10 Wye Rapids Cottages

10 Wye Rapids Cottages sits above the River Wye at Symonds Yat West, and it is the kind of place people book precisely because they are bringing a dog. The cottage is a whole-house let with its own outdoor seating, so there are no shared corridors or lobbies to negotiate, and the owners lay on a box of dog kit - bowls, treats and the bits people forget - which comes up again and again in what guests with dogs say about the stay.

The property's booking listing carries no formal pet policy, so anything about fees, numbers or size limits is worth settling with the owner when you book. What guests do describe consistently is an owner who answers quickly and helpfully, both before arrival and during the stay.

Location is the strongest card. The cottage is set away from traffic noise down a single-track lane off the A40, with the living room on the first floor to make the most of the valley views. From the door you can walk for miles through the Forest of Dean and along the Wye, and the hand ferries and riverside pubs nearby make it easy to build a day around the dog rather than around the car. Dog owners repeatedly name the walking as the reason they would return.

Two things to weigh. The lane in is narrow and single-track, which some guests find off-putting on arrival even though most think it worth the drive. And while the cottage is generally described as exceptionally clean, there has been a report of soft furnishings holding a lingering dog smell between stays, alongside insect bites, so it is worth a quick look at throws and blankets when you arrive. Smaller niggles - a weak shower, a cooker and an outside light not working - have also come up.

With a 4.6/5 paw rating, this suits dog owners who want a quiet riverside base with walking from the doorstep, and who would rather have a whole cottage to themselves than a hotel room.