Dog-friendly holiday cottage

Pet friendly self-catering near Alton Towers

Barks Cottage: pet friendly cottage, Alton Towers and Peak District

We welcome well-behaved dogs to Barks Holiday Cottage.  The cottage comfortably accommodates a family of up to 5 people in 2 bedrooms, plus a family dog.

We make no charge for one dog. For additional dogs we make a charge of £10 - please call us before booking if you would like to bring more than one dog.

We won 2016/7 Silver in Staffordshire Tourism Awards for dog-friendly business! We fully realise that Barks Holiday Cottage is not right for all dogs, but for those that come we are prepared to go the extra mile. Literally! Read more

Silver in Staffordshire Tourism Awards

Leaving your dog unattended - 'dog-sitting'.

So here is the important difference in what we are offering. Most holiday cottage owners do not allow unattended pets at any time, we do allow this but we make a small £10 charge. We call this our 'dog-sitting' service, but that can be confusing as the dog stays in the holiday cottage, and we keep a regular eye on it. Depending on your dog's preferences and our availability these sessions can include us taking your dog for a walk through our fields and woods or just letting it out for a pee. There is no additional fee for a walkies, but it is subject to availability so please discuss at the time of booking.

This 'dog-sitting' arrangement is not a substitute for day kennels or professional dog-walkers - we can recommend excellent doggie daycare very nearby. It is however, very convenient if you are spending the afternoon at Alton Towers or driving on a hot day to visit a country house and wanting to stop and shop on the way home.

Some other things you might need to know about bringing a dog to Barks Holiday Cottage:

• There may be sheep or horses in the surrounding fields.
• The cottage grounds are not dog-proof as there are no fences around the cottage.  The cottage is, however, well away from the road, down a quiet track. We are next door and other than us there is one farm on up the track, so most owners are relaxed with their trustworthy dog hanging out on the terrace, issuing the odd woof to any passing walkers (there aren't many!).
• There is a large field with mown paths through the wild flowers. This has some fencing allowing for an attended run-about but is not dog-proof.

The surrounding area is superb for walking dogs.  A footpath passes the cottage and leads straight into fields and woods for both long and short walks in the Churnet Valley.  There are numerous walks in the area for trusted dogs to be safely let off the lead.  There are lots of leaflets and ideas for walks in the welcome pack in the cottage.  Bring walking boots!

There are some house rules for dogs.  We really do need to ensure that our next guests find no trace of any canine visitors, so we are keen to ensure our rules are clear and easy to follow.

• Please keep dogs out of the bedrooms and off the furniture.
• Guests must bring their own dog bedding and dog towels.
• Please do not use the shower in the bathroom to wash your dog, we have an outside tap if required.
• Guests must scoop the poop on our playing field.
• Guests must vacuum away and dog hairs before departure.
• As part of the dog-sitting service, we obviously need to reserve the right to enter the cottage. We will make contact with you if your dog appears to be in any distress. Otherwise, relax and enjoy your outing knowing your pet is being attended to.

"We spent a wonderful few days at Barks in October. After having tried a few other self catering places around Alton Towers over the years I can say with confidence that Barks is by far the best we have stayed at.... And Jenny our Cocker Spaniel loved it!"

Comment left by Adrian on our Facebook Page