One Masons Court

One Masons Court trades on two things a dog owner cares about in a town-centre booking: it is a whole house rather than a room off a corridor, and it opens onto a gated courtyard that is safe to let a small dog out into. Stratford-upon-Avon is unusually easygoing with dogs for a tourist town, and the theatre, the shops and the riverside walks are all within a few minutes on foot.

Dogs are welcome for a charge of £25 per dog, paid at the property, and the booking is limited to one dog. The courtyard is the feature dog owners single out most - enclosed, quiet, and a genuine convenience for the last trip of the evening. It comes with one condition worth taking seriously: it is shared with the other houses in the court, and it only stays secure if everyone keeps the gate shut, so a dog that will bolt through an open gate needs watching.

Out in the town, dog owners have found most of the pubs will let a dog in and several of the tea rooms display dog-friendly signs, so a day out does not have to be planned around finding somewhere to sit. The parking pass supplied with the cottage is genuinely useful in a town where parking is otherwise difficult, and the car park is a short walk away.

The house is characterful and central, but comfort and cleanliness draw mixed reports. Guests have found crockery and glassware needing a wash before use, dust and grime in the bedrooms, and a lingering dog smell on the landing left by earlier stays, which is worth knowing if you are sensitive to it or if your own dog reacts to the scent of another. The bed has been called uncomfortable more than once, and the kitchen is small and cluttered enough to make cooking awkward.

Best suited to a couple or small family with one well-behaved dog who want to be in the middle of Stratford on foot, and who will use the cottage as a base rather than somewhere to spend the day. It earns a 4.4 out of 5 paw rating.