Self-Catering Guest Annex, Aldborough

This self-catering annex sits beside its owners' house at Aldborough in North Norfolk, down a single-track lane with fields on either side, and it is set up for people who want quiet and a dog rather than a village high street. Guests arriving with dogs are met with treats and a bowl of water put out ready, alongside wine, cake and breakfast provisions left in the kitchen.

The annex is one open living space with room to put down dog beds without stepping over them, and it opens onto a large garden looking across the fields behind. Reports on that garden differ. Some found it a properly enclosed space they were happy to let a dog out into alone, with outside lighting for late-evening trips; others describe it as large but not enclosed. Check which you are getting before you rely on it.

The walking starts at the gate. The Weavers' Way long-distance path crosses just down the lane, the coast is a short drive for beach mornings, and Blickling Estate is close enough for an afternoon. The host is a large part of why guests come back, and several mention how much had been thought about before they arrived.

Two caveats deserve saying plainly. Cleaning has not been consistent: at least one stay was cut short over a lingering dog smell in an annex that had not been properly cleaned, and there is a separate report of dog mess in the grounds to pick a way around, barking from dogs on the property, and no contact from the host at all. Most guests report the opposite on both counts, but this is not a single stray complaint. The access track also floods after heavy rain, and the place is genuinely hard to find the first time.

Earning 4.7/5, this suits dog owners after an inexpensive, peaceful North Norfolk base with walking from the door, who are happy to confirm the garden and the changeover arrangements before booking.