Field House, Croscombe

Field House is a log cabin set in a private, enclosed corner of its owners' garden above Croscombe, a Somerset village between Wells and Shepton Mallet, and for most dog owners it is close to ideal. The garden is fenced and yours alone, the cabin opens straight onto it, and footpaths run from the gate into the Mendip fields. The village pub, the George Inn, is a short walk downhill and welcomes dogs.

The hosts are the other reason people rebook. Guests arriving with a dog are shown where to walk, which pub to head for and where the good views are, and are then left alone for the rest of the stay. Wells is ten minutes away, Glastonbury and Cheddar Gorge both inside half an hour, and the cabin is quiet enough that guests describe it as the point of the trip rather than a base for one.

One thing has to be said plainly, because it is the kind of thing you would want to know in advance. Access to the cabin runs through the owners' own grounds, and they keep a dog. The large majority of guests mention her fondly and describe her as friendly and calm. One party travelling with their own dog, however, reported that she attacked it without warning on that approach, and rated the stay accordingly. That is a single account against a long run of positive ones and may well have been a one-off, but if your dog is nervous or reactive around other dogs, ask how the approach works and whether the resident dog can be kept indoors while you come and go.

Beyond that the caveats are small. The cabin is compact, the furnishings are homely rather than new, and there is no shop within walking distance, so stock up in Wells or Shepton Mallet on the way in. With a 4.5/5 paw rating, Field House suits couples and solo travellers with a dog who want a secure garden, walking from the door and a genuinely quiet week in Somerset.