Hill View, Great Ayton

Hill View is a self-catering house on Newton Road in Great Ayton, at the northern edge of the North York Moors. It is an excellent base for a dog: Roseberry Topping is a short drive and a well-known walk, the moors proper start a few miles south, and Saltburn's beach is about half an hour away for a change of surface. Great Ayton itself is a proper village with a river green, shops and pubs, so a wet afternoon is not a write-off.

Dogs are welcome and the owner is described as genuinely relaxed about them rather than merely tolerant. Access is by key safe with the code sent in advance, which suits an arrival with a dog in the car. The house is well equipped, the kitchen more so than most, and the bathroom in particular draws praise. It earns a 4.6/5 paw rating.

The one structural limitation for dog owners is the yard. There is no gate on it, so the back door cannot be left open and the outside space cannot be used as a secure run. A dog has to be taken out on a lead every time. For a house otherwise this well suited to dog holidays it is a frustrating gap, and it is the point to weigh hardest if your dog is used to free access to a garden.

Cleanliness is the other thing to know, because reports on it are not consistent. Some guests describe the house as spotless, with no trace that a dog has ever stayed. Others have found dog hair on the carpets, cobwebs in the downstairs bathroom and bags of dog waste left in the back yard. It reads as variable turnaround rather than a standing problem, but it is worth a look round on arrival. A toaster and a few serving bowls are also missing from an otherwise generous kitchen.

Best suited to a family or couple with a lead-trained dog who want a comfortable village base for Roseberry Topping and the North York Moors, and who do not need a secure garden.