No we don't. In our experience the overwhelming majority of dog owners who stay with us are responsible and careful. In order to maintain this policy of not charging, we do ask that if your dog is prone to shedding fur, that you borrow our "Hetty" vacuum cleaner before departure to help our housekeeping team ensure that the room is clean for the next guests.

Yes! We are dog-friendly inside and out, both at the guest house and also at our pub The Good Sport, about a minute up the lane, where all our food is served. If you have a large dog or pair of dogs, it might be worth thinking whether the room you are choosing is big enough! We have had people stay in our smallest room (Holly Room) with large dogs before, but it's a squeeze, and you might be more comfortable in a bigger room.

Yes we do. Our full dog policy can be found here.

We do ask that you are mindful of other guests - some dogs like to bounce up to greet other people, but not all people like this. Similarly all our guests appreciate it if dogs are kept reasonably quiet, especially in the evenings.

We recognise that your situation is more difficult. At The Good Sport, please note that we have a very small kitchen, and both we and our suppliers work with all 14 major allergens. Whilst we do our utmost to avoid cross-contamination when preparing dishes for customers with allergies, we cannot guarantee an allergen-free environment. You may find it more practical to book one of our self-catering apartments (Penthouse or Riverside have built-in kitchenettes, and Cottage has more limited facilities) and prepare your own food.

Yes, but not at the guest house. All our food is served at our pub, The Good Sport, about a minute's walk up the lane and just beside the village school. We offer room-only or breakfast-included tariffs on all rooms, so please check that you are booking the option you expect. If you are on a room-only tariff then you can still get breakfast at the pub, and by showing your room key you will get 10% discount off all menu prices.

We endeavour to cater for special diets both here at the guest house and also at The Good Sport. The hospitality trays in each room have oat milk sachets as well as dairy milk, and we source teas and coffees which are environmentally friendly in various ways. Probably the things to be most careful about are the complementary packets of biscuits. At the pub, we always include vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. Many of our meals are easily "converted" by, for example, substituting gluten-free bread for regular. Please ensure that pub staff are aware of your needs when ordering.

The Good Sport menu changes from time to time through the season. The current menu at any time can be found here.

Yes you can - please call Richard on 07783 759617 to arrange this. The basic cost is £12 per adult and £8 per child per day, discounted if you stay longer with us. With your permission, we will normally just use the card details you have already supplied to make the extra payment - just tell us which days you will be wanting breakfast. As a general rule, if you like a large breakfast to set you up for the day it's worth pre-paying, but if you just want a few small things it's cheaper to pay-as-you-go with the house guest discount of 10%.

Your room will always be ready by 4pm, which is the check-in time that we list on booking channels. However, your room may be ready earlier in the day, depending on the load on the housekeeping team on the day in question. You will receive checking in details a few days before arrival, and you can always call Richard on 07783 759617 to get up-to-date information, or if you would like help when arriving at the house. We live on site and are normally somewhere near, but we may be working in the garden, or on a good day there's a good chance we'll be out on the fells.

We like people to check out of their room by 10 or 10:30 at the latest, so that our housekeeping team can start preparing rooms for guests who will be arriving. But you are very welcome to use the gardens or guest lounge, to leave your car in our carpark, or luggage in the guest lounge until later in the day - it's only the actual rooms that we need prompt access to. So if you want to make the most of some good weather and leave your car with us until later that day, that's fine.

We do not normally make any room changes to what you originally booked. All our booking channels except Expedia (hotels.com) now use the same room names that we do (this was a long struggle with booking.com but is now the case. If you cannot remember what you booked, or cannot find the confirmation emails sent either by the booking channel or directly by us, please call Richard on 07783 759617 to find out.

Yes! We have sufficient parking that guests are welcome to arrive early in the day, regardless of whether your room is ready or not. Especially in the summer we often have guests who arrive during the morning so as to walk or otherwise explore the local area, and this is fine. Please park in such a way that other guests, and the Grasmere Brewery truck, can easily get in and out.

Yes. We often find that guests on long-distance walks such as the Coast-to-Coast walk or Cumbria Way use a luggage transportation service to move cases. That's fine - Sherpa and the other firms know where we are. On the day of arrival they will leave your bags in our guest lounge. When the room is available we will usually move bags to the right room, provided we can identify this from the label. On the day of departure our experience is that bags are picked up surprisingly early, so we recommend getting them back to our guest lounge by 8 or 8:30 at latest.

All or products are on sale at The Good Sport. Beer, lager and cider is available by the pint: gin and vodka by the bottle as well as by the measure. Beers are also available at a small and carefully selected range of places in the immediate vicinity of Grasmere. Gin and vodka are available by the bottle at a range of places within Cumbria. If you'd like to know the current venues that sell these products, please get in touch.

Yes! Grasmere Brewery and Distillery has been operating for the last few years, and has steadily increased the range of products available. The brewery is located in some former farm buildings at the south-east corner of our gardens. It's a working site so please be very cautious with children and animals if you are in the area - as well as obvious hazards we also operate fork-lift trucks and other machinery there.

In a while! Please check out this page for more details.

We have just started offering tours this year. Please look here to find out about tours. Tours are currently offered on weekdays only.

Grasmere has only one shop selling groceries - the Co-op, at the other end of the village, open 8am to 8pm. If you need more choice or larger amounts of goods you will need to travel to Ambleside, Windermere or Keswick.​ We have loads of daytime cafes within easy reach of the guest house. Our personal favourite is Mathilde's, attached to the Heaton Cooper Art Gallery, but there is no lack of choice in and around Grasmere. Faeryland, a little way along the Red Bank Road, offers boat hire in season as well as snacks. But there are not so many venues open in the evening, and we strongly recommend booking ahead for your evening meal, especially in school holidays or at weekends. You can book a table at The Good Sport on the day by calling 07724 330722. To book at least a day in advance please click here here. Other venues have similar booking systems which you will be able to find online. If you run out of luck in Grasmere, Ambleside has a good range of venues as well. If you eat or drink anything at The Good Sport, remember to show your room key to get 10% discount!

Grasmere is small! We are at the southern end of the village, nearest the lake. You can walk anywhere in the village in about 15-20 minutes. Parking in the village can be difficult so it's usually best to leave your car here. To get to the gingerbread shop - a very popular destination - only takes five minutes or so. It's right beside the parish church.

That's fine - there is a private path down to the lake from the end of our garden. Directions are available in the guest lounge, and we are always happy to show you how to get started. Please be aware that the track is not made up, and can be wet underfoot as well as uneven. It is not suitable for wheelchairs or buggies. The landowner (a local farmer) does not want to change the character of the path by laying gravel or stones along it. When you get down to the lake you will find great views to relax and enjoy with. While you're staying at the house, you're welcome to take a folding chair from the rack in the guest lounge and sit down there for a while.

Yes! We have over 40 years of experience enjoying and walking in the Lake District. We provide maps, directions, advice and so much more. Just let us know what your own level of experience is, how long you'd like to spend, and what sort of walking kit you have with you. Outside of the village, you will need at least a good pair of trainers, and in many cases walking boots. We recommend carrying wet-weather gear with you (our weather can change very quickly) and also extra layers for warmth. For longer walks it's best to take drinks and snacks, though in many cases you won't be far from a pub or tea-shop.

Yes! If you're looking for interesting shops, then we recommend Keswick over Ambleside. If you're looking to find out more about one or other of the Lake District's important historical figures, then the closest place to start is Dove Cottage, home to William Wordsworth and his family for several years. The house itself is open to look around, and there is an excellent museum on site (as well as a cafe). It's only a few minutes' walk away. Further afield you can find out about Beatrix Potter (Hill Top, Near Sawrey, near Hawkshead) or John Ruskin (Brantwood, on the eastern shore of Coniston Lake). We have folders with information about all three of these influential figures in the guest lounge. For more general local history, the Armitt Museum at this end of Ambleside is excellent. We also have plenty of local art to browse, and literature to read - follow this link a couple of places in Grasmere !