William Court Cottage

William Court Cottage is a self-catering cottage in the grounds of Irton Hall, a country estate near Holmrook on the quiet western edge of the Lake District. It has room for a family of four and one dog, and the position is genuinely good: Wasdale, Eskdale and the Cumbrian coast are all within a short drive, and there is a bar on site for a pint at the end of a day on the fells. Book ahead if you want to eat there, as it fills up.

One well-behaved dog is welcome per booking, and dogs are expected to be on the lead throughout the estate. That rule matters more here than at most cottages.

The estate is a working one, and that shapes a stay with a dog. Guests travelling with dogs have reported estate working dogs loose around the property, including a collie that went for a guest twice as they steered it away from their own dog, which is uncomfortable when guests are asked to keep theirs clipped on. The surrounding fields are grazed, so the walk down to Irton church and much of the land around the hall carries cattle for parts of the year, and that limits where a dog can safely go on the estate itself. Peacocks, geese and a cockerel also live on the grounds and start early.

Inside, the cottage is comfortable and clean and works well for a family, though reviews are consistent about the upkeep: a temperamental key safe, a pellet burner that needs its ash pan cleared to run properly, patchy TV reception and mattresses past their best. The wifi is at the hall rather than the cottage, so expect to walk over for a signal.

It earns 4.1 out of 5. The cottage and the setting are better than that suggests; what pulls it down is that the ground around it is harder to use with a dog than the setting implies. It suits walkers who will be out in Wasdale or Eskdale during the day with a dog that is steady around livestock and other dogs, and it is a poor fit for one that needs a safe off-lead run on the doorstep.