Somerset Dulverton
Barn Cottage, Dulverton
Independent pet-friendly review by Four Legged Guests · updated October 2026 · paw rating built from 9 verified guest reviews mentioning pets
Bring your dog if
- You want a whole-property rental - no shared lobbies or corridors to navigate with your dog
- You're basing yourself in Dulverton / the Somerset and want a pet-friendly anchor for day trips
- The wider guest experience is strong - guests rate this 8.5/10 overall on booking platforms
Worth knowing
- Pet fee: £20 per pet per week (max 2 pets) - research-verified; confirm at booking
How this review was built Evidence, sources, refresh cadence
- Evidence: 9 pet-mention guest reviews sourced from major booking platforms - guests who explicitly mentioned travelling with a dog. Each review is screened for pet-relevance, then judged for sentiment to compute the paw rating.
- Not a personal visit. We don't stay at every hotel we cover - we summarise patterns from real guest reviews, paraphrased and never quoted verbatim. Full standard on our editorial policy page.
- Wider context: The property has 3 guest reviews overall across booking platforms, averaging 8.5/10 - the paw rating reflects only the pet-mentioning subset.
- Last refreshed: October 2026. Policies and pricing drift; we re-check on a rolling basis. Confirm specifics with the property at the moment you book.
- How the paw rating works: Full detail on the methodology page, including the three verification gates and known limitations.
Pet policy at a glance
- Pet fee: £20 per pet per week
- Up to 2 pets per booking
- On-site pet amenities: enclosed garden
Pet-friendly summary
Barn Cottage is a big, peaceful Exmoor house that suits families and groups bringing their dogs. It sits in a quiet valley about five minutes' walk from Tarr Steps, the ancient stone clapper bridge over the River Barle, and dog owners love being able to walk straight down to the river for a paddle and then on to the pub overlooking it. It earns a 4.6/5 paw rating from guests who stayed with their dogs.
The secure, enclosed garden is a real asset, letting dogs and toddlers play outside safely, and the front garden is a sun trap on fine days. Up to two dogs are welcome, with a charge of £20 per pet per week, which is modest for a house of this size. A stair gate is provided, though it has been reported as broken, so check it on arrival if you rely on it.
The walking is superb, with river and woodland paths from the door and the whole of Exmoor around you. Dark skies are another highlight, and guests describe seeing an extraordinary number of stars at night. Dulverton, with its shops and tea rooms, is a short drive away.
There are practical things to weigh up. The lanes in are steep and narrow, and one approach crosses a ford, so read the directions carefully. The house is dated in places and some guests have found showers and fittings in need of repair, which the owners say they have since fixed. Flies in the top-floor rooms and warm bedrooms in hot weather also come up. Most importantly for dog owners, trail hounds are kennelled in the stable block next door and can howl at night, which may unsettle a reactive dog or a light sleeper.
For a large group wanting a quiet Exmoor base with a safe garden and riverside walks for the dogs, Barn Cottage is a lovely find.
Highlights from pet-mentioning reviews
What reviewers travelling with dogs consistently noted about staying here.
- River paddling at Tarr Steps nearby
- Secure enclosed garden for dogs
- Up to two dogs, weekly charge
- Hounds kennelled next door may howl
- Steep, narrow lanes and a ford
About this hotel
Barn Cottage is a large five-bedroom holiday house in a secluded valley on Exmoor, a short walk from Tarr Steps and a few miles from Dulverton in Somerset. It has an open-plan living space, a well-stocked kitchen, a bathroom on every floor and an enclosed garden, with river walks and a pub at the end of the lane.
Hotel facts
Photos
Location
Barn Cottage, Tarr Steps, Dulverton, TA22 9PY