Derbyshire's fireside cottages are mostly converted barns and old stone houses rather than new builds, and the oldest of them date from the 1700s. Three of the eleven below cluster at the southern end of the Derwent Valley, around Matlock, Matlock Bath and the hilltop village of Bonsall. Another five spread across the White Peak villages between Baslow, Bakewell, Monyash, Tideswell and Tunstead. One barn sits on its own south of Ashbourne at Ednaston, and two are a few miles over the county line in the Staffordshire half of the Peak District, at Longnor and Grindon, included because the hills do not stop at the border and neither will your dog.
For anyone travelling with a dog, what ties them together is the evening rather than the scenery. Ten have a wood burner or log burning stove and one keeps an original open fire. All eleven list an enclosed garden of some kind, and our stays directory logs the dog allowance for each. Seven take two dogs, two take three, one takes four and one takes a single dog. Eight carry a five star grading, seven sit within a mile of a pub, and the gap between the front door and the nearest route we list runs from 0.1 miles in Matlock Bath to 6.4 miles at Ednaston.
Riber House, Starkholmes
Riber House looks down on Matlock from its hilltop, and its lounge is built around the view: floor to ceiling glass runs the length of the room, with the wood burner and the comfy seating gathered in front of it. Seven bedrooms sleep fourteen, two of them on the ground floor, and a fourteen seat table in the kitchen diner means the whole party eats together. A porch takes the coats and boots when everyone comes in from the fields, and a converted cellar down a flight of steps holds a pool table and a Smart TV.
The arithmetic is the thing to weigh. Two dogs between fourteen people means a big party of dog owners will have to decide whose come along. The fields around the house carry livestock, which means leads on the first stretch of any walk from the door. The enclosed garden wraps right round the house, with a lawn for the dogs, a hot tub placed for the view and a charcoal BBQ under a shelter. Our nearest listed route, Matlock Bath and High Tor, begins 0.6 miles away, and the autumn Illuminations in Matlock Bath are 3 miles off.
- Sleeps: 14 across 7 bedrooms
- Dogs welcome: 2
- Fire: Wood burner in the glass fronted lounge
- Enclosed garden: Yes, all round the house, with lawn and hot tub
- Best for: A celebration weekend for a large group bringing no more than two dogs
The Cottage, Longnor
Two wood burners make this the best equipped cottage on the list for anyone who likes a fire in every room they sit in. One warms the dining area beside a table for six, the other the lounge, and the dogs can settle by whichever is lit. The house is detached, recently refurbished and graded five stars, with three bedrooms: a four poster king and a zip and link twin, both en suite with showers, plus a third king size room.
Strictly speaking this is Staffordshire, not Derbyshire. Longnor sits on the western edge of the Peak District near Buxton, and for a dog owner the county line makes no difference to the hills, though it may matter if you were set on a Derbyshire address. The lawned garden is enclosed by dry stone walls with a gate, and holds the hot tub, a fire pit, a hammock and lawn games. Bring your own towels for the hot tub. Footpaths start at the door, though our closest listed walk, the Parkhouse and Chrome Hill ridge, is 2.4 miles off.
- Sleeps: 6 across 3 bedrooms
- Dogs welcome: 2
- Fire: Two wood burners, in the lounge and the dining area
- Enclosed garden: Yes, dry stone walled and gated, with hot tub
- Best for: Two couples or a family who want a fire in the room wherever they sit
The Cottage Tunstead
The Cottage at Tunstead stands alone in open fields near Buxton, and its open plan main room sits under a vaulted ceiling and an exposed oak frame, with tall windows onto the countryside and chairs pulled up to the wood burner. Underfloor heating warms the ground floor, a separate snug gives someone a quieter corner, and all three bedrooms have their own shower rooms, one of them downstairs. The garage is now a games room with table tennis and table football.
The limit is a single dog. This is the only cottage in the guide that stops at one, which rules it out for most multi dog households however good the walking is. And the walking is good. The Monsal Trail is a mile away on foot at Blackwell Mill, and an outdoor wash off area deals with bikes, boots and a muddy dog before anyone goes inside. Half an acre surrounds the patio and BBQ, and the Chee Dale stepping stones walk is 2.1 miles from the door.
- Sleeps: 6 across 3 bedrooms
- Dogs welcome: 1
- Fire: Wood burner under the vaulted ceiling
- Enclosed garden: Yes, with patio, lawn and outdoor dining
- Best for: Walkers and cyclists with one dog who want the Monsal Trail within reach on foot
Felt Barn, Grindon
Felt Barn is a converted hay barn at Grindon, just inside the southern boundary of the national park on the Staffordshire side, and it sleeps ten across five bedrooms with two dogs allowed. It thinks about dogs before they reach the door: there is an outdoor dog shower for muddy paws, and a large entrance for shedding wet gear. Downstairs is the kitchen diner with a big table and a Smart TV, a utility under the stairs and a WC.
Here is the catch for a fireside guide. The log burner is in the upstairs sitting room, and the listing is clear that dogs are not allowed upstairs, so the fire and the dogs spend the evening on different floors. The dogs get the ground floor and the enclosed front garden, with its patio, BBQ and views of the hills. It is graded four stars, a notch below most here. The Manifold Valley Trail is 1.3 miles away, with Thor's Cave and the Roaches within reach for longer days out.
- Sleeps: 10 across 5 bedrooms
- Dogs welcome: 2, not upstairs
- Fire: Log burner in the first floor sitting room
- Enclosed garden: Yes, at the front, with patio and hill views
- Best for: A large group whose dogs are happy to sleep downstairs
Woodland Cottage, Bakewell
Woodland Cottage puts the fire and the town on the same doorstep. It is a detached, five star house in the middle of Bakewell, decorated with colour, and in its lounge sofas, throws and blankets face a wood burner. Two en suite bedrooms each have a four poster and a walk in shower, and the open kitchen seats six for dinner.
It sleeps only four, so this is a couples or small family house, and its setting is a market town rather than open country. That is a trade some will welcome: our Monsal Trail route via Ashford is 0.2 miles away, river walks begin at the door, and dinner out means a stroll through town with the dogs rather than a drive. The enclosed garden has a gravelled courtyard, a hot tub with mood lighting on new decking, seating and a BBQ. The owners' adjacent cottage, Knowsley, can be booked with it for six more guests if the party grows.
- Sleeps: 4 across 2 bedrooms
- Dogs welcome: 2
- Fire: Wood burner in the lounge
- Enclosed garden: Yes, with courtyard, decking and hot tub
- Best for: Two couples who want to walk to dinner in Bakewell and back to the stove
Aurora - Matlock Bath
Aurora is a family house for eight in Matlock Bath, the old spa village at the foot of the Derwent Valley, and it is the closest cottage in the guide to a listed walk, with the High Tor circular just 0.1 miles away. Shops, cafes and pubs are all walkable. Inside, a large dual aspect lounge has its seating facing the wood burner, and the open plan kitchen diner sits on the lower floor with a utility room and WC.
Three dogs may come, a generous number for eight people. The garden is the limit: it is enclosed, with a patio, dining furniture and a charcoal BBQ, but the lawn is a small one, so three dogs will want their exercise out of the gate. The house rises over several floors, with a super king right at the top, which means a lot of stairs for an older dog. Riverside walks run through the village, and Chatsworth House is 8.5 miles away.
- Sleeps: 8 across 5 bedrooms
- Dogs welcome: 3
- Fire: Wood burner in the double lounge
- Enclosed garden: Yes, with patio, BBQ and a small lawn
- Best for: A family with three dogs who want a walk from the door and a village to stroll in
The Barn At Corner Farm, Ednaston
The Barn At Corner Farm is a detached period barn built in the style of Sir Edwin Lutyens, and its spacious lounge and diner sits under an impressive vaulted ceiling with the wood burner at its centre. Exposed beams run throughout. A piano and a Sonos system fill the evenings, the kitchen is cottage style, and two separate staircases lead to a twin and to the king size master, which has a freestanding bath nearby.
Three dogs come with four people here, the most generous ratio in the guide. The barn stands in the grounds of the owner's home, which some will find reassuring and others less private. It is also the furthest from the hills: Ednaston lies south of Ashbourne, and the nearest route we list, the Carsington Water Outer Loop, is 6.4 miles away, so most walks will start with a drive. Footpaths and the Ednaston fishing lakes are close, and the fully enclosed cottage garden has lawns, sun loungers and a summer house of books and board games.
- Sleeps: 4 across 2 bedrooms
- Dogs welcome: 3
- Fire: Wood burner under the vaulted ceiling
- Enclosed garden: Yes, fully enclosed, with lawns and a summer house
- Best for: A couple with three dogs who are happy to drive to the big walks
Bailey’s Barn, Bonsall
Bailey's Barn sits at Uppertown, the high end of Bonsall, 900 feet up, and its owners have plainly kept dogs themselves. There is an outside tap for washing them, a heated cupboard for drying coats and boots, a welcome gift and bedding for two dogs, and no charge for bringing either. The barn dates from the 1700s and is one open room under very high beams, with kitchen, table and sofas gathered round the wood burner, and the super king bedroom and shower room are on the same floor, so there are no stairs.
It sleeps two, and the front courtyard, though enclosed, shares access with the neighbouring Bell House. The private garden is the second one, an enclosed lawn with seating, a barbecue and long views, and that is where the dogs run. The Limestone Way passes close by, so the car can stay parked, and the High Tor loop from Matlock Bath is 1.5 miles off. Bonsall has two pubs and a tearoom.
- Sleeps: 2 in 1 bedroom
- Dogs welcome: 2, at no charge
- Fire: Wood burner in the beamed open room
- Enclosed garden: Yes, a private lawn plus a shared front courtyard
- Best for: A couple with two dogs who want everything on one level
Fair View House, Tideswell
Fair View House has three wood burners: one in the large beamed lounge, one in a ground floor twin with patio doors to the garden and one in a super king room on the middle floor. It is a celebration house near Tideswell for fourteen across seven bedrooms, with an AGA in the kitchen, a dining room built round a big oak table and a games space at the top with a pool table, books and a snug.
Four dogs can stay, more than anywhere else on this list, though four between fourteen guests is still a ration for a large group. What sets it apart is outside: an enclosed garden round the house with a hot tub, and an adjoining enclosed field where the dogs can run and play. Our nearest listed walk, Chee Dale and its stepping stones, is 2 miles away, and Eyam is 5 miles off for shorter village walks.
- Sleeps: 14 across 7 bedrooms
- Dogs welcome: 4
- Fire: Three wood burners, including two in bedrooms
- Enclosed garden: Yes, all round, plus an adjoining enclosed field
- Best for: A big gathering with several dogs that need room to run
Old Well Cottage, Baslow
Old Well Cottage alone among these eleven keeps an original open fire rather than a stove, set in a cosy lounge with reading chairs. It hides away in Baslow on the fringes of the Chatsworth estate and sleeps four, in a king with built in wardrobes and a twin that can be zipped into a super king. A conservatory looks onto the garden, and a ladder over the stairs climbs to a sleeping nook in the eaves.
An open grate wants a fireguard and some watching around a young or curious dog, so check what the cottage provides. The front garden is enclosed but stone paved, with mature planting, and the listing mentions no lawn anywhere, so dogs that need grass will be heading out of the gate. The grading is four stars. Walks run straight from the village into the Chatsworth parkland, and Curbar and Froggart Edge is 1.5 miles away for a bigger day on the gritstone.
- Sleeps: 4 across 2 bedrooms, plus an eaves nook for children
- Dogs welcome: 2
- Fire: Original open fire in the lounge
- Enclosed garden: Yes, stone paved, with table and BBQ
- Best for: A small family who want Chatsworth on foot and a real fire at night
Chapel Cottage - Peak, Monyash
Chapel Cottage was built of stone in 1769 at the edge of Monyash, and its log burning stove sits in a stone fireplace in the beamed lounge and dining room, with the first logs supplied. A couple and two dogs have it to themselves. The bedroom has a cast iron double, the spacious bathroom a shower above the bath, and anyone booking a December week arrives to find the Christmas decorations already up.
It sleeps two and holds a four star grading, and our nearest listed route, the Lathkill Dale Nature Reserve Walk, measures 3.3 miles from the cottage, though walking and cycling start from the door. The enclosed garden of patio and lawn backs onto open countryside, with furniture and a BBQ for summer evenings. Bakewell and Buxton are both a short drive, and the Tissington Trail runs south to Ashbourne.
- Sleeps: 2 in 1 bedroom
- Dogs welcome: 2
- Fire: Log burning stove in a stone fireplace, first logs supplied
- Enclosed garden: Yes, patio and lawn backing onto fields
- Best for: A couple with two dogs after a quiet winter week in the White Peak
Practical Advice for a Log Burner Stay in Derbyshire with a Dog
These eleven differ more than their photographs suggest. Settle a few things before you book:
- Match the dogs to the house. The Cottage Tunstead stops at one dog. Aurora and The Barn At Corner Farm take three, Fair View House takes four, and every other house here takes two.
- Ask where the dogs may go. Felt Barn keeps dogs downstairs, and its log burner is upstairs. Bailey's Barn is all on one floor.
- Know which fire you are getting. Old Well Cottage has an open grate, which needs a guard around dogs. Everywhere else has a stove behind glass, and The Cottage at Longnor and Fair View House have more than one.
- Ask about fuel. Chapel Cottage supplies the first logs. The other listings do not say, so check what is provided before you arrive.
- Expect sheep. Riber House is surrounded by fields with livestock, and much of the White Peak around Monyash, Tideswell and Tunstead is grazed farmland, so keep leads handy on footpaths.
- Check the county. The Cottage at Longnor and Felt Barn at Grindon are in Staffordshire, a few miles from the Derbyshire border.
Map of Dog Friendly Cottages with a Log Burner in Derbyshire
On the map the cottages fall into three loose groups: a Derwent Valley set between Riber and Bonsall, a White Peak spread from Baslow west to Tunstead, and three outliers at Longnor, Grindon and Ednaston. The Wildpack map adds the walks, pubs and attractions near each one, which helps when you are deciding how much driving a week is worth.
11 stays on this pageMap these stays, and thousands more
The Wildpack Map plots every dog friendly walk, beach, stay and attraction we have listed across the UK. Open it to see what else is within reach in Derbyshire, filter by what your dog needs, and get directions to the car park.
What's Nearby?
Further reading for a week by the stove in the Peak:
- Dog friendly hot tub cottages in Derbyshire: The county's hot tub stays, for anyone who wants a soak as well as a stove.
- Dog friendly walks in Derbyshire: Reservoir and dale routes across the county, many within a short drive of these cottages.
- Woodland dog walks in the Peak District: Sheltered routes under trees for the wet days a log burner is made for.
- Dog friendly walks in Staffordshire: Moorland and country paths for anyone staying at Longnor or Grindon.
- Dog friendly cottages with a log burner in Northumberland: The same idea on the north east coast, if you would rather end the day on a beach.
Browse the full county list, fires or not, at Derbyshire dog friendly stays.
Final Thoughts
Derbyshire suits dog owners who want a proper walk from the door, or very close to it, and an evening spent in. What this group does well is that seven of the eleven put a listed route within two miles, and the weakness is that most still cap the dogs at two.
Couples have the widest choice: Bailey's Barn for a dog friendly owner and a single floor, Chapel Cottage for a quiet village edge, and Woodland Cottage for Bakewell on foot. Families should look at Old Well Cottage near Chatsworth or Aurora in Matlock Bath, the latter if three dogs are coming. Larger parties should weigh Riber House, which has the views, against Fair View House, which has the field and is the only one to take four dogs.
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