Host & Stay - Baliol Street

Host and Stay on Baliol Street is a small house a short walk from the middle of Barnard Castle, and its best feature for anyone travelling with a dog is the enclosed courtyard at the back. Guests who bring dogs consistently mention it, and a secure outdoor space is exactly the thing most town-centre self-catering lets do not have: somewhere to let a dog out last thing at night without clipping a lead on.

Dogs are welcome and the house is set up for self-catering, so there is no reception to negotiate and no restaurant a dog has to be excluded from. Guests travelling with dogs describe the street as quiet and peaceful, which matters in a town-centre property, and parking is straightforward. The house is repeatedly described as clean and tidy, with everything a short break needs already in place.

The location does most of the work. The town centre is close enough to walk, so the market square, the riverside and the paths along the Tees are all reachable on foot with a dog rather than by car. Barnard Castle is a walkable market town, which suits a stay where the dog comes along to most of it.

The caveats are structural rather than pet-specific, but they matter with a dog in tow. The staircase is very steep, and there is an awkward high step into the rear bedroom, so an older or short-legged dog may need carrying between floors. Guests have also struggled with the upstairs shower, and there have been reports of unreliable hot water and heating. Up to two dogs are accepted; size limits are not published, so check those when booking. It earns a 4.4/5 paw rating, largely on the strength of that secure yard.