Meon Springs, Hampshire
The owners here pride themselves on their dog-friendly glamping experience set in the South Downs national park. Bring your dogs for free and stay in one of their Mongolian yurts or shepherd’s huts overlooking the clear water lake – ideal for fishing fans. There are dog bowls dotted everywhere, handy after thirsty walks – and plenty of dog-friendly pubs and beaches close by. From £145, meonsprings.com
Boutique Farm Bothies, Aberdeenshire
This trio of tin bothies sit on a farm looking out over barley fields with surrounding rolling hills providing plenty of hiking options. After long walks along the scenic Moray coastline nearby, a wood-fired hot tub and pizza oven await back at base. From £145, canopyandstars.co.uk
By the Wye, Hay-on-Wye, Herefordshire
Set in four acres of woodland on the banks of the river Wye, this off-grid site could be a true return to nature for your dog. Safari tents on stilts (part Tolkien, part Out of Africa) allow you to camp up in the tree canopy with the handy addition of a wood-burning stove and en-suite shower. From £130, hostunusual.com
Koa Tree Camp, Bideford, Devon
Take your pick from modern geodomes or rustic, Scandi-style log cabins with cosy beds and linen provided. This dog-friendly glamping spot is set in lush Devon countryside. There’s also a communal campfire and regular pizza nights, too. Geodomes £135 and cabins £115, koatreecamp.com
West Lexham, King’s Lynn, Norfolk
Give your pup a superior camping experience on one of these fairytale treehouses or woodland bell tents. Sleeping from two to six, each one has real beds and some have wood-burning stoves, too. Camp facilities include a café, showers, games and boating. From £100, hostunusual.com
Houses and cottages
The Chickenshed, Wye Valley, Monmouthshire
Surrounded by lush green fields and woodland, this is a wow of a modern house in a former chicken coop, made comfortable with big loungey furniture and locally crafted beds. Pups can snooze by the wood-burner in the lounge and explore its two acres, with longer walks and the lure of Tintern Abbey nearby. Sleeps 8, from £234, thechickenshedatparkhouse.com
Springwell Cottage, Hexham, Northumberland
This three-bedroom cottage is just a stick’s throw from Hadrian’s Wall. Other important Roman sites are a few minutes away by car, but hearty hounds might prefer to walk. Be warned, it’s a popular choice and this summer is fully booked, so plan ahead or go in the off season. Sleeps 6, from £409 for three nights, nationaltrust.org.uk
Wydcombe Cottage, Ventnor, Isle of Wight
This former labourer’s cottage has two bedrooms, a garden and wood-burning stoves. It might be hard to tear yourself away for coastal walks and nearby St Catherine’s lighthouse, but no dog of spirit will allow that. From £331 for three nights, nationaltrust.org.uk
Coastal Cottage, Ceredigion
This fairytale stone cottage with a thatched roof, has a cosy “crog” loft and an acre of pretty garden. Near the coastal path, there’s plenty of opportunity for incredible walks by day – and nights under the stars. Sleeps 2-4, from £80, kiphideaways.com
Whitstable Beach House, Kent
This dinky former artist’s cottage boasts open fires, iron bedsteads and an Aga. Sand and sea lie directly beyond the front, perfect for long walks for the hound and oyster shacks for you. Sleeps 2-4, from £200, kiphideaways.com
Hotels
The Swan Hotel & Spa, Ulverston, Cumbria
This always-popular family riverside hotel is close to Windermere. Dine with your dog in the bar and walk them in the pretty grounds, before hitting the area’s more ambitious country trails. From £120, swanhotel.com
New House Country Hotel, Cardiff
With views over Cardiff Bay and surrounded by woodland walking paths, this Georgian manor house also has some rooms that open directly on to the garden. Dine with your pets in the elegant blue lounge or on the outside terrace – with the hotel’s canine sausages winning rave reviews. From £139, townandcountrycollective.co.uk
Abbey Hotel, Bath
Located in the city centre, with riverside walks and the Kennet and Avon canal just minutes away, Abbey Hotel is the perfect base to track down Bath’s Roman and Regency history. Pets are welcome in the bar and lounge area and the dog-friendly rooms include a dog bed and water bowl. From £110, abbeyhotelbath.co.uk
The Lygon Arms, Broadway, Worcestershire
Walks are plentiful in this area of outstanding beauty and a recent collaboration with French brand, Le Chameau, means that a dog bed and a ceramic bowl are all to take home in the price. Le Chameau dog stay, from £80 per dog, in addition to room cost, starting from £255, lygonarmshotel.co.uk
The Victoria Inn, Holkham, Norfolk
After leaving their paw prints on the vast sands of Holkham beach, or sniffing around the grounds of the Earl of Leicester’s ancestral pile, Holkham Hall, dogs can chow down a complimentary bag of treats while their owners dine in the dog-friendly restaurant. Dog beds included. From £150, holkham.co.uk
The Mitre, Hampton Court, Surrey
This relaxed hotel is on the Thames. Dog-friendly rooms are on the ground floor with easy access to the terrace. Dog beds and biscuits are provided and dog minders or walkers can be arranged if you want a bit of me-time. From £195, mitrehamptoncourt.com
The Dunstane Houses, Edinburgh
This boutique hotel, set across two Victorian townhouses, offers a special “doggy package” that includes an in-room bed, bowl and treats as well as a glass of “paw-secco” on arrival, with four-legged friends welcome to join you for breakfast, dinner or drinks in the conservatory. From £179, thedunstane.com
The Traddock, North Yorkshire
Close to the market town of Settle, this hotel is ideal for long walks in the Dales, as well as two sprawling lawns in the hotel grounds. Dogs are welcome in all of the rooms – as well as the bar. From £99, thetraddock.co.uk
Milsoms Kesgrave Hall, Suffolk
Located between Ipswich and Woodbridge, this sprawling country house hotel has 38 acres of lawn and woodlands to explore. Doggy guests get their own towels, bowls, and a sausage for breakfast. From £135, milsomhotels.com
The Treehouse, London
My dog Meg is a homebody. She would always much rather stay in barking distance of our postman than go anywhere else. So taking her and a grumpy 12-year-old to a central London hotel on a baking hot day in half-term, felt a bit like taking two hostages on a mini-break. But they soon relaxed on arrival. The Treehouse is a kid-friendly, dog-friendly sanctuary with fun jungly details, a great restaurant and spectacular views. Last month it launched an Ulti-Mutt Staycation, which includes in-room food from Lily’s Kitchen and an hour’s dog walking – just long enough for a quick trip to Liberty – plus advice and help from its new Canine Concierge service. There’s a dog water bowl in reception on the 15th floor and bowls and treats are in the room, along with a dog bed, which Meg lay in for 90 seconds before confirming that she would, of course, be sleeping on my legs as usual. Dogs aren’t allowed in the amazing Madera Mexican restaurant, but she did enjoy hanging out in the Nest, the hotel’s 16th-floor roof terrace, where the waiter thrilled Meg with an entire pack of dried sausage snacks – hastily removed by me. Sixteen floors up is a long way in an emergency toilet situation. In truth, holidaying with a dog in a hotel this tall means a fair bit of worrying about potential accidents, but Meg made it through admirably. In the morning, I got up early, out of extreme fear, to take her out and headed across a fantastically quiet Fitzrovia to Regent’s Park where the real dog business of the day could begin. Double rooms from £170. For details on the Ulti-Mutt Staycation contact, treehousehotels.com
Pub rooms, B&Bs and inns
The Fullerton Arms, Ballintoy
A spectacularly dramatic backdrop in Game of Thrones, the Giant’s Causeway is only a 10-minute walk away. Recently refurbished, the rooms are super comfy and the fare is locally sourced Irish cuisine. From £100, fullerton-arms.com
The Swan Inn, Rowberrow, Somerset
The atmospheric inn is in easy reach of Bristol. Explore walking routes across the Mendips and come back to the rustic bar, with local ales and wood-fired pizzas. From £103, stayinapub.co.uk
Glebe House, Colyton, Devon
This charming guest house, restaurant and small-holding is an elegant English take on the agroturismo, set in gorgeous Devonshire countryside and just three miles from the sea. It has five bedrooms and the kitchen serves simple suppers for guests. Added perks are the outdoor heated swimming pool and tennis courts. From £220, glebehousedevon.co.uk
Robin Hood Farm, Bakewell, Derbyshire
Located in the Peak District, this B&B provides ample opportunity for dog walks in the vicinity and beyond. Rooms lead directly on to the garden and resident Spaniels are on hand to pass on local knowledge to fellow pups. From £105, robinhoodfarm.co.uk
Stow House, Yorkshire
Leading directly out into the Yorkshire Dales, this is the ideal spot for long walks, with strolls along the river Ure or climbs up Penhill. Return in the evening for cocktail hour in the bar. Breakfast “is taken seriously”. From £110, sawdays.co.uk
Merry Harriers, Godalming, Surrey
A charming pub dating back to the 16th century, this is human and dog paradise in the Surrey hills. Guests can choose from six dog-friendly garden rooms and five shepherd’s huts. Well-behaved and derring-do mutts can also experience… a llama trail. From £130, petspyjamas.com
