Cymryd Uchaf, Conwy

Cymryd Uchaf is a historic hillside farmhouse a few miles outside Conwy, and it is built for the kind of holiday where the dogs get as much out of the week as anyone else. The house sits at the end of its own private drive, looking down over the river valley, with gated gardens wrapping around it and fields on every side. Up to three pets can stay, which is a rarer allowance than it sounds and a large part of what draws dog-owning families back.

Inside, the practical details are the ones that matter. Hard floors run through the downstairs, stairgates are already fitted to keep dogs off the bedroom staircase, and there is a log burner in the lounge that dogs reliably claim first. A small garden opens straight off the lounge for quick early-morning let-outs, with the much larger gardens beyond it for proper running about.

The one thing worth being straight about is how secure those larger gardens really are. Plenty of guests travelling with dogs describe them as fully enclosed with no way out, but others have found weak points - a gap under the hedge by the front gate, and a route into the neighbouring field from the driveway. The honest read is that the enclosed areas near the house are dependable, and the outer gardens deserve a walk of the boundary before you let a small or determined dog off the lead. There are sheep in the field next door, so lead work matters there anyway, and in high summer the long grass draws bees.

Conwy itself, with its walls and castle, is a short drive away, as are the north Wales beaches, but there is nothing within walking distance and a car is essential. The other recurring theme in guest feedback is housekeeping: dust, cobwebs and dog hair left from previous stays come up often enough to be worth expecting, particularly if you are arriving with dogs of your own and would rather start from a clean slate.

Cymryd Uchaf suits big, muddy, multi-dog family holidays in the countryside rather than polished short breaks. If that is your kind of week, the space and the views are hard to beat, and it earns a 4.4/5 paw rating.