Benfield, Stow-on-the-Wold

Benfield is a characterful Cotswold townhouse on Sheep Street, right in the middle of Stow-on-the-Wold, and for dog owners its great strength is that everything is already on the doorstep. You step straight out into one of the prettiest market towns in the Cotswolds, with pubs, delis and independent shops within a couple of minutes' walk, and footpaths out into open country a short drive away.

Inside, the cottage is warm, quirky and unusually well equipped, with a sun room and day bed that guests tend to remember long after the stay. Dogs get a proper welcome rather than mere tolerance: dog biscuits are left out on arrival alongside the other small touches, and the house has comfortably absorbed larger groups travelling with two dogs.

The one thing every dog owner should weigh before booking is the outdoor space. Owners travelling with dogs raise it consistently and independently: the private area at the back is tiny, and it is not somewhere a dog can be exercised. Owners of small dogs report it works fine for them, but for larger or more energetic dogs the feedback turns cautionary, to the point that some guests recommend the cottage warmly while advising against bringing a dog at all. It suits people happy to walk their dog properly every day, which the town-centre setting makes easy, rather than anyone hoping to let a dog out into a garden.

Two other practical notes. Parking is not directly outside, so expect a short walk to and from the car with dog and luggage. There are two sets of steep, winding stairs up to the bedrooms, though a downstairs bathroom takes some of the sting out of that. Strongly scented diffusers are dotted around the house, which some dog owners prefer to put away for the week.

Best suited to owners of small to medium dogs who want a central Cotswold base with restaurants, shops and walking country close at hand, and who do not need a garden.