The Pantiles, Bolsover

The Pantiles is a large, recently renovated house on Bolsover High Street, let whole to a single party, and it turns out to be an unusually easy place to bring dogs to. The garden is the reason: it is bigger than the photographs suggest, opens onto a long view over the Derbyshire countryside, and gives a group somewhere to put both dogs and children while the adults get on with the kitchen. Parties arriving with two dogs alongside seven people have rated it top marks.

What guests with dogs describe is a property that copes with a crowd. The layout is quirky - several sitting rooms, bedrooms spread across levels - so a dog that needs to be away from the noise has somewhere to go, and the sheer scale of the place makes muddy paws less of a problem than in a small cottage. The owners get repeated praise for their communication and for the small welcome touches waiting on arrival.

Bolsover itself works well for walking. The castle and its grounds are a few minutes on foot from the door, the town is compact enough to walk round with a dog on a lead, and reviews point to a good range of longer routes in the surrounding countryside for anyone wanting a proper morning walk before breakfast.

One caveat is specific and worth taking seriously. The listing describes the garden as enclosed, but the wall at the bottom of it is low enough that even a small dog can clear it, so it should not be treated as secure and dogs are better not left out unsupervised. The listing caps a booking at two pets, so a group arriving with three dogs needs to agree that with the owners first, and no pet charge is published, so confirm the cost at the same time. For a multi-generational group who want space, views and somewhere the dogs can be part of the weekend, it is a strong choice.