Haweswater Hotel, Shap

The Haweswater Hotel sits on the shore road above Haweswater reservoir at Bampton, in the quiet eastern corner of the Lake District that most visitors drive straight past. It is an art deco building in its own grounds, and the combination of low-traffic lanes, fell trails starting more or less at the door and a bar that welcomes dogs makes it one of the more comfortable Lakeland bases for anyone walking with one.

Dogs cost £15 per dog, per stay, and the property asks that you contact them before you arrive so a dog-friendly room can be set aside. That is worth doing early, because the rooms suitable for dogs are a limited part of the stock. The most useful detail is what happens at dinner: dogs are welcome in the bar, and the bar serves the same kitchen menu as the restaurant, so you are not choosing between eating well and leaving your dog upstairs.

The hotel's character does most of the work. Guests describe individually decorated, slightly quirky rooms, roll-top baths, and views from the windows across the reservoir and fells. Staff draw consistent praise from dog owners - warm, engaging and clearly used to animals - and the food is the other thing people come back for. Walkers have plenty on the doorstep, with routes of varying difficulty from the hotel and a road quiet enough for an early-morning circuit.

Two caveats are worth knowing. Because it genuinely is a dogs' hotel, dogs are around: barking from neighbouring rooms and in the corridor at night has been reported, so a light sleeper should ask about room position when booking. And a minority of guests have found rooms smaller or more awkwardly arranged than the description suggested, with the occasional lapse in housekeeping detail.

With a 4.7/5 paw rating, it suits walkers and couples who want a characterful, remote-feeling hotel where the dog joins them for dinner, and who would rather be on a reservoir road than in a busy Lakeland town.