Glan Dwr Bach, Menai Bridge

Glan Dwr Bach is a small house on the Anglesey shore of the Menai Strait, sitting between Menai Bridge and Beaumaris, and the view is what people remember. It looks out over the water towards the mainland, the beds are comfortable, and as a whole-house let there are no shared spaces to work around with a dog.

The published policy is one well-behaved dog, so a party planning to bring two should settle that with the owners in advance rather than assume.

The location needs a clear-eyed look before you book. Dog owners are consistent on this: there is no grass immediately around the property, and the road outside is fast enough that walking straight out of the door is not really an option. In practice you get in the car and drive the short distance to Beaumaris, where the seafront, the town and the surrounding lanes give you plenty. That works fine if you were planning to drive anyway, and badly if you wanted to step out with the dog at seven in the morning.

Condition is the other reservation. Reviews mention stained carpets, damp and mould in the bathroom and in kitchen cupboards, and rust on fittings, alongside a road-facing bedroom where a smell was noticeable enough that guests moved into the second room. Against that, visitors with dogs who came for the base rather than the interiors have been happy, using it as a launch point for the Anglesey beaches, the north Wales coast and Snowdonia.

The 4.0/5 paw rating is the balance of those two things. Glan Dwr Bach works for one dog and owners who intend to drive to their walks and want the view and a simple Anglesey base. It will disappoint anyone expecting to step out onto grass or a recently refurbished interior.