Dog-friendly Lakes – With Added Luxury

HOW the baleful howl of the Baskerville hound from the Great Grimpen Mire chills us all to the bone. In print or on screen, of course. So picture the “turning down” staff at Linthwaite House turning back at our bedroom door because of the “ferocious growl” emanating.

There was fog about. Atmospheric. Autumn in the Lakes wouldn’t be the same without it. And a nip in the air as we crossed to dinner, our pet Captain Smidge left in the room. The now notorious Smidge. Hackles rising.

Linthwaite view – above the clouds that cloak Windermere; below, spooky tarn

“What kind of dog is it?” we were asked in awe at table. “It’s a deer-nosed chihuahua, fighting weight 3 kilos, ready in an instant to flip on his back for a belly scratch. Oh and he likes venison, we may need a doggie bag.”

Linthwaite is gorgeous in late autumn

Elaborate crab starter at Linthwaite

I’ve always been a fan of Mike Bevans’ cosy, luxurious hotel with its hilltop view of Windermere. I inspected its romantic Loft Suite for Planet a couple of years back and it was lovely (this link). Neighbour Gilpin rightly gets the national plaudits, especially with its stunning Lake House expansion,  but there’s a case, on the evidence of our meal, for thinking the Linthwaite kitchen may be pipping Gilpin’s currently.

We were back because Linthwaite is dog-friendly with two rooms opening into the gardens, handy for a swift walkies around the hotel’s private tarn. Yes, there is a poop scoop bin en route. Smidge, despite the “big beast” tag, was a bit wary of the ducks.

Lake Windermere cruise, Captain Smidge at the helm

He was happier taking to the open water, on a rainswept boat trip from Bowness to Ambleside on one of the Lake Windermere Cruises. Trying for a photo-opportunity on the poop deck (not literally) we were wary of him squirming overboard. Dog friendly, yes, but chihuahua-sized lifebelts? No!

We were heading for Britain’s canine epicentre – official. Keswick received the most nominations from the public in the Kennel Club’s Open for Dogs Awards and took first place in the Dog Friendly Town category for 2012.

On the leash in canine-centric Keswick

At the time of the award one local B&B owner was quoted in the Westmorland Gazette: “You only need take a walk up the main street to know that Keswick is dog friendly, not only by the number of dogs you see but by the number of ‘dogs welcome’ signs you see in the shops, pubs and cafés.

“As a dog owner living in Keswick I appreciate the welcome my dogs receive. Where else in Britain could you walk your dog through the woods into town to run your errands at the post office and bank, then call at the pub for lunch before taking a taxi home?”

Captain Smidge at Friar's Crag, Derwentwater

Rival photo opportunity along Derwentwater, Sunday afternoon

Exactly. We’d shared our walkies along Derwentwater to Friar’s Crag with every breed known to Crufts, it seemed. The town itself was teeming with the little (and not-so-little) darlings. Cafes, pubs and shops jostled to welcome them and their careful owners, but the obvious dog magnet is Podgy Paws in Tithebarn Street. Pet emporium doesn’t do it justice.

Dog mecca in Keswick; below, a window display

There’s an amazing selection of dog foods and equipment, from pig’s trotters to eco bowls, and some kitschy pooch paraphernalia, but also a message board offering every kind of dog care and training, even dog-friendly motor home hire.

Dog And Gun, Keswick; below, its cosy interior and Smidge makes a pal

But man’s best friend’s best bet here is undoubtedly The Dog and Gun, the Kennel Club’s Pub of the Year in 2009 and – just as important for this Smidge minder – Keswick’s only Good Beer Guide entry. It prides itself on its Hungarian Goulasch for humans, but also offers a dog’s menu, including a “clean doggy do bag filled with treats, chews etc for £1”. It’s a lovely, lively place.

In the leafy grounds of The Wordsworth Hotel and Spa, below, early morning

As was our second billet in the Lakes. The Wordsworth Hotel and Spa in the centre of Grasmere offers dog-friendly rooms on the ground floor. Unlike Linthwaite, they couldn’t offer us a bowl for Smidge, so we had to buy a rather fetching spotted one, proclaiming  “yum, yum yum”, at a nearby garden centre. But he was allowed in a couple of public rooms, including their adjacent Dove Bistro and romped around their ample grounds and Grasmere churchyard. We had to stop him relieving himself on William Wordsworth’s Grave.

Wordsworth's Grave, Grasmere – close to being desecrated by our dog

It felt a mite disrespectful to Grasmere’s most famous inhabitant who, yes, didn’t neglect our canine pals in his verse:

“The Dog is not of mountain breed: Its motions, too, are wild and shy;
With something, as the Shepherd thinks,
Unusual in its cry:
Nor is there any one in sight
All round, in hollow or on height;
Nor shout, nor whistle strikes his ear; What is the creature doing here?”

Might have been written about Fells-smitten Smidge.

There’s a real buzz about the Wordsworth these days, revived under the stewardship of the Garside family, whose two decades as hoteliers in the Lakes previously involved Windermere’s famous Miller Howe. Their current, refurbished establishment is not aiming for such stellar status, but the restaurant is excellent and the spa facilities include a sizeable pool. The hotel had been booked out for a wedding the previous night.

Down the road the Wordsworth shrine, Dove Cottage is not suitable for dogs, but the Glen Rothay Hotel’s Badger Bar, near another Wordsworth home, Rydal Mount, does allow them in its atmospheric panelled front room. I enjoyed the draught stout, the chihuahua the log fire after a muddy walk.

Candle, fire and a pint of Jolly Boys, the house bitter in The Derby Arms

There was a glorious blazing hearth, too, in the main bar of the Derby Arms, Witherslack. It’s a large 1821 building on the old turnpike road between Kendal and Ulverston. Today the busy A590 is just a minute away. It is run by Martin Ainscough’s group which also, coincidentally, now owns Miller Howe, but part of the pub is converted into the village shop, run by community shareholders. The handsomely renovated hostelry had been closed, apparently for good, leaving the sprawling hamlet without a heart.

Smidge explores the facilities at The Derby Arms

It has one now, offering ample pub grub focusing on local game and an ever-changing array of local cask ales. Oh, and some neat bedrooms you can share with your house-trained hound.

Our own settled by candlelight next to the fire and feasted on game terrine, pigeon and venison shank from our plates. He turned up his cute chihuahua nose at my roast pheasant for some reason and curled up for a snooze. I think we are spoiling Smidge.

Read about Captain Smidge’s previous Confidential adventure at this link