Memory Lane, Wigan

Memory Lane is a self-catering house on a residential street in Wigan, and its appeal for dog owners is simple: the whole place is yours, and it comes with a large enclosed garden. There are no shared corridors to navigate and no reception to negotiate with, and dogs are welcomed rather than tolerated. It earns a 4.2 out of 5 paw rating.

The garden does most of the work. Guests travelling with dogs mention it more than anything else about the property. It is big enough for a couple of dogs to stretch out in, and being enclosed it takes the pressure off late-night and early-morning trips outside. The house itself is recently renovated, warm once the heating has had time to work, and well equipped for self-catering. Access is by keypad, and the owner is quick to answer questions.

The property's booking listing publishes no pet-policy detail at all: no fee, no size limit and no cap on numbers. That is an absence of information rather than an absence of rules, so anyone travelling with more than one or two dogs, or with a very large breed, should confirm directly before booking.

Two things are worth knowing. Housekeeping is inconsistent - alongside plenty of reports of a clean, fresh-smelling arrival, guests have also found debris across the conservatory floor, hairs in the bath, and garden bins left so full that rubbish had blown across the lawn, which meant chasing the dogs away from it. And while local shops are within walking distance, the immediate streets offer little in the way of a proper walk, so real exercise means driving somewhere first. The keypad also accepts a code only once per entry, which has left couples unable to head out together to walk the dogs.

It suits owners who want a garden, a motorway-side base and their own front door rather than a walking holiday. For a night or two en route north or south, with the M6 and M58 close by, it does that job well.