Manor Farm Barn

Manor Farm Barn is a large Dorset farmhouse in the village of Dewlish, let as a whole to groups of up to fifteen, with a heated swimming pool, a games room and a pub three minutes' walk away. Big-group houses are often the hardest places to bring a dog, and this one is unusually relaxed about it: up to three pets are accepted, there is a ground-floor bedroom that suits owners who would rather not take a dog upstairs, and the walking country around the village is quiet and well used by locals who are happy to point out routes.

The single most important thing to know before booking has nothing to do with the house. The farmyard has free-range hens wandering it, and sheep, donkeys, alpacas and horses are kept in the fields immediately adjacent. For a dog that is steady around livestock and poultry this is a bonus, and the children in the party will love it. For a dog with any chase instinct it is a serious constraint, and lead discipline from the car door onwards is not optional. Nobody should arrive here without having thought that through.

Inside, the house is showing its age, and that cuts both ways. Guests consistently describe the furnishings as tired and the cleaning as inconsistent, with dust, mould around some of the bathroom windows and hair left in carpets all coming up, and for the price of a peak-season week that is a fair complaint. Yet the same guests say the tiredness is precisely why they relaxed: bringing three dogs into a house with worn furniture and hard-wearing floors produced none of the anxiety a pristine holiday let creates. The owners respond quickly when something is reported.

It suits a large family or a group of friends with steady, livestock-proof dogs who want space, a pool and a village pub rather than a polished finish. On that basis it earns a 4.5/5 paw rating.