Dog Friendly Holidays in Ambleside

What's available for dog owners

There are 17 dog-friendly stays around Ambleside published on BritStays, and every one of them is listed as Pet Friendly. Most are hotels (10). The rest are three cottages, three camping options and one caravanning stay. If you picture a weekend with your dog as a self-catering cottage with its own front door, the choice is quite small. If you're happy with a hotel room and a dinner you don't have to cook, you have far more options. Eleven of the 17 list a restaurant and nine have a bar, so eating out without leaving the dog behind is a realistic plan at many of them.

Choosing where to base yourself

Ambleside itself has the most stays. Eight listings sit in or around the town, including all three of the example cottages. Grasmere has three, Windermere two, and Rydal, Patterdale, Ulverston and Skelwith Bridge one each. These listings are a lakes-and-villages set rather than a seaside one, so if a beach is a must for your dog, check the location of any stay carefully before you book.

• Couples: Garden Cottage in Ambleside sleeps two and is listed as near a bus stop with EV charging nearby. In Grasmere, Forest Side Hotel lists a restaurant, and Glen Rothay Hotel in Rydal has both a bar and a restaurant.
• Small families or two couples: Rivers Edge and Mallards, both in Ambleside, each sleep four. Mallards is also listed as near a bus stop.
• Families wanting space to roam: Skelwith Fold Caravan Park in Ambleside has a playground, toilets and a gift shop. Sykeside Camping Site in Patterdale has a bar, a restaurant and takeaway food, which helps on nights when cooking on a camping stove doesn't appeal.

Hotels: what the examples tell you

The hotels vary quite a bit in what they offer. Rothay Manor Hotel in Ambleside and Langdale Chase Hotel in Windermere both list a hot tub alongside a bar and restaurant. Daffodil Hotel & Spa in Grasmere lists a swimming pool and spa. Briery Wood Country House Hotel in Windermere mentions indoor areas, which are worth having on a wet day. Wateredge Inn in Ambleside and Skelwith Bridge Hotel both list disabled access. Swan Hotel in Grasmere offers takeaway food as well as its bar and restaurant.

A Pet Friendly listing doesn't tell you which parts of a hotel your dog can use. Before you book, ask whether dogs can come into the bar or restaurant, whether only certain rooms take dogs, and whether dogs can use the spa or hot tub areas. Usually they can't, but it's worth asking.

Getting there and getting around

Only eight of the 17 stays list parking, so if you're driving, confirm parking at the time of booking. Five are listed as near a bus stop and four as near a train station. That's useful if you'd like to leave the car at home. Five list EV charging nearby, including Rivers Edge, Mallards and Garden Cottage. WiFi is listed at just five stays, so don't assume you'll have it, especially at the camping and caravan sites.

Things to do once you're there

Close to your stay, Bridge House and Tabitha Twitchit's Bookshop are both National Trust properties. Wray Castle is a heritage site that makes a good half-day outing. For families, The Lakes Aqua Park is listed under water parks in the Lake District.

Further afield, Keswick has Keswick Museum & Art Gallery, Knox Wood Wildlife Centre and the West Cumberland Railway Museum. Eskdale Mill is another Lake District option. Some listed attractions involve a proper day trip, such as Killhope Lead Mining Museum in County Durham, and the Judges' Lodgings Museum and Laurel and Hardy Museum in Morecambe.

Dog access at museums, wildlife centres and indoor sites is often restricted, so check each attraction's policy before you set off. If your dog can't come in, plan who stays outside with them.

When and how to book

With only three dog-friendly cottages in this set, two of which sleep four, these small self-catering stays are the likeliest to go first. This is especially true over school holidays and bank holiday weekends. If a cottage is what you want, book as early as you can and stay flexible on dates.

Hotels give you more choice, but dog-friendly rooms are often limited in number even where a hotel welcomes dogs. When you enquire, have these details ready:

• how many dogs you're bringing, and their size
• whether you need a ground-floor room or easy outdoor access
• whether you'll want to eat with your dog in the bar or restaurant
• whether you need parking or EV charging on arrival

Ask about any dog charges and house rules before you pay. Pack your own bedding and towels for wet walks too, so a muddy return doesn't become a problem at the end of the day.