Dog Friendly Lake District & Cumbria

I can’t believe that it’s been 9 months since I moved from Sussex to Cumbria, it’s seems to have flown by, but also I feel like I’ve been here for a lot longer. It’s not been easy acclimatising to a new place where I don’t know anyone, somewhere with sheep round every corner (not great for a sighthound owner), and the weather…the wind, the rain, the wind – it’s mid June and I’m still wearing jumpers and a gilet most days 😂BUT, aside from that, the views, the scenery, the empty beaches, the fact that I can walk for 5 hours and only see a couple of people has been really good for the soul. Renovating the house and work has kept me busy, but it’s a perfect place to really find out who I am as a person after being part of a couple for 22 years.

Anyhow, enough of that, now the interesting stuff! There’s a lot of ‘dog friendly’ places in the Lake District but I’m searching out those places who go the extra mile. This post will be updated as I find new places, so be sure to keep checking back, and I’ll post on social if I find somewhere new too.

Granny Dowbekins, Pooley Bridge

First up is a place which I discovered 3 years ago when I came to the Lake District on a solo trip in January. I was really taken with Pooley Bridge, lots of walks from the car park, and my first, but not last,  visit to Granny Dowbekins. Not only is this lovely cafe dog friendly, they have goody bags for the dogs on the menu which includes dog biscuits, but also things like left over sausages and black pudding! They now have a gorgeous garden room, and a lovely outside section right on the river. What made me love this place even more though was the fact that they offered to hold the boys while I nipped to the ladies! Now that’s dog friendly customer service. Be warned, the food is delicious, but they don’t scrimp on size! The last time I went I had smashed avacado on toast with a poached egg, it was huge! Great coffee too.

There are some fantastic walks from here, but the one I’d recommend is heading up to see the Roman High Street and the oldest Bronze Age Circle in the Lake District, a bit hilly, but fairly easy and you can walk from the town, or you can get the ferry to further up and walk back (see further down for Ullswater Steamer details).

Granny Dowbekins Tea Room in Pooley Bridge

The Secret Garden, Pooley Bridge

The last time I was in Pooley Bridge Granny’s had a fairly big queue outside at about 11.30, but I’d met a couple on a walk who recommended The Secret Garden which was right next door so I decided to try it out. Why is it secret? Well you actually have to go through the convenience store to find the door to this quirkily little bar/restaurant! It looked lovely inside, but I had a rare day of warm sun with no wind, so headed outside to the lovely decked area on the river. There were quite a few dogs scattered around, and a few up on the seats where the owners had put down rugs which was lovely to see. It was a bit early for lunch so treated myself to coffee and cake but the rest of the menu looked good. It’s obviously popular because as I was leaving just after midday, the queue was pretty big so I’d recommend getting there early! Despite being busy, one of the staff offered to hold the boys while I nipped to the loo (yes, again!).

The Secret Garden, Pooley Bridge

Ullswater Steamers, Pooley Bridge

This was actually the first time the boys and their friend Luna had been on a boat and they weren’t fazed by it at all! We went from Pooley Bridge to Howtown which took maybe 10 minutes, but if you fancy a longer trip, you can go to Aria Force Waterfall or Glenridding. This walk can take you right onto the Roman High Street and the Bronze Age Circle, with some lovely views over Ullswater. It’s such a lovely, novel thing to do with dogs, I think there are a few ferries which are dog friendly so I’m going to be giving them a try now I’ve done this short trip and know the boys are okay with it. It’s worth noting that you can book in advance, but if the wind is high, the ferry does get cancelled.

Dogs are £1 extra each to travel on the ferry.

The Big Shop with the Little Door, Pooley Bridge

AKA as Chestnut House, this was another find when I first visited the Lakes. If you need to stock up on essentials, it’s mini supermarket and the whole shop is dog friendly, but the reason I have included it on here is the gin. So. Much. Gin. A whole huge wall of gin. What’s fantastic is the knowledge of said gin, and any other spirits they have on there! Don’t go in unless you are prepared to come out with at least one bottle of something alcoholic – I only went in for milk and nearly forgot that!

The Big Shop with the Little Door, Pooley Bridge

Inn on the Square, Keswick

When I did a request for dog friendly places in Cumbria, Keswick was one of the most mentioned. Inn on the Square is perfectly located right on the main stretch, as well as the front bar and a small section behind the bar before you go to the restaurant which are both dog friendly, they also have dog friendly hotel rooms and a whole dog friendly section on the website too! When we (and when I say me, I mean me and the boys of course) popped in for the first time, I decided to sit in the carpeted area just before the restaurant (bony sighthound legs prefer softer floors!), and within minutes they were brought a bowl of water. The boys were made to feel very welcome!

Inn on the Square, Keswick

Podgy Paws Pet Shop, Keswick

I go into Keswick a couple of times a month and never miss a chance to visit Podgy Paws! The boys are in heaven trying to steal whatever they can and they are always given treats. I’ve quite often watched the staff there give great advice to people on everything from harnesses to food and toys, they always seem very knowledgeable and friendly. They have a raw food freezer, with complete raw food and raw meaty bones which I always stock up on, and some great natural treats (like Anco chews which are always a firm favourite of the boys). If you are in Keswick, I’d highly recommend a visit, your hounds will thank you!

Still to come:

Jaspers Coffee House, Keswick & Braithwaite

The Kirkstyle Inn, Lowsewater

Do you know of somewhere super dog friendly in Cumbria? Drop me a message so I can check them out!

Kerry x

At the start of this year I went to the Lake District on my own with two of the hounds and I really enjoyed seeking out amazing dog friendly places.  I’m not able to do it again next January, so I’ve decided to do a couple of little mini staycations closer to home – starting with East Sussex.

Lewes

I went via Pets Pyjamas (a pet friendly site with a pet concierge!) and told them I wanted somewhere a bit quirky and they found me The Bell in Ticehurst which is gorgeous! I decided to pop into Lewes on the way – it was a Sunday so very quiet but it was nice to see quite a few dog friendly places including the dramatic setting of the Lewes Priory ruins.  

The Bell Inn Ticehurst

We arrived at The Bell a little early but were given a very friendly welcome. I asked if I could take a few shots in the bar, and after a few minutes one of the lovely staff members mentioned they had a snug I could use to take more photographs as it was a pretty space, and they weren’t kidding! I think this is the first time I have ever had a place do this!

After an early start, Shadow was a smidge tired so he relaxed while I had a very tasty lunch (of course a few titbits were sent his way). 

When we were shown to our room, where there was already a dog bed & bowl waiting and I loved the decor! As the hotel was built on an old silver birch farm, every room has part of a silver birch in it as a statement piece. 

Shadow made his feelings clear when he kept jumping on the bed to lie down, I was impressed that Ray, who had shown us to our room didn’t seem fazed by this at all, I’m glad I brought his travel bed though! We stayed in a standard double, I’d definitely visit again and upgrade as I want to explore the other amazing rooms! The quality of food during the stay was really high too, and chef was accommodating with any small amendments I asked for, as well as putting aside one of the few specials he had left (I had the it two days in a row it was so good!)

Scotney Castle

As I’m a National Trust member, we took a trip across the border to Scotney Castle in Kent where grounds and gardens are dog friendly. We arrived just after opening time and for a while it felt like we had the place to ourselves. It’s a beautiful walk with lovely views, even in winter! 

The bad weather meant we couldn’t explore more than this but it’s a great excuse to go back! 

Where’s the best place you have ever had for a staycation? 

Kerry x

I recently visited London to do a shoot at the Egerton House Hotel where they do doggy afternoon tea (more on that soon!), and it got me thinking about how some places say that they are dog friendly, but in actual fact, it’s more like ‘dogs allowed’. So I decided to test how dog friendly some of my local places were, as recommended by Haslemere locals, I hope dog owners find this useful!

The Lions Den, Weyhill

The Lions Den, Haslemere

Style: Bistro / Cafe
Space: Cosy but plenty of floor space
Time visited: Friday at lunchtime – busy but had tables.
Waterbowl / biscuits: Yes to both – as you walked in the front door although all the bowls were empty.
Did they acknowledge my dog: No, but they were super busy.
Garden: No garden, little seating area outside which looks over Lion Green.
Pros: They didn’t bat an eyelid when I asked if Shadow could go up on the comfy seat with a rug.
Cons: Probably not the place to go with a dog that isn’t good with noise – it’s a family friendly place so at lunchtime on a school holiday Friday, it got quite noisy. 
Would I go back with my dog?: Yes, if I had just one or two with me. 
Is it obviously dog friendly?: Yes, says dogs welcome on the windows. 
Local Walks: A stones throw away from Hindhead Common which links with Devil’s Punchbowl. 

The Holly Bush, Frensham

The Holly Bush, Frensham

Style: Cosy Pub / Bar
Space: Cosy inside, good space outside, both patio area and grassed area. 
Time visited: Friday at 7.30pm. Busy but tables outside available.
Waterbowl / biscuits: Waterbowl’s available. 
Did they acknowledge my dog: A friend of the owner was obviously a whippet fan, so they got lots of fuss! 
Garden: Lovely grassed seating area on two levels, with the upper level having a street food truck where you could order cocktails. 
Pros: Shadow managed to jump up on the benches, right in front of one of the owners, and she really didn’t mind. 
Cons: As it was family friendly, there were lots of children running quite close to where the dogs were laying. Our dogs didn’t mind (we took 6 in total), however for an anxious dog, may be best to go when it’s quieter. 
Would I go back with my dog? Absolutely! 
Is it obviously dog friendly?: Yes! Their instagram account has a plethora of dog visitors. 
Local walks: Just minutes away from Frensham Little Ponds. 
Car parking: Couldn’t see any for the pub, road parking available. 

The Links Tavern, Liphook

The Links Tavern, Liphook

Style: Smart Pub
Space: Fairly big with separate dining and bar area with more informal seating. 
Time visited: Saturday at 5.30pm, was quiet at this time but looked like it was getting busy as I left. 
Waterbowl / biscuits: Yes to both – they actually had a dog pic & mix bar with donations going towards a charity, and a ‘dog keg’ outside. 
Did they acknowledge my dog: Yes
Garden: Lovely grassed seating area
Pros: Were fine with the dogs being on the sofa/chair with a rug down. 
Cons: It’s next to a main road so it could get a bit noisy if you sit outside – although the grassed seating area is round the back.  
Would I go back with my dog? Yes, I’d be happy to take all of them. 
Is it obviously dog friendly?: Did I mention the dog keg outside? 
Local Walks: A lovely walk through heathland next to the Deers Hut pub, and Iron Hill both within 5 minutes drive. 
Car parking: Plenty of parking next to the pub.

The Dog & Pheasant, Brook

Style: Country Pub
Space: Cosy inside, good space outside
Time visited: Wednesday at 5.15pm, quiet. 
Waterbowl / biscuits: Dog bowl. I saw what seemed to be a regular offered biscuits, Boo didn’t get offered though.  
Did they acknowledge my dog: No
Garden: Nice raised patio with countryside views & also grassy nooks & children’s enclosed play area. 
Pros: The outside seating areas are lovely.  
Cons: Limited parking outside the pub, even when it was quiet. 
Would I go back with my dog? I have been before without the dogs and it’s a great local pub with good food but I’d probably not with the hounds, unless we sat in the garden. 
Is it obviously dog friendly?: Not really.  
Local Walks: National Trust site Witley Common is very close. 
Car parking: Limited parking outside the pub, even when it was quiet. There’s road parking across the main road. 

The Dog & Pheasant Pub, Brook

   The Britannia, Guildford Riverside

Obviously a little further out, but worth the trip!

Style: Modern Pub
Space: Fairly big with, good floor space
Time visited: Sunday at 1.45pm, it was busy outside (warm day). 
Waterbowl / biscuits: Yes to both. 
Did they acknowledge my dog: Yes, they were made to feel welcome. 
Garden: No garden however there was a patio at the front & shaded area at the back. 
Pros: Amazingly, they had a stack not only dog towels, but dog beds!
Cons: Limited parking when busy.   
Would I go back with my dog? Yes, I’d be happy to take all of them. 
Is it obviously dog friendly?: Absolutely! Apart from the dog beds, there’s a big ‘dog friendly’ sign outside. They also do ‘dog of the day’ on Instagram. 
Local Walks: Canal/river walk only a couple of minutes away, really lovely stroll.
Car parking: There’s paid parking at the front of the pub, but as it’s Guildford, it was busy – there is also additional parking just to the side. 

The Britannia, Guildford

For a couple of years I have been desperate to do a solo trip to the Lake District where there are wide expanses of fells and mountains, and just walk, take photographs for myself, spend some quality time with one or two of the dogs, and generally get some headspace. Then last year for my 40th birthday, a group of close friends pitched in to basically buy me the trip that I so wanted.

And so, in mid January, I set off with two of my most reliable hounds, Scout & Bertie, and we made the five hour trip to our remote cottage near Matterdale End in Ullswater. We were about 15 minutes from Pooley Bridge and Keswick, the location was perfect!

I chose to visit in January for the simple fact that I usually get bookings from February to December and with hindsight I honestly couldn’t think of a more perfect time to go. Yes there were the occasional downpours, but on those crisp clear days, we walked for miles without getting too hot or dehydrated and we often had fells and mountains to ourselves for the entire walk.

Dog Friendly Lake District

I was overawed with how dog friendly everywhere was, from cafe’s to restaurants, even a grocery store!

Here are a few dog friendly places I visited:

Granny Dowbekins Cafe in Pooley Bridge

Lovely homemade food (I had a fab quiche) and they do doggy bags with leftover sausages and other tasty titbits! | www.grannydowbekins.co.uk

Chestnut House Store in Pooley Bridge

I went in for a pint of milk and came out with lots of gin! They have a dizzying array of gins, and have the knowledge to help you find your perfect one. The owners also have pointy nosed hounds so it must be a good place right? | www.chestnuthouseonline.co.uk

Lingholm Kitchen

If you visit Catbells Mountain, going here is a must, it’s less than 5 minutes away! Lovely cafe and gift shop, great food and super dog friendly. | www.thelingholmestate.co.uk

Podgy Paws in Keswick

Brilliant pet shop where I was able to stock up on raw food, and a huge selection of natural dog treats and chews, some I hadn’t seen before! | www.podgypaws.co.uk

Where we walked

I’m a keen walker, and living in the South Downs means that I’m no stranger to hilly walks, obviously the Lake walks a tad more than hills though!

Catbells: one of the smaller mountains in the Lake District – there are some fairly steep sections and also a bit scrambling over boulders to be done. Scout was confident with all of this, Bertie however, not so much! He managed some of the climbing with treat bribes, I wish I had put them in their ruffwear six point harnesses though as the handle would have made it much easier to help him along. It’s well worth the try, the scenery is incredible once you get up there.

Pooley Bridge: One of the days we walked round a section of the lake at Pooley Bridge, a nice flat walk with stunning views of the surrounding mountains. After that we drove in the direction of Howtown down a narrow winding road and parked in one of the many lay-bys and just chose a route!

Kirkstone Pass: Stunning long winding road on the way to Windermere – encountered a few sheep here.

Seatoller to Dale Head

There’s a car park at Seatoller and you can either take the footpath or the small winding road up to Dale Head (or park closer – there are a lot of layby’s in the Lakes. This route took me about 3 and a half hours.

Things to take:

• A USB rechargable head torch – much better than having to worry about batteries running out.
• View Ranger app for directions. I’m not great at reading maps, this app still tracked my progress even when I had no phone signal so I was able to figure out if I was going in the right direction.

• Harnesses with handles to get the dogs over styles and boulders, I swear by Ruffwear
• Good walking boots – my Berghaus were great for fell walking, I could have probably done with something with a bit more grip for some of the more vertical climbs.

• A dog travel bed – I took my PAW dogs travel bed which doubles up as a bag, I kept it in the car, great for going from walks to cafes.

Interactive toys for the hounds – The K9 connectables were brilliant for settling the dogs in a cafe and as an actual toy to play with.

• A bobble hat! Seriously, it’s like a uniform in the Lakes! I got a gorgeous one from Herdy in Keswick (a Lake District brand).

• A packable, waterproof raincoat, the weather can close in very quickly! Don’t skimp on this one, showerproof coats just wont cut it.
• Lots of layers for the dogs, not only is it cold, there can be a very brisk wind. I took Redhound fleeces and quilted & wax jackets which also kept them dry as well as a Hurtta onesie (from Devil Dood Designs) for Bertie as he seems to get filthy even when Scout stays immaculately clean!

Where I stayed

Swallowdale cottage in Dockray. A converted barn with everything you could possibly need. The best thing is, you literally go out of the door and onto beautiful walking routes; I was able to walk to Aira Force waterfall in under an hour. Oh, and there’s a great pub half a mile away at the bottom of the village. Below is the view from the bedroom window.

Swallowdale Cottage via Sykes Cottages