October Cottage, Collingbourne Kingston

October Cottage is a thatched cottage in Collingbourne Kingston, a quiet Wiltshire village between Marlborough and Andover, let as a whole house for a couple or a small family. For anyone travelling with a dog the headline feature is the garden: large, enclosed and secure, and reliably the first thing guests with dogs praise.

The cottage takes one pet, arranged on request, so flag the dog when you book rather than on arrival.

That garden carries most of the pet case on its own. Guests describe letting the dog out into it without worrying, eating outside in decent weather while the dog potters about, and treating it as the pressure valve a small cottage otherwise lacks. Beyond the gate, a good long walk starts about five minutes from the door, and dog walkers rate the surrounding lanes and countryside. Guests who brought dogs talk about returning, and repeat stays do happen.

The house itself is old and characterful, with thick stone walls, a well-equipped kitchen that keen cooks rate highly, reliable wi-fi, and a caretaker who is easy to reach when something needs sorting. The village is quiet, and the cottage works as a base for exploring the wider area, with Stonehenge and several market towns within driving distance.

The caveats are the flip side of a genuinely old building. The stairs are narrow with a sharp turn at the bottom and no handrail, the beams are low enough to catch anyone tall, the bath is small with a hand-held shower rather than a screen, and the sitting-room furniture is on the compact side, with some guests noting the interior could do with updating. None of that is about the dog, but it shapes who the cottage suits.

Best for a couple or small family with one dog who want a secure garden, quiet surroundings and a walking base in the Wiltshire countryside - and who are happy to trade a modern interior for a thatched roof and some history.