Period Townhouse, Hebden Bridge

A four-bedroom period townhouse in the middle of Hebden Bridge, sleeping eight, a minute from the shops, cafes and canal that make the town what it is. Inside it is roomy and full of character, with big bedrooms that suit a group and decoration guests single out as thoughtful.

The listing is marketed as pet friendly and dogs are taken, but the practical picture is mixed and worth understanding before you book. There is no back garden and no private outdoor space of any kind, and the house fronts directly onto a main road at a set of traffic lights. Dog-owning guests split on exactly that point: one group who brought dogs found the house spacious and comfortable and would return, while a family judged the absence of any enclosed outdoor space to make it unsuitable for theirs. Both are describing the same house accurately. It works if your dogs are settled town dogs, walked on the lead and content indoors, and it does not if they need a garden to be let out into.

The location does a lot to offset that. Hebden Bridge is genuinely good dog country - the canal towpath, Hardcastle Crags and the valley paths all start close enough to reach on foot - so if you are out walking most of the day, the missing garden matters less than it would somewhere remote. Unloading is the other road-related snag: pulling up at traffic lights on a main road is awkward with luggage and dogs at the same time.

Housekeeping is the recurring complaint across recent stays, and not only from dog owners. Dusty corners and cobwebbed ceilings, glassware and mugs arriving unclean, and towels that have turned up carrying previous guests' dog hair and a stale smell all come up. Anyone sensitive to that, or travelling with an allergy in the party, should factor it in. The house is showing wear in places, and eight people share a single bathroom on the top floor.

Best suited to a group wanting a central, affordable base for walking the Calder valley with steady, lead-walked dogs, who will not miss having a garden.