Lowbrook Cottage, Dickleburgh

Lowbrook Cottage is about as quiet as a dog-friendly cottage gets: a detached property down a lane outside Dickleburgh, deep in the South Norfolk countryside, with a large garden and open fields around it. Guests routinely comment on how peaceful it is, and the number of people coming back for a third or fourth stay tells its own story.

The garden is the main draw for dogs. It is generous, and has comfortably handled everything from a cavalier to a German Shepherd, and a pair of small dogs at once. It is not enclosed, though, and neither is the patio, so a dog that will not recall reliably needs to stay on a lead outside rather than be left loose. Dog owners note there is far more floor space indoors than the photographs suggest, which matters with a big dog underfoot, and the owner lives locally and sorts out anything that comes up quickly. Winter stays get a warm, well-heated cottage and, at the right time of year, a Christmas welcome.

Two practical things to plan around. The grassed field beside the cottage is not available for walking dogs, and guests who asked were turned down without an explanation, so the garden and the lanes are what you have on the doorstep. Dickleburgh Moor, a short drive away, is the local recommendation for a proper walk and for wildlife. There is also no washing machine, only a line and pegs, and no broom or vacuum to hand, which is a genuine consideration if you are travelling with a heavy moulter. Some wear has been reported on the carpets and the bathroom flooring.

The property's own disclosure is for one well-behaved dog, though guests have arrived with two small dogs, and cats have stayed here too, so anything beyond a single dog is worth agreeing with the owner in advance. Best suited to couples and small families who want real rural quiet, a garden their dog can use freely and easy reach of both the Norfolk and Suffolk sides of the border. It earns a 4.7/5 paw rating.