Take your faithful friend with you when you head off to stay at this fairy-tale cottage approximately 1 mile from Bowness-on-Windermere. Nestled in leafy woodland on a country estate, the unique 19th-century, two-bedroom retreat sleeps four guests and one canine companion, and is ideally positioned for riverside and lakeshore walks, as well as strolls through the forest. Find a whole host of hikes in the area that will delight your four-legged friend. Rest weary paws in dog-friendly pubs in Bowness-on-Windermere before heading home to bask in the sunshine or stoke up the wood burner.
Open the door to this unusually shaped cottage and head into the kitchen to feed your hungry hound and prepare a tasty meal for the other members of your party. Sit down to dinner at the table in the dining room. There’s also a ground-floor WC here. Call Fido upstairs with you to discover the welcoming lounge, where you can light the wood burner during the colder months, then watch TV or a DVD while your furry friend stretches out on the floor. Also at this level are the family bathroom, a twin bedroom and a double room. On fine days, spend as much time as possible outside, enjoying the Cumbrian air. Dine out here while Fido explores. There is parking available at the cottage.
Pull on your walking boots, pick up the lead and make your way up to Brant Fell, about 750 metres from the cottage, with its spectacular views. For a longer hike, attempt the 9-mile walk from Windermere, 1.5 miles away, to Grasmere with its magnificent panoramas. Take a cruise on Lake Windermere from Bowness; your happy hound can travel free of charge. Hop off at Lakeside and catch a dog-friendly steam train along the heritage railway and back again.