The Best Dog-Friendly Stays In The Peak District For Walks, Pub Stops & Muddy Paws
- Jen Bell I Editor I Good Life List Peak District
- May 23
- 5 min read
The Peak District may be one of the most dog-friendly parts of Britain.
There are water bowls outside cafés before breakfast, pubs where Labradors occupy more chairs than humans and entire businesses now dedicated to dog bakeries, puppuccinos and artisanal treats for spaniels living considerably better lifestyles than most people.
This is a place built for dogs.
There are rivers to paddle in, woodland trails to charge through, pub gardens to sleep beneath and enough walks to never have to repeat the same one twice.
So whether you’re after a boutique hotel, countryside cottage, stylish apartment or somewhere your dog can be hosed down after enthusiastically launching itself into a bog, these are the Peak District stays we’d recommend.
Bike & Boot, Hope Valley
Best For Walkers, Cyclists & Dogs Covered In Mud
If your dog returns from Peak District walks looking like it has fought the countryside and lost, Bike & Boot may be your spiritual home.
Positioned between Castleton and Hathersage, this outdoors-focused hotel has built its entire personality around muddy boots, cyclists, avid walkers, and wet dogs.
There are dog wash stations, boot rooms, bike storage and direct access to some of the Peak District’s biggest hitters, including Mam Tor, Ladybower, Padley Gorge and Stanage Edge.
Dogs get beds, toys and treats.
Humans get large rooms, decent breakfasts, outdoor terraces and free cake at 4pm, which is more than welcomed after six hours of battling Derbyshire weather.
Rock Mill Apartments, Stoney Middleton
Best For Stylish Apartment Stays
Set inside a restored mill building in Stoney Middleton, these apartments combine smart interiors with Peak District practicality, including one feature dog owners rapidly become obsessed with:
the onsite dog wash and drying station.
Which may not sound thrilling initially but becomes life-changing after one wet afternoon in Padley Gorge.
The apartments range from studios to larger duplex spaces, all positioned within striking distance of excellent walking country, village pubs and some of the Peak District’s best food spots.
The highly-reviewed, award-winning Cupola café and restaurant sits a few steps away, making brunch, coffee and post-walk food extremely convenient. Editor's note: you haven't lived until you've tried one of their smash burgers....
Losehill House Hotel & Spa, Hope Valley
Best For Spa Weekends With The Dog
Set high above Hope Valley with views towards Mam Tor and Lose Hill, this hotel works particularly well for people who want fantastic countryside walking without giving up spa access, cocktails and excellent food afterwards.
You can walk directly from the hotel towards Mam Tor, Win Hill and the Great Ridge before returning for dinner, drinks or a swim while your dog recovers in the room after twelve miles of ignoring every recall command you’ve ever taught it.
There’s also outdoor seating for warmer days and enough scenery nearby to make even short walks feel like you've stepped into a film.
Which helps justify the second dessert, right?
Wildhive Callow Hall, Ashbourne
Best For Dogs With Expensive Taste
This country house hotel near Ashbourne combines woodland lodges, landscaped grounds and countryside luxury with a very dog-friendly attitude.
There are trails directly from the property, outdoor firepits, long scenic drives through rolling countryside and enough fresh air to completely exhaust even highly committed working breeds.
It also helps that every corner appears designed for somebody’s countryside Instagram feed.
Darwin Forest
Best For Families
Darwin Forest remains one of the Peak District’s strongest family-friendly stays and it works equally well for dogs.
The woodland lodge setup means you can step straight outside onto trails and forest paths, while the self-catering side of things makes life considerably simpler when children, dogs and large quantities of outdoor clothing are all involved simultaneously.
Many lodges accept dogs and there’s enough open space nearby to burn through doggy energy levels before most adults have finished coffee.
Riverside Cottages, Bakewell
Best For Walks, Cafés & Bakery Stops
If your ideal Peak District weekend involves riverside walks followed by coffee, pastries and pub lunches, Riverside Cottages in Bakewell are difficult to beat.
Positioned beside the River Wye and within walking distance of Bakewell’s cafés, pubs and independent shops, these cottages work well for people wanting a base where the car can remain largely untouched for the weekend.
Dogs also tend to thrive here because Bakewell itself has now fully entered its “upmarket dog lifestyle destination” era, complete with canine bakeries, several boutiques and cafés handing out treats at an astonishing rate.
Hoe Grange Holidays
Best For Dogs & Horses
Few places commit harder to countryside holiday energy than Hoe Grange.
Located near Ashbourne, these cabins and lodges welcome dogs and also offer horse holidays with onsite stabling and direct access to riding routes across the Derbyshire countryside.
Which means this may be one of the only holidays where:
your dog comes,
your horse comes,
and everybody returns home equally muddy.
The views across the surrounding hills are superb and the whole setup works particularly well for walkers, cyclists and riders wanting direct access to the outdoors without needing to drive anywhere first.
The Peacock at Rowsley
Best For Foodie Dog Owners
There are not many luxury boutique hotels where you can spend the afternoon walking beside the River Derwent before returning for three AA Rosette dining while your dog sleeps nearby.
The Peacock manages it.
Located between Bakewell and Matlock, this historic hotel works well for dog owners wanting something slightly more refined while still staying firmly in walking country.
Rowsley itself is lovely for riverside wandering and Chatsworth sits just up the road, making this a very strong base for longer Peak District weekends.
Dogs are welcomed in selected rooms and public areas, while humans get excellent food, good wine and interiors that briefly make you consider abandoning modern life in favour of permanent coaching-inn living.
The Yorkshire Bridge Inn, Bamford
Best For Walks, Pints & Peak District Weekends Oh So Well
There are some places in the Peak District that immediately explain why people keep returning year after year.
The Yorkshire Bridge Inn is one of them.
Positioned beside Ladybower Reservoir and surrounded by some of the Hope Valley’s best walking country, this long-standing pub with rooms feels extremely Peak District in the best possible way.
Mam Tor, Win Hill, Bamford Edge and Ladybower are all nearby, meaning entire days can disappear into walks before ending beside a pint and a pub fire with an exhausted dog asleep under the table.
