With smartl interiors and imaginative, locally sourced, restaurant-quality food, this dog-friendly country inn on the Lowther Estate is a happy mix of pub informality and country-house comforts.

In a market town between the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales, this pub with rooms deftly mixes historic charm – beams, crackling fires and exposed stonework – with an updated, modern touch.

With its towers and battlements this Victorian-folly castle, in 15 acres of grounds, looks imposing yet 'you actually feel like it is your castle'.

In 'England's book town', under mighty Howgill Fells on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, this is just the place for a drover's platter and a pint – or Korean beef, shiso and sesame with a shot of wasabi vodka.

Cosy, low-ceilinged and fire-warmed, this smartly refurbished 17th-century pub in the centre of a Lake District village has walks from the door and is just a short stroll from the Michelin-starred restaurant at Askham Hall (see entry).

In a Lyth valley village on the edge of the Lake District, Becky and Ash Dewar have transformed a 16th-century hostelry into a welcoming village pub. The beamed bar in the former 16th-century hostelry has cask ales, craft beers and cocktails made with locally produced spirits.

Many regard Borrowdale as the Lake District's most picturesque valley, and this comfortable Edwardian country house has one of its finest locations.

Hrishikesh Desai's innovative, Michelin-starred cooking is just one of the attractions at this luxury country-house hotel in beautifully maintained gardens deep in the Cumbrian countryside.

In the tranquil Lorton Vale north of Buttermere, this whitewashed farmhouse B&B and popular wedding venue with lawned gardens mixes rustic authenticity with modern comforts in its spacious bedrooms with oak beams, exposed stone and antiques.

Once home to naturalist and cartographer Joseph Flintoft, this Victorian gentleman's residence on the lower slopes of Skiddaw is a family owned and run hotel with bedrooms mixing traditional and contemporary style, a menu of classic and more contemporary dishes, and great walks from the doorstep.

After more than 42 years in the care of the Varley family, this 18th-century, dog-friendly manor house B&B, with views over the Cartmel valley, has undergone a smart makeover under new owners David and Sharon Haythornthwaite, with no loss to the warmth of welcome or essential personality.

Every bedrooms is special at this impressive red-sandstone mansion, home to a dog-friendly, country-house guesthouse on a wooded estate overlooking the River Eden, where at night in the elegant dining room, guests sit down to a home-cooked dinner of locally sourced produce.