Cenwulf Cottage, Winchcombe

Cenwulf Cottage is a small period cottage on the high street in Winchcombe, and it is set up for the kind of Cotswolds trip where the dog does most of the walking. The garden is the part dog owners mention: a walled patch with a summer house at the end of it, which gives a dog somewhere to settle outside while you sit out.

The cottage sleeps a small family, with a wood burner, a properly equipped kitchen and comfortable beds. Guests describe it as cosy rather than spacious. It is an old building with steep stairs, and it rewards a party that wants to come back to a fire rather than spread out.

Winchcombe is one of the better Cotswold bases for walking a dog. Sudeley Castle is on the edge of the town and its grounds have proved a reliable wet-weather walk for guests with dogs, and the Cotswold Way runs through the town, so nine-mile circuits start from the door without a drive. There is a pub a short walk away that guests rate highly for its food, along with shops, a supermarket and a bus service, and parking is a minute's walk from the cottage.

The cottage takes one dog per booking, and the walled garden is listed as the enclosed outdoor space that goes with it. No fee or weight limit has been published, so settle those specifics with the property when you book.

Two things to weigh. The stairs are steep and there are no coat hooks for wet gear, which is a real consideration when you come back from a Cotswold walk with a wet dog and nowhere to hang anything. And the cottage fronts directly onto the high street, so there is no buffer between the front door and the pavement. For a couple or small family who plan to walk all day and want a fire and a garden at the end of it, it earns a 4.5/5 paw rating.