Carl Side

Dancing Gate Cottage (opens in new tab) self-catering

about 2.1 km from the start, in a straight line

The only property inside two and a half kilometres of this start whose own page names a drying room - "a rear drying room for boots and coats and sportswear", plus a tumble drier and a farmyard hose for muddy dogs and bikes. It sleeps seven across four bedrooms, takes dogs, and unlike the Bassenthwaite cottages further out it does not lock you into a Friday-to-Friday week: "prices based on a minimum of 3 nights" with flexible start dates all year.

A former farmhouse still standing on a working farm - guests can watch lambs, calves and horses through the year, and there are wash-off points in the farmyard for both bikes and dogs.

• Drying room “There is a rear drying room for boots and coats and sportswear and a 3-bicycle stand for secure storage of bikes, plus a tumble drier.”
• Dogs “Well-behaved dogs are very welcome and there are several pleasant walks in the nearby area.”
• Family rooms “First Floor Double bedroom with king size bed and en-suite shower room - spacious electric shower, heated towel rail, washbasin with shaverlight and toilet. Twin-bedded room. Double bedded room. Single room.”
• Children “The house is ideal for couples and families alike, sleeping up to 7 people - plenty of rooms but with a cosy atmosphere.”

Croftlands Cottages (opens in new tab) guest house

about 2.9 km from the start, in a straight line

The rare Lakeland let that publishes its dog arithmetic instead of a vague "dogs welcome" - two dogs at Jasmine, two at Fox Howe, one at Squirrel - so a party with three dogs knows before it books. It also solves the car problem better than anything else at this distance: private off-road parking beside the cottages and the X5 stop literally outside Fox Howe and Squirrel, two minutes from Jasmine. Choose between a two-person and two four-person cottages in the same village.

The osprey nest site above Bassenthwaite can be watched from the cottage grounds between April and August, and the village bus shelter is the landmark you look for to find the entrance.

• Dogs “All three of our holiday cottages are dog friendly with Jasmine Cottage and Fox Howe being able to accommodate two each and Squirrel Cottage one.”
• Parking “Private off road parking beside the cottages”

Puddleduck Cottages (opens in new tab) guest house

about 4.2 km from the start, in a straight line

The most child-shaped stay near this start - free cots and high chairs, a stream and swings, and a page that tells you to pack wellingtons - and the walk itself is spelled out from the door: "a two mile walk from the start of a climb up Skiddaw mountain", with Dodd Wood and Mirehouse listed as neighbours. Book early and read the small print: April to October it is full weeks from Fridays, all through Cumbrian Cottages/cottages.com, and one dog only, with rules.

Worth knowing: “One dog is allowed provided all doggy rules are followed. All dog hairs should be removed before the cottage is vacated. Dogs are not allowed in bedrooms or on furniture and must not be left unattended in the cottage.”

Guests are invited to let the ducks out of their shed in the morning and collect the eggs; the cottages were formerly known as Loft Holiday Cottages and stand on Bassenthwaite Hall Farm.

• Dogs “One dog is allowed provided all doggy rules are followed. All dog hairs should be removed before the cottage is vacated. Dogs are not allowed in bedrooms or on furniture and must not be left unattended in the cottage.”
• Family rooms “Cots and high chairs are available free of charge but must be requested in advance of arrival.”
• Children “Children often enjoy playing in the stream, the small open wood or on the swings by the cottages and on the village green - ideal for a game of football or cricket! We recommend children bring wellington boots.”

Bristowe Hill (opens in new tab) self-catering

about 4.8 km from the start, in a straight line

The one address in this cluster that a three-generation group can take whole: twenty beds, nine bathrooms, parking for ten or more cars, two travel cots and two z beds stated in writing, and - unusually for a big old house - a ground-floor bedroom with an en-suite wet room for anyone who cannot manage the original oak staircase. It is the outer edge of the radius and only makes sense if you are booking the entire house.

A ten-bedroom Victorian house in five acres on Crosthwaite Road, named Cumbria Tourism's Self Catering Holiday Property of the Year in 2018; the bathrooms are counted on the page so nobody queues - there are nine.

• Family rooms “Bristowe Hill sleeps twenty in ten grand bedrooms, one of which is a ground floor with en-suite wet room suitable for guests with mobility issues.”
• Parking “We have private parking for ten or more cars.”
• Children “Children are welcome and we have two travel cots and two z beds should you need them.”