Inspiration

Our favourite dog-friendly cottages in the Cotswolds with great walks from your doorstep

Sawday's Expert

5 min read

What you want from a dog-friendly holiday is some fabulous walking and plenty of stick-throwing, with a beautiful place to come home to and stretch out for naps afterwards. If you don’t need the car to get to the trail, so much the better. The Cotswolds is a giant playground full of places that tick all those boxes. We’ve inspected every cottage in our collection, looking for creativity and character, as well as the creature comforts. So here are a few of our favourites to get you stomping into the countryside right from the front door and put a smile on your face when you come back.

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Dryhill Vineyard Cottage, Gloucestershire

A stay at Dryhill Vineyard Cottage feels like your own little slice of Tuscany in the Cotswolds. Perched on a sun-soaked hillside near Ullenwood, this former vineyard cottage is surrounded by fields, woodlands and walking trails that lead straight from the door. Inside, rustic charm meets modern luxury, with thick beams, soft linens, and a private terrace perfect for sunset wine (the local kind, naturally). Your dog will love roaming the trails through the Cotswold escarpment while you take in panoramic views across the Severn Vale.

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Upper Barn, Gloucestershire

Chic and contemporary, but not so slick that you feel you have to watch every step of the dog’s paws, Upper Barn is a great place to relax until the urge to wander grips you or the dog drags you out. There’s a good seven-mile out and back that starts in Lower Slaughter then follows the river up to Slaughter Woods. You then have the option of curving round towards Maugersbury or stopping in lovely Stow-on-the-Wold before retracing your paw prints all the way back to the sofa.

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Euridge: The Courtyard Cottage, Wiltshire

Down a tree-lined drive you’ll find Euridge, a private estate of almost surreal beauty, with rose gardens, lakes, and meadows rolling into the horizon. The Courtyard Cottage sits tucked among it all, an elegant hideaway that pairs heritage with comfort. Inside, you’ll find a wood-burner for cosy evenings, and a sunlit conservatory for watching the gardens change with the day. Step outside and you can explore the 450-acre estate, through water gardens, woodland and quiet country paths. Dogs are warmly welcomed (with treats, towels and plenty of space to roam), and you’re free to explore as though the entire estate were yours.

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The Barn at Wood Farm, Wiltshire

Set in 200 acres of meadows, woodland and a shimmering lake, The Barn at Wood Farm is pure outdoor magic — a place to let dogs and kids run wild. It’s part walkers’ paradise, part family adventure, with trails leading from the door through the Foxham Valley and up to the Wiltshire Downs. Inside, it’s light and lovely, with a mix of natural textures and big windows that frame the countryside. After a day’s exploring, curl up by the wood-burner or head to the local Foxham Inn (dog-friendly, of course) for a well-earned pint.

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River Barn, Gloucestershire

Another classy space where modernity sits on tradition like cushions on a sofa, River Barn is the absolute dog’s best friend when it comes to walking. Wander straight out of the open plan barn conversion into a classic slice of the Cotswolds, where a footpath along the river Eye carries you past iconic stone cottages. There are plenty of stopping points for any length of leg or energy level, but a good long hike is the eight-mile route into Bourton-on-the-Water and round the Greystones Nature Reserve, although dogs will need to be on leads.

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The Old Swan, Wiltshire

With the charming wonkiness of a Grade II listed building, The Old Swan welcomes you to the heart of a beautiful village. You could make some very short trips to great dog-friendly pubs, but there’s a lovely walk available to, and around, Westonbirt arboretum, a few miles away. There are some roads involved, but you can dodge most of them by leaving Sherston towards Easton Grey and turning off onto the footpath before you hit Tetbury road. Once you’re in Westonbirt, there are miles of pathways through the varying fauna to exhaust the dog on.

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Christopher Wilson-Elmes

Sawday's Expert

Chris is our in-house copywriter, with a flair for turning rough notes and travel tales into enticing articles. Raised in a tiny Wiltshire village, he was desperate to travel and has backpacked all over the world. Closer to home, he finds himself happiest in the most remote and rural places he can find, preferably with a host of animals to speak to, some waves to be smashed about in and the promise of a good pint somewhere in his future.

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