Flint Barn, Trunch

Flint Barn is a large barn conversion down a lane near Trunch in north Norfolk, a few miles inland from the sandy beach at Mundesley, and it is set up to take a group and their dogs. Up to two dogs are welcome, the courtyard is walled and properly secure - one party arrived with two German shepherds and had no trouble at all - and the welcome runs to dog towels, blankets, a basket and a jar of biscuits.

The thing to understand before booking is the ground. The enclosed outdoor space is laid entirely in gravel and pebbles, with no grass anywhere on the plot. Guests are consistent about what that means in practice: mess is hard to spot and harder to clear up, and one dog came up limping after a few days on the stones. There is no lawn to fall back on either, since the strip of grass at the front sits over the septic tank. Combine that with a rear boundary onto private farmland and a front road with no pavement, and several parties ended up driving out to walk their dogs rather than stepping out of the door.

Set against that, the walking is good once you reach it, the north Norfolk beaches are a short drive, and the barn itself is bright, spacious and well equipped, with parking for three cars and enough room that a large group is not on top of each other. Guests have also reported being asked not to leave a dog in the property unattended, which is worth confirming when you book if you are planning day trips without them.

The 4.4/5 paw rating reflects a property that is genuinely secure and genuinely pleased to see dogs, but whose outdoor space works against both. Maintenance is the other recurring theme - loose paving, uneven upstairs floorboards, ill-fitting curtains and patchy cleaning turn up across a number of stays, with hair left behind by previous dogs among the complaints. Flint Barn suits a larger group with hardy dogs who will be out walking most of the day; it is a poor choice for a soft-pawed or elderly dog, or for anyone who wants to open a door onto grass.