The Granary, Polesworth

The Granary is a converted stone barn at Warton, a village on the Warwickshire side of the Tamworth border, a couple of miles from Polesworth and close enough to the motorway network to work as a stop on a longer drive. Open countryside starts at the end of the lane, and there are shops and pubs within reach on foot.

The pet terms are on record and they matter to the sums. There is a £25 pet charge and up to three dogs can come, but the listing does not say whether that £25 is charged per dog or once per stay, so confirm which before you budget for it. Dogs are to be kept on a lead at all times, as the cottages sit in sheep country, and horses can be accommodated by prior arrangement.

The garden is the thing to settle before you reserve. It is a real garden and guests with dogs have enjoyed it, cooking outside with the dogs about in good weather, but it is shared rather than private, it is not secure, and it is not directly accessible from the accommodation. That combination has been enough for dog owners to rule out coming back. If your dog needs a fenced space it can be let into straight from the door, this is not the property.

Inside, the cottage rates well and rates consistently. Guests describe it as clean, warm and generously sized for a family of four, stocked past the minimum with dishwasher tablets, laundry pods and spare toiletries. The owners are friendly and helpful and live close enough to sort anything out. The setting is quiet and rural, which is most of the appeal.

Minor points: the television is fixed to the wall and cannot be angled towards the sofa, and there is no air fryer if that is how you cook.

Best suited to a family or a couple with a settled, lead-trained dog who want a quiet rural cottage between Tamworth and the Warwickshire lanes, and who do not need a secure garden of their own.