Troutbeck Inn

The Troutbeck Inn is a small country pub-with-rooms a few miles north-west of Penrith, just off the A66 and within striking distance of Ullswater, Keswick and the northern Lake District fells. It has a strong, consistent following among guests travelling with dogs, and the welcome is one of the things every pet-travelling reviewer mentions.

The setup is genuinely dog-inclusive rather than dog-tolerant. Dogs are welcomed in the bar, the breakfast room and the bedrooms, and there is a doggy menu in the restaurant. The inn even keeps log fires going in the bar, which guests have specifically described their dogs settling in front of. Owners report being warmly greeted alongside their pets, and several guests have stayed multiple times after a positive first visit.

Three practical caveats to know before booking. First, this is a working inn that sees a lot of dog traffic, so older rooms can pick up dog smell between deep cleans. One recent guest with their own dog flagged this in the dog-friendly room she was given. If sensitivity to that is an issue, ask for a recently-refurbished room when booking. Second, there is no enclosed garden area immediately on-site to exercise dogs, so the morning walk needs to head out to the surrounding lanes or to the nearby paths leading toward the Lake District National Park. Third, the building is older with thick walls, so wi-fi signal is intermittent in some rooms - common across Lakeland but worth knowing if remote work matters.

Location-wise the inn is a strong stopover between southern England and Scotland (just off the A66) as well as a working base for Lake District walking. Ullswater is a short drive, and the inn sits within easy reach of Keswick, Cockermouth and the Skiddaw / Blencathra fells.

Best suited to: walkers and Lake District tourers travelling with one or two well-mannered dogs who want a working country pub with proper food and a warm pet-inclusive welcome.