Can you recommend me somewhere for a chilled week near good walking routes?

[tattttoo]

Trying to be brave this year and plan some solo holidays, one of which I’m thinking of doing a week in the UK self catering, just me and my dog. Am thinking a nice walk each morning, a bit of mooching around the local area and lots of reading/chilling out in a nice cottage or something.

Can anyone suggest anywhere that meets following criteria:

Easy access to lots of nice off lead dog walking routes (am not the fittest so think max 5 miles rather than all day treks)
Somewhere I can find a nice small self catering, dog friendly place that’s not mega expensive
Some nice towns/a beach or something to wander around would be nice but not essential
Somewhere quiet but not too isolated so I feel safe alone
Somewhere pretty/nice to be so it feels like a nice holiday?

I’m thinking there must be LOADS of places like this but don’t know where to start!

Am in the South of England so Scotland probably too far but happy to drive to most of England or Wales. Have done the South West a lot so would like somewhere other than Cornwall - thinking the Lake District? Wales? Norfolk? Can anyone recommend specific areas?

Am very flexible on dates but probably thinking early July or September to avoid school holidays but hopefully get some reasonable weather

Also - getting overwhelmed with the numbers of sites that come up when I search for accommodation, which are the best?

Will people stop recommending Northumberland it won't be peaceful for much longer .

If you can get that far it's lovely OP.

For somewhere closer cotswolds but it depends on how fussed you are about the sea. I know the Warwickshire/ Gloucestershire border bit best and it's lovely.

Lake District (but then I'm biased because I'm lucky enough to live here )

A lot of hotels are dog friendly too if you didn't always want to do self catering.

I use this website for planning walks, you can search by hills or walks, difficulty, distance and it even gives dog friendly ratings

www.walklakes.co.uk/

I came to say Alnmouth or Alnwick too!

As an avid hiker my choices in order of preference would be

Lake District
Cornwall
New forest
Peak District
Yorkshire dales
Devon

Cotswolds, surely!

Fabulous easy walking, lots of pretty towns and villages to potter around, take a stand up paddelboarding or kayaking lesson at the Cotswold Water Park, stunningly pretty cottages.

No sea, but I doubt you'll miss it.

Yes Cotswolds be lovely, it should have been on my list.
So easy to get to and so many lovely villages with excellent shops and places to eat when you're done walking too

Norfolk coast is brilliant for dog-friendly beaches. If you want something more rugged, Whitby and its surroundings is gorgeous.

The Stroud 5 valleys area. You could walk part of the Cotswold way, much of it with dog off lead.
It's absolutely beautiful in a modest way. Lots of lovely villages and towns and as it's more 'working' Cotswolds it tends to be cheaper than say Morton in Marsh or similar.
I have an Airbnb (sadly no dogs) but people repeatedly visit for a walking/pub break! :)

swanage is very dog friendly and lots of nice places around to walk.