53A Kingfisher Court, Tattershall Lakes

53A Kingfisher Court is a hot-tub caravan on Tattershall Lakes Country Park in Lincolnshire, with Tattershall Castle and the village a few minutes away and open water on three sides of the site. For anyone arriving with a dog, a private caravan on a park like this is a straightforward proposition: your own front door, your own outdoor seating, and lakeside ground to walk on within a minute of stepping outside.

Dogs are welcome, and the accounts from guests who brought one are warm and unfussy. The van is described as quiet and private, modern and well laid out inside, with comfortable beds and a decent seating area outside, and dogs are reported settling in as though at home rather than merely being permitted. Couples in particular seem to get on with it: it is calm, it is self-contained, and the hot tub does not come at the cost of sitting on top of the neighbours.

The caution is housekeeping, and it matters more than usual on a dog-friendly let. Not every party has arrived to a van that had been properly turned round. Some have found dog hair left through it from the previous stay, along with broken showers and windows that did not sit properly in their frames. That is a changeover failure rather than a fault with the accommodation itself, but it is a real one, and the sensible move is to look the van over on arrival and report anything straight away rather than at the end of the week.

The park rules are firmer than the relaxed tone of the reviews suggests, and they are the thing to read before you book. Dogs must be house trained and kept on a lead and under control at all times anywhere on the park, so treat the space beyond the door as open ground rather than a garden - there is nothing fenced of your own. The park also excludes any dog listed under the Dangerous Dogs Act, XL Bullies among them, and any dog legally required to be muzzled. Any pet charge, and how many dogs are allowed, are still not stated, so confirm both with the owner before you book. Smaller gripes are of the missing-hand-towel variety, and there is no coffee table or side table indoors, which is a nuisance when you are trying to keep drinks off the floor with a dog moving about.

Best suited to a couple or a small family with one steady, lead-trained dog who want a quiet, private hot-tub base with lake walking on the doorstep, and who will check the van over before unpacking. It earns a 4.5/5 paw rating.