that a dog would not willingly use it, which matters a good deal if you were counting on outdoor space at the property itself. Guests have also reported a lingering doggy or damp smell indoors, along with smaller snags such as bulbs out, a broken cooker hood and a shower that did not work properly.

The stairs are extremely steep, which is worth knowing if you have an older dog or one that needs carrying. The heating is controlled externally rather than from inside the cottage, so an early-season stay may come down to the electric fire.

Best suited to walkers with a hardy dog who will spend the day out on the hills and want a warm, well-placed base with a good pub at the end of the road, rather than anyone hoping to let a dog out into a usable garden.