Sunnyside, Hest Bank

Sunnyside is a ground-floor flat on Station Road in Hest Bank, a village on the Morecambe Bay shore just north of Lancaster, and dog owners keep choosing it for one reason above all: the garden is properly enclosed. That is rarer than it should be in self-catering, and guests travelling with dogs say it is what made them book. Off-street parking at the back is the other practical win.

The walking is excellent and varied. The Lancaster Canal towpath runs close by, the shore and its sands are a short walk in the other direction, and there is a dog-friendly pub round the corner along with a well-liked micro pub nearby. Guests with dogs describe long canal walks and easy beach access as the shape of most days here, and the flat earns a 4.3/5 paw rating from them.

Inside, the rooms are big and airy for the size of the property and the kitchen is well equipped. A washing machine is a genuine asset after a muddy bay walk, though guests have found it noisy.

Two caveats matter for dogs specifically. The garden is only as secure as the gates, and guests have reported the upstairs tenant leaving them open despite knowing a dog was staying, so it is worth checking them yourself each time you let a dog out. The flat also sits below another occupied flat with little sound insulation, so footsteps and voices from above carry down, and a dog that reacts to noise overhead may find that unsettling. More generally the property is comfortable rather than smart, and reviews are mixed on cleanliness and damp.

Best suited to one or two people with a dog who want an enclosed garden, canal and shore walking and a dog-friendly pub within a couple of minutes, and who are not expecting a polished finish.