The Retreat, Hereford

The Retreat is a self-catering apartment at Cross Farm in Credenhill, a village about five miles north-west of Hereford, and it is one of those places where the dog-friendliness is clearly deliberate rather than merely tolerated. The accommodation takes up half a house, with open-plan living, dining and kitchen space downstairs, and guests bringing a dog get the use of a private, secure garden - the single thing that most separates a workable dog stay from an awkward one.

The hosts are why the reviews read the way they do. Guests travelling with dogs describe a welcome that extends to the dog as well: treats put out on arrival, and a level of attention that runs from replacing a forgotten toothbrush to checking which bread you like. Owners bringing a nervous or newly rehomed dog have found it an easy first trip away, with the hosts available when needed and out of the way when not.

Walking starts more or less at the door. Guests point to a good walk directly opposite the property, and Hereford is close enough for a day in the city without a long drive back. The apartment is well equipped for a self-catering stay, and the setting is quiet farmland rather than village street, so there is somewhere to let a dog stretch its legs first thing.

The booking listing publishes no pet terms at all - no fee, no size or breed limit, no cap on numbers - so agree what you need with the hosts before you travel. Given how consistently dogs come up in the reviews that is likely to be a short conversation, but it is not something to assume.

Best suited to a couple or small party with one or two dogs who want a quiet, well-run base for Hereford and the surrounding countryside, and who value a secure garden and hosts who notice the details.