Lodge Farm, Oxford

Lodge Farm is a three-bedroom house in the fields at Beckley, north-east of Oxford, and the feature every dog-owning party singles out is the garden: large, securely fenced and enclosed enough that a group can arrive with two or three dogs, open the back door and stop thinking about them. For a house that regularly takes family gatherings, that combination of space indoors and a dog-proof boundary outdoors is the thing that makes it work.

Inside it is bigger than the photographs suggest, with room for a group to spread out rather than sit on top of each other, warm throughout, and comfortably rather than preciously furnished, which is the right register for a house full of dogs and children. There is generous driveway parking, several sitting rooms with televisions, and a large kitchen.

The honest caveat is the road. The house sits on a country road with fast traffic and no pavement, so walking a dog from the front door is not the relaxed amble the setting suggests, and guests with dogs describe it as daunting. There are good walks in the area, around Otmoor and the Beckley and Stowood woods, but you will be driving to the start of most of them rather than setting off from the gate. Plan for that and the enclosed garden carries the rest.

No written pet terms are published for the property, so the number of dogs allowed and any charge are worth confirming with the owners at the point of booking, particularly if you are bringing three. The kitchen is well proportioned but lightly equipped for the numbers the house sleeps, and there is no microwave, so a group self-catering should pack accordingly.

At 4.3/5 on paws, Lodge Farm suits a family or group of friends bringing several dogs who want a big enclosed garden, plenty of indoor space and Oxford, Blenheim and the Cotswolds within a half-hour drive, and who will put the dogs in the car for their walks rather than heading out of the gate.