Columbine Cottage, Ross on Wye

Columbine Cottage puts you in the middle of Ross on Wye, a few minutes' walk from the market house and the footpaths that drop down to the river. For anyone travelling with a dog that location does a lot of the work: the Wye Valley walks start more or less at the door, so there is no drive out to find somewhere decent to stretch a dog's legs before breakfast.

It is a quirky, cosy little cottage rather than a polished one, and guests with dogs tend to count that as a plus. A place with a bit of wear in it is far less stressful to bring a muddy dog back into than somewhere immaculate. The whole house is yours, so there are no shared corridors or lounges to negotiate, and parking sits right at the front, which saves hauling gear and a dog across town.

Two practical caveats are worth knowing before you book. The garden is not enclosed, so a dog without reliable recall needs to be on a lead the moment it goes out the back; this is not a property where you can open the door and let one exercise itself. The drive and parking space are also tight, and a larger vehicle takes some manoeuvring.

The cottage takes a single dog on request rather than as a given, so confirm it with the owners when you book rather than assuming.

Best suited to one or two people with a single, well-settled dog who want to walk out of the front door into a town and be on a riverside path within ten minutes. Owners of bouncy young dogs who need a secure garden to burn energy in will want somewhere enclosed instead.