City Home with Parking and Garden, Chester

A whole house in Handbridge, a few minutes across the Dee from Chester's city walls, this is the kind of place that works best when the dog is part of the party rather than an afterthought. You get the run of the property, with no shared corridors or lobby to cross, and the feature that comes up again and again from guests travelling with dogs is the garden: properly enclosed, a good size, and secure enough that owners of small dogs have picked it out for exactly that reason.

The welcome extends to small touches. Guests have noted a jar of dog biscuits left out in the kitchen alongside the coffee pods and other essentials, and the host is described as quick to answer messages and easy to deal with. Arrival is by key code, so a late check-in after a long drive is not a problem. Inside there is a games room, a large fridge and a well-stocked kitchen, and enough communal space for a group to spread out without falling over each other.

Parking is genuinely plentiful, both off-road and on the street, which matters when two cars turn up with dogs and luggage. The city centre is about a three-minute drive and close enough to walk to the walls, local shops and pubs, and guests rate the immediate area for everyday dog walking, with quiet streets and green space on the doorstep.

A few things to weigh up. The booking listing does not publish a pet charge, a weight limit or a maximum number of dogs, so agree those with the host before you book. The downstairs shower room is cramped and its wash basin awkward, one bedroom is small for the double bed in it, and toiletries are not provided. There is no dedicated socket for charging an electric car either. None of that dents the core appeal: for a group taking a dog to Chester and wanting a secure garden and easy parking, this house earns its 4.5/5 paw rating.