Dog Friendly 3 Bedroom Apartment, Leyburn

This three-bedroom apartment sits right on Leyburn high street in the middle of Wensleydale, and it is set up for dogs from the outset. The owner welcomes them, the flat has been renovated to a hard-wearing modern standard that copes with muddy paws, and the Dales footpaths start a few minutes from the door.

In practice the rules are simple: dogs are welcome throughout, but not on the furniture. Guests who have brought their dogs' own beds report no difficulty with that, and it is an understandable line for a flat finished to this standard. Nothing about a pet fee or a limit on numbers is published on the booking listing, so confirm both when you book.

The owner is the other thing guests single out. He replies to messages almost immediately, suggests where to park, and when the hot water failed for one group he offered them another apartment to shower in while he sorted it.

The location does a lot of work. Shops and takeaways are on the doorstep, there is no parking on site but plenty free nearby, and Leyburn is a sensible base for Wensleydale, the Shawl and the wider Yorkshire Dales.

The one thing to weigh carefully is the access. The entrance is reached up a steep external staircase of roughly 29 steps, closer to a fire escape than a front path, with a handrail that runs only part of the way up. It does not appear in the listing photographs. Guests with dogs have found it slippery in wet weather and awkward to manage safely, and it is a particular nuisance for a late-night toilet trip. An older or arthritic dog, a puppy not yet confident on stairs, or a dog heavy enough to need carrying would all make this a difficult stay - one group who otherwise rated the flat highly said they would return, but not with a dog.

At 4.3/5, this is an excellent Dales base for owners with a sure-footed dog who can manage the steps twice a day, and the wrong choice for anyone who cannot.