Bellevue Cottage, Wicken

Bellevue Cottage is the kind of place dog owners keep coming back to: a small 1896 cottage in a fen village, let whole to one party, with an enclosed garden you can open the door onto and a nature reserve at the end of the road. Wicken sits in the Cambridgeshire fens between Soham and Ely, and the cottage is a short walk from both the village pub and Wicken Fen, which is the reason most guests with dogs book it in the first place.

The enclosed garden is the detail that does the heavy lifting. It means a dog can be let out last thing at night without a lead, and it removes the low-level stress of a rental where every toilet break is a full expedition. Inside, guests describe the cottage as well equipped and properly clean, with comfortable beds, and the owner keeps in touch beforehand so arrival instructions are clear.

Guests travelling with dogs describe it plainly as very dog-friendly, and several mention their dog settling in so completely it was reluctant to leave. The village itself gets as much praise as the cottage: friendly locals, and a pub that people go out of their way to name. Wicken Fen gives you flat, well-surfaced walking straight from the door, which suits older dogs and short legs as much as it suits a spaniel with energy to burn.

Two things to check before booking. The property's booking listing carries no published pet terms, so there is no record of a pet fee, a limit on numbers or any size restriction. Agree that directly with the owner. And the layout is a traditional cottage one, with both bedrooms upstairs and the toilet and bathroom downstairs, which suits most people but is worth knowing if stairs are an issue for anyone in your party.

With a 4.6 out of 5 paw rating from a small but uniformly warm set of dog-owning guests, Bellevue Cottage suits walkers who want quiet, fen air and a pub within staggering distance, rather than anyone needing town amenities on the doorstep.