Dragonfly Cottage, Brecon

Dragonfly Cottage sits beside the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal a few miles south-east of Brecon, in the quiet stretch of countryside between Llanfrynach and Pencelli inside the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. It comes close to an ideal setup for a walking holiday with a dog: the towpath is over the bridge from the door, and the hills and bridleways of the national park start within a few minutes of the cottage.

Dog owners who have stayed agree on what works here. The location is secluded enough that birdsong is the loudest thing you hear, and the canal path means a proper walk is available the moment you arrive, without loading the dog back into the car. The same paths serve walkers and mountain bikers, so it suits an active break rather than a sedentary one. There is a dog-friendly pub roughly twenty minutes along the towpath that does good food and real ale, which makes an evening walk a destination rather than a chore.

The hosts get consistent praise for being welcoming and accommodating, and the cottage itself is rated as good value for the setting, holding 9.2/10 across its guest reviews. Families travelling with children as well as dogs have found the canal-side position works for both.

A couple of practical points. The cottages take one dog, ask that dogs stay off the furniture and out of the bedrooms, and some carry a £30 per dog surcharge, so check with the hosts what applies to Dragonfly when you book. And a canal towpath is not a secure garden: it carries walkers, cyclists and other dogs, and guests have met a loose dog near the boatyard along the water, so keep yours on a lead near the moorings. With a 4.6/5 paw rating, Dragonfly Cottage is best suited to owners who want hills, water and quiet, and who are happy to walk their dog rather than turn it out into a garden.