Follions Farmhouse, Thropton

Follions Farmhouse is a large country house in the Coquet Valley, just outside Thropton in Northumberland, and the outdoor side of it is close to ideal for a dog. There are enclosed gardens and a paddock attached to the property, open countryside in every direction, and walks that start at the door rather than requiring a drive. Guests travelling with dogs and children together single out that combination - somewhere the dog can be off a lead inside the enclosed ground and the children can be outside at the same time - and the quiet is repeatedly described as total. The house does stand next to a small working sheep farm, so everything beyond the garden and the paddock is livestock country and a lead is the only sensible option out there.

The house itself is generously equipped for a group: a full kitchen with more appliances than most self-catering places bother with, hot water bottles, blankets, games and DVDs, comfortable sitting rooms, and an outdoor seating area that guests use into the evening for the stars and the owls. The owners are responsive and easy to reach both before and during a stay.

The pet rules are the one thing to settle before you book. Up to three dogs are welcome at a charge of £50 for the stay rather than per dog, you are asked to bring their own bedding and bowls, and you need to say a dog is coming at the point of booking so the charge goes on the invoice. Beyond that, dogs are not allowed upstairs and cannot be left alone in the house while you go out. Those last two restrictions have not shown up on the booking listing, and guests have been told about them only a day or two before arrival; more than one party has said the late notice took the edge off the stay, with dog owners describing hoovering the house repeatedly out of concern about a cleaning charge for dog hair. If your plans involve leaving a dog settled at the house for a few hours while you eat out or walk somewhere it cannot come, ask the owners directly at the point of booking rather than assuming.

Cleaning is the other recurring theme: guests have arrived to find dog hair from previous stays not fully dealt with, and the house is big enough that a single changeover struggles to cover it. Check-in and check-out times are tight for the same reason, which is a real consideration given how far the house is from a main road.

It earns a 4.3/5 paw rating. Follions Farmhouse is at its best for a group whose dogs will be with them all day - walkers, in other words - rather than for anyone planning day trips that leave a dog behind at the house.