Stable Cottage, Bradenham

Stable Cottage is a converted barn in open Norfolk countryside near Bradenham, a few minutes' drive from Swaffham, and it works well for a larger party travelling with dogs. It sleeps seven across three bedrooms and takes up to two pets. The ground floor is laid with hard flooring and stone, with two sets of patio doors opening onto an enclosed courtyard garden that is more established than the photographs suggest.

The setting is the draw. The cottage stands in grounds with horses and free-roaming hens - you can buy fresh eggs daily - which is charming, but it does mean dogs need to be under control on site rather than loose. Beyond the gate, quiet country lanes run for miles in every direction and make easy everyday walking, and Thetford Forest is a straightforward drive for something longer.

The owners come across as friendly and unfussy, and the kitchen is unusually well stocked for a holiday let - bakeware, a barbecue, a large fridge freezer and board games all get mentioned. Guests with dogs consistently rate the property as genuinely dog-friendly, and a good share say they would book it again.

Two things to plan for. The approach is along single-track lanes with few passing places, and at night that can mean a long reverse to let another vehicle through - worth knowing if you are arriving late with a car full of dogs. And while the lane walking is excellent, the dog-friendly beaches most people come to Norfolk for, Holkham chief among them, are a 50 to 60 minute drive rather than a short hop. There are also two other holiday lets directly opposite, so the courtyard is not entirely private, and the stairs to the upper bedrooms are steep and narrow.

Best suited to a family or group with a dog or two who want a rural base with plenty of indoor space and are happy to drive to the coast. It earns a 4.6/5 paw rating.