Deer View, Partridge Green

Deer View is a rural apartment on a farm near Partridge Green, set above a large garage and workshop with long views over the West Sussex countryside, and it suits dogs mainly because of what surrounds it. A public footpath runs from the property, so the first walk of the day starts at the door rather than after a drive, and the lanes and fields around the farm open straight onto walking country. The Knepp Estate, with its rewilding project and wandering herds, is close enough for a day out.

The welcome is the other half of it. The owners live on site with dogs of their own and get consistently warm reviews for being friendly and attentive without hovering, and guests arriving with dogs describe the whole thing as relaxed. There is a large gated drive, a fire pit the owners will set up on request, and enough wildlife about that the setting does a lot of the entertaining - deer and partridge are regular sightings.

Inside, the apartment is clean, well furnished and comfortably sized for a family of four, with a properly equipped kitchen and cleaning supplies actually provided, which self-catering places often skip.

The garden is not secure, and guests have flagged that plainly, so a dog that will not stay close needs to be on a lead outside. The apartment is reached by stairs up from the garage below, which is worth a thought for an elderly or arthritic dog. The owners' own dogs are around the grounds, a pleasure for a sociable dog and a complication for one that is not. Cooking for four can also run up against the amount of crockery provided.

Best suited to a family or couple with a steady, sociable dog who want quiet countryside, footpaths from the door and Knepp within reach, and who are happy to keep the dog on a lead around the property. It earns a 4.7/5 paw rating.