Crisp air, muddy paws, and miles of open trails – winter is one of the best times to explore the UK’s National Parks with your hound at your heels. From snow-dusted peaks to rolling moorland, these wild landscapes offer endless space to roam and recharge with Rover. Whether you’re chasing waterfalls in the Lake District or striding along the South Downs Way, wrap up for the weather and after outdoor adventures cosy up with your canine in our top ten dog-friendly cottages in some of Britain’s most stunning landscapes.
Crickhowell Cottage, Brecon Beacons National Park
Powys, Sleeps 8 + 2 dogs
Dogs will love scrambling over Pen y Fan or wandering along the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal paths in the Brecon Beacons National Park. After winter walks rewarded by pitstops in cosy pubs, unlace your walking boots, light the log burner and gather for family feasts, games and movie nights. With a utility room and drying space in the cellar, no matter what the weather throws at you, your kit will be ready to go again for another day of dog-friendly winter adventures in the wild.
Silecroft Retreat, Lake District National Park
Cumbria, Sleeps 8 + 2 dogs
Lakeside trails, woodland walks, and fells to climb – dogs love the wild freedom of the Lake District National Park, and there’s always a paw-friendly pub beckoning you in after chilly, hilly adventures. Slide into winter living on the west coast of Cumbria, where you can choose between wild coastal vistas and the dramatic peaks on your doorstep. What with a woodburner and floor-to-ceiling windows looking out to Black Combe, it’s up to you whether you want to be outside stomping to viewpoints, or hunkering down and enjoying the scenery with your feet up by the fire.
Reedham Retreat, Norfolk Broads National Park
Norfolk, Sleeps 5 + 2 dogs
For gentle winter walkies, the Broads’ network of rivers and fens offers flat trails and scenic waterside paths. Dogs can bound along reed-fringed waterways and open marshland, and plenty of cosy riverside pubs and cafés welcome your four-legged companions. Make the most of the area from this characterful cottage on the banks of the River Yare in Reedham, where you can wake up to river views and relax by the woodburner set in an inglenook fireplace.
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Nolton Coach House, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
Nolton Haven, Sleeps 2 + 1 dog
Between wintry adventures exploring the coves, trails and countryside of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, hunker by the fire in a cosy barn conversion just a short stroll from Norton Haven beach. When you can tear yourself away from the cosy logburner and your crog-loft bedroom tucked beneath the eaves, you’ll find plenty to tempt you and your four-legged friend outdoors: the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, wild windswept beaches, and the nearby city of St Davids with its majestic cathedral and Bishops Palace, where dog are welcome in the grounds.
Porlock Retreat, Exmoor National Park
Porlock, Sleeps 4 + 4 dogs
Where moorland meets sea, Exmoor’s wild beauty is made for winter walkies. Explore heather-clad hills, wooded combes, and the dramatic coastal path, then hunker down beside the fire in a village inn or your cosy retreat in the village of Porlock. With a freestanding bath, enclosed garden and woodburner, this characterful cottage is made for snug evenings in with your furry friend, and you can step straight out to Porlock’s pubs, galleries and web of walking trails.
Bakewell Bolthole, Peak District National Park
Derbyshire, Sleeps 8 + 1 dog
Rolling hills, open moors, and miles of footpaths to explore. From your boutique dog-friendly retreat in Bakewell you can stride out into the glorious winter scenery of the Peak District National Park, and stroll to local inns where dogs are warmly welcomed. Between paw-friendly outings to peaks and pubs, relax, run a bath in your huge copper tub, and kickback for wine, feasts and sofa snuggles in your four-bedroom retreat.
The Dog and Trout, South Downs National Park
West Sussex, Sleeps 4 + 1 dog
Nestled in the heart of the Sussex countryside on the fringes of the South Downs National Park, this paw-friendly cottage is ideally located for easy-going winter walks into the region’s chalk hills and ancient woodland. Take a twirl around Chactonbury and Cissbury Rings with your canine companion, stomp along the South Downs Way or Monarch’s Way, or seek out the dog-friendly pubs and cafés in the historic castle town of Arundel. Then come home to your beautifully restored, flint-clad barn conversion, light the logburner and sink into cosy country charm fused with plush, pooch-friendly trimmings.
Newtonmore Retreat, Cairngorms National Park
Highlands, Sleeps 2 + 1 dog
Ready for a walk on the wild side this winter? Cairngorms is Scotland’s largest National Park, and offers snow-covered trails, pine forests, and plenty of open space for adventurous dogs (and their humans). After exploring nature-lined trails from the banks of the River Spey to the peaks of the mighty Cairngorms, leave your outdoor gear in the heated porch and hunker by the woodburner in your homely, hound-friendly abode with access to a sauna, gym and everything you need to chase off the winter chills.
Dartmoor Escape, Dartmoor National Park
Ivybridge, Sleeps 5 + 2 dogs
Situated on the Two Moors Way, this charming barn conversion is a cosy base for an array of Dartmoor getaways with your dog this winter. Explore the working farm, step out into the dramatic scenery of South Dartmoor where wild ponies roam and nature abounds, or venture a few miles further to the coast at Bigbury-on-Sea. In a beautiful barn conversion with stone walls and exposed beams, you can kickback and crank up the heat of the logburner, your trusty companion at your feet while you plan another day of dog-friendly adventures.
Askrigg Chapel, Yorkshire Dales National Park
North Yorkshire, Sleeps 8 + 2 dogs
Make yourself at home in the incredible surroundings of a converted chapel with stained glass windows, a wrought-iron spiral staircase and vaulted ceilings, from where you can gaze out to Wensleydale and the beautiful scenery of Yorkshire Dales National Park. With walks galore by day and stargazing in one of the UK’s top dark skies locations by night, you’ll appreciate the extra luxuries of the gym, sauna and steam room access, as well as cosy nights in by the logburner with your canine side-kick.
Book a Dog Friendly Cottage in one of Britain’s National Parks
Discover the magic of the UK’s wildest scenery this winter, when you book a stay at one of our dog-friendly cottages nestled in Britain’s stunning National Parks.
