Nant House, Wrexham

Nant House is a modern detached holiday home set in the countryside on the western edge of Wrexham, with woodland around it and a river not far away. For a dog it is the enclosed rear garden that makes the difference - it is properly fenced, has furniture and a barbecue, and holds the hot tub, so the outdoor space works as one contained area rather than an open plot running off into fields.

The house sleeps eight across four bedrooms and is spacious and well specified. The hot tub is the feature guests return to, and the most recent visitors described the place as spotlessly clean and well kept, with the tub clearly serviced properly.

Some honesty is owed on that point, though. An earlier stay found the house in a poor state: a strong lingering food smell on arrival, dirty crockery, pans and kitchen surfaces, broken glass left in a cupboard, tired mattresses and paintwork, and cigarette ends scattered around the garden - the last of these a genuine hazard if your dog picks things up outdoors. The two accounts sit more than a year apart and the newer one is much better, which points to standards having improved, but it is worth a look around the garden before letting a dog loose in it.

Two safety points deserve a mention. The driveway is steep, awkward to reverse onto and something to watch when opening car doors with a dog inside. The letting agency also notes the property is close to a steep cliff face, so this is not a spot to let a dog roam beyond the fenced garden.

The booking listing states one well behaved dog, so a party with two should confirm before booking rather than turning up and hoping. Best suited to a large group with a single dog who want a rural base with a hot tub and the town close enough for supplies.