The Old Pool House

The Old Pool House is a studio conversion in the grounds of a private country estate at Westwood, just outside Bradford on Avon in west Wiltshire. It is one room rather than a house, finished to a high standard, with a log burner, underfloor heating and a large walk-in shower, tucked away from the owners' house with its own outdoor seating. It earns a 4.8 out of 5 paw rating from guests who brought dogs.

What makes it unusual is what sits on the land around it: two enclosed dog exercise fields, booked separately and charged as an extra. Dog owners rate them the best part of the stay, somewhere to let a dog run flat out off the lead without meeting another dog, and a fair number found the property while looking for the fields rather than the other way round. Indoors there is a dog box with towels, bowls, treats, balls, a spare lead and a holder for poo bags, plus a dog bed, and guests report no extra charge for bringing a dog, though that is worth confirming when you book.

Arrival is generous by self-catering standards: fresh bread, butter, milk and coffee are usually waiting, along with cut flowers, and eggs from the estate can be bought with cash. Bradford on Avon is a few minutes away for a supermarket and restaurants, the train from there reaches Bath in about ten minutes, and Frome, Lacock, Wells and Glastonbury are all comfortable day trips.

Two practical points matter with a dog. The studio does not come with a securely fenced private garden of its own: there is private outdoor space, but the enclosed ground is the dog fields, and those need booking. Tethering points are dotted around the grounds, which will not suit every dog, particularly a rescue. And the road outside is busy with little verge, so walking to the nearest pub with a dog is not comfortable, and most guests drive or use the fields instead.

The estate has its own dogs. They are friendly, but they have left mess in the grounds on occasion, and a small number of guests have found the studio not cleaned to standard on arrival, including pet hair left from a previous stay. Both are worth a look round when you get there rather than a reason to stay away, given how consistent the rest of the feedback is.

Best suited to a couple or a solo traveller with one or two dogs who want a stylish, low-effort base near Bath and are happy to pay a little extra for a private field to run them in. Less suited to anyone who needs a fenced garden included, or who wants to walk to the pub with the dog.