The Traddock

‘One of the best dog-friendly places in the UK’ can be found in this small country-house hotel, set in a stone-built village ‘in the most beautiful part of the Yorkshire Dales’. The Georgian house was built by the Ingilby family of Ripley Castle, famously always on the losing side of history. By contrast, the Reynolds family who now own it are perennial winners: ‘It’s remarkable how their hotel has remained so consistent over time.’ ‘The food, service, friendly staff, rooms are incredible.’ Bedrooms have period furniture, fresh fruit, home-made biscuits. Town Head loft suite, with ‘great views’ and a ‘fantastic bathroom’ is ‘well worth the money’. A short menu of ‘well-prepared dishes with original but not gimmicky ingredients’ might include pot-roasted cauliflower, satay, greens, smoked butter sauce; salt-aged brisket, baby gem, gherkin, smoked mushroom. Five nights a week there is a tasting menu. An ‘excellent, well-judged breakfast’ includes smoked haddock or Eggs Benedict. Guides, maps and a packed lunch are available for a day of gentle ambling or the strenuous Three Peaks hike. (Anne Thackeray, Michael and Shirley Nicholls, Bill Wood, and others)