Peak District town named one of UK’s best locations for dog friendly staycation

The picturesque Peak District town of Bakewell has been crowned the UK's fourth best location for a dog friendly getaway (earning a score of 70.5/100), according to a study.

And with 12.1K Google searches for “dog friendly holidays” per month, it’ seems that dog owners across the UK are gearing up for a summer getaway with their pooch.     The rankings, which were compiled by luxury pet specialists, Lords and Labradors, compared key data points relating to holidaying with a dog in 45 UK locations.

Rank 

Location 

Score (out of 100) 

1 

Bath, Somerset  

72

2 

Lincoln  

71.5

3 

Whitby, North Yorkshire  

71

4 

Bakewell, Peak District  

70.5

5 

Southwold, Suffolk  

70

The locations were informed by a pet owner survey, in which they were asked where they thought was best for a ‘pawfect’ trip

Points were awarded based on the highest number of local walking routes, dog friendly pubs, hotels and other accommodation, vets in the area, pet shops, and of course the average weather.

Scoring 284.5 points out of a possible 405, those visiting Bakewell in search of a dog-friendly getaway can enjoy a generous 325 local walking routes (92.88 per 1,000 residents), 45 dog-friendly pubs (12.86 per 1,000 residents), and 20 RCVS vets in the local area (5.72 per 1,000 residents), and five pet shops within a 10-mile radius of the town (1.43 per 1,000 residents).

Bakewell also scored highly for dog friendly aspects such as having an average temperature of 18.3 degrees during the months of June to August, whilst averaging 15.2 dry days in this three-month period.

Other locations that earned top five spots, included Bath (72/100), Lincoln (71.5/100), Whitby, North Yorkshire (71/100), and Southwold, Suffolk (70/100). At the very bottom of the dog-friendly holiday rankings as Belfast, securing an overall score of just 14/100.

Lords and Labradors also quizzed 2,000 UK dog owners about whether they’d book holiday abroad if it meant leaving their beloved pooch behind:

Key Findings:

• One in eight (13%) UK dog owners said they never holiday abroad without their dog as they‘d feel “too guilty” and opt instead for dog-friendly staycations here on UK soil.

• Owners said they’d be willing to fork out an extra £50 per night on average to take their dog away with them on a staycation.

• The top consideration when booking a UK getaway was “plenty of places to walk” (42%).

• Other staycation “musts” included having dog friendly pubs in the local area (36%), plenty of dog friendly accommodation to pick from (35%), and dog friendly restaurants and cafes (35%).

Johanna Buitelaar Warden, Founder of Lords and Labradors, commented: “It’s great to see so many dog owners enjoying all the UK has to offer, there really is an abundance of choice when it comes to getting out and about and exploring the beautiful country in which we live.

We hope our study has highlighted some of the beautiful destinations on home soil that are there to explore. And dog or no dog, we truly believe there is something for everyone just a stone's throw away from home.

Whether you prefer a city break, a countryside jaunt with a good dog friendly pub at the end, or even a coastal break, wherever your travels take you to this summer, we hope you and your pet enjoy your adventures!”