12 best dog-friendly cottages in the Yorkshire Dales

A Yorkshire-stone barn conversion in tiny Starbotton, properly inside the National Park in Upper Wharfedale — oak beams, a balcony with dale views and the Dales Way passing close by. Buckden Pike is the walk from the door and the village pub is within a mile. One dog only, with a charge at booking, and two honest caveats — the garden is lawned with patios but the listing doesn't confirm it's enclosed, and dogs must be on a lead at all times because this is working sheep country.

A converted 18th-century mill house on the edge of Grassington, sleeping eight across four bedrooms — a proper base for a bigger group with dogs, and unusually two dogs stay free of charge. The enclosed lawned garden is the draw for letting them out, though the listing notes the river runs close by (fenced, but worth knowing). Riverside walks to Linton Falls and the Wharfe start nearby. Confirm the free-dog policy at booking, as cottages.com's status shifts.

A luxury four-bedroom house on the Broughton Hall estate, three miles from Skipton, with views out over the southern Dales. Every bedroom is en-suite, there's a woodburner and a welcome pack, and — the useful bit for a dog — an enclosed lawned garden, with three thousand acres of shared estate grounds to walk beyond it. One dog only, with a charge at booking, but for a large group wanting comfort at the Dales' southern gateway it's a strong, and now bookable-through-us, option.

A stone cottage right on Grassington's cobbled marketplace, with the pubs, shops and the riverside walk to Linton Falls a few steps from the door — about as central as Wharfedale gets. One dog welcome throughout, with an enclosed courtyard out the back to let them out. One small thing to know — there are three steps up to the courtyard, which an older or wobbly dog may not love.

A hillside former farm-worker's cottage above Burnsall, with fell views and the Dales Way riverside path within reach — and a utility-cum-boot room that earns its keep after a wet day on the Wharfe. One dog welcome, with a lovely enclosed garden to come back to. Small and characterful rather than spacious; the boot room and the walking are what make it for a dog.

A stone cottage in the middle of Kettlewell, with walks and three good pubs from the door and Great Whernside rising behind — a fine Upper Wharfedale base for two dogs. The one thing the listing is refreshingly honest about — the garden is not enclosed, and it asks you to supervise dogs at all times. No secure boundary, in other words, so it suits a dog that stays close rather than a bolter.

The best all-rounder on this list — a newly renovated Victorian cottage in Hawes, the lively market town at the head of Wensleydale, with everything walkable and two dogs welcome throughout. The dog kit is the giveaway that they mean it — towels in the porch, waste bags, and a dog-friendly welcome pack. An enclosed garden with a patio and BBQ rounds it off. Hawes has the Wensleydale creamery, good pubs and the Pennine Way through it.

A couples' bolt-hole in Gayle, the old hamlet just up from Hawes, elevated with woodland views and a dog-friendly welcome that runs throughout. Dog biscuits come in the welcome hamper and there's an outdoor hose for washing a muddy one down — practical touches for Wensleydale weather. One gap worth flagging — the listing has outdoor furniture but doesn't confirm whether the outside space is enclosed, so ask before you rely on a secure garden.

A pretty detached stone cottage on a quiet cul-de-sac in Askrigg — the village that played Darrowby in All Creatures Great and Small — with shops and pubs a couple of hundred yards off and Mill Gill waterfall walk from the door. Two small dogs welcome, with a small enclosed rear yard to let them out. Booked through a Dales independent rather than the big agencies; note the second dog costs an extra ten pounds.

A spacious stone cottage in Reeth, the green-centred village that's the gateway to beautiful, remote Swaledale, with walks from the door and a woodburning stove for the evenings. Two dogs welcome throughout, with an enclosed courtyard and small rear patio to let them out. Reeth sits on the Coast to Coast and the Swale Trail, so the walking is endless; the village green and its pubs are a minute away.

The standout for a dog-led trip — a stone cottage at Low Row in Swaledale that markets itself, plainly, as a dog-walking base and means it. No stated limit on dogs ("bring as many as you like, even muddy ones"), no pet charge, and a genuinely dog-secure enclosed garden overlooking the Swale. Inglenook with a multi-fuel burner, an Aga in the kitchen, and the Swale Trail and Coast to Coast from the door. A rare cottage built around the dog rather than tolerating it.

A stone cottage in the heart of Malham, with the walk up to Malham Cove starting from the door and Gordale Scar and Janet's Foss close by — about the best walking-from-the-doorstep spot in the southern Dales. One dog welcome throughout, with a secure lawned garden, plus an outside hose and a dog towel at the back door for the muddy return. One note — the cottage sits alongside a brook, so supervise a water-keen dog in the garden.

A restored stone former stable in Horton-in-Ribblesdale, oak beams and all, and the natural base for the Three Peaks — Pen-y-ghent rises straight from the village. Two dogs welcome throughout, and the dog welcome is properly thought through — a dog bed, towel and biscuits, plus welcome treats on arrival. The one gap is the outside space, which is a front patio with furniture rather than a confirmed enclosed garden, so check that before you book if it matters.

A stone cottage in Sedbergh, the book town under the Howgill Fells on the western edge of the Dales — close enough to the Lake District to do both. One dog welcome, with a multi-level enclosed garden and a pet welcome pack. Two honest notes — there are steep steps between the garden levels (a reviewer flagged it for older dogs), and dogs aren't allowed on the furniture. The Howgills give grassy, rounded walking unlike anywhere else in the Dales.