Meet the Ironbridge Gorge holiday cottage owner catering for guests and four-legged friends alike

Now your canine friends can come with you thanks to the growing range of pet-friendly accommodation.

But it hasn’t always been as easy to find a place to stay that also welcomes four-legged companions.

Sonia Bird and her husband Darren moved to the Ironbridge Gorge in 2005 with the dream of offering dog-friendly holiday accommodation.

“At the time we had a beagle called Bella and if we wanted to take her on holiday in the UK, there wasn’t a great choice of good quality dog-friendly accommodation,” says Sonia.

“We wanted to create somewhere where dogs were welcome and there were secure gardens so guests could relax knowing their dogs were safe.”

The couple moved into Puddle Duck Cottage in The Tuckies, a hamlet next to the River Severn in Jackfield.

The house was originally part of a row of five cottages but one of the properties had been demolished and replaced with a modern garage.

“Next to the cottages used to be the Duke of Wellington pub but it was demolished in the 1960s along with the brewhouse,” explains Sonia.

The couple decided to rebuild the cottage – which they named Duckling Cottage – and now rent both properties out to holidaymakers all year round.

Puddle Duck, which dates back to around 1750, sleeps six guests and Duckling, which was built in the same style of the existing cottages by using as much of reclaimed materials from the former pub as possible, sleeps four people.

Both have private, secure gardens as well lots of extra touches to help both humans and dogs feel at home.

Sonia, who lives next door, devotes her time to looking after the properties and making sure guests have everything they need.

She is supported by a small team of two housekeepers and a gardener as well as the couple’s beagle Bertie, who holds the position of chief meeter and greeter.

The properties, which can be rented from Monday to Friday, Friday to Monday, Monday to Monday or Friday to Friday, have been welcoming guests for 10 years and have won numerous awards.

They have been accredited by the National Pet College with their Dogs In Hospitality certificate as hosts who welcome dogs.

Puddle Duck Cottages recently scooped Gold at the DogFriendly Awards 2023 for the second year in row. “Our category for cottages and self-catering was the most contested so we were immensely proud to have won and to have brought our award back to Shropshire again,” says Sonia.

The business is also one of three finalists in the Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year category of the West Midlands Tourism Awards, which take place in March.

Sonia is very keen to promote the local area and guests are given plenty of advice and tips on attractions to visit as well as restaurant and pub recommendations.

“We like to champion the Ironbridge Gorge and Shropshire and share the area with people.

“A lot of people will park up and explore on foot because everything is so close by.”

There is also a welcome hamper which includes essentials such as bread, milk, eggs, butter tea and coffee as well cake and wine.

Furry visitors also get their own pack including bowls, treats, a toy, blankets, towels and local dog walk guides.

Sonia even provides tags for their collars with cottage contact details on for them to use during the duration of their stay and there are outdoor hot and cold showers for washing muddy dogs.

Although the cottages cater for canines, Sonia has welcomed many guests without pets over the years. “We’ve had guests who don’t have dogs who have said that they wouldn’t normally chose dog-friendly accommodation.

“They have been impressed with the cleanliness and said that they wouldn’t know dogs had stayed in the cottage before them.

“We welcome everyone, not just guests with four-legged friends,” she explains. “We also have a lot of repeat bookings and many guests are into double figures. I even had a call on Christmas Day from someone wanting to make sure they could book for the following Christmas,” adds Sonia.

She says running the business is very rewarding and she enjoys making sure her guests have a memorable holiday.

“The feedback we’ve had over the years has always been lovely. I think the biggest compliment is when people want to come back.

“Each year we try to add something new to the cottages and this year we added a bird feeder and provided binoculars and a bird-watching book. The kids love it and so do the adults.”

In the future, Sonia plans to offer yoga and art retreats by working with other local business owners.

For more information, see puddleduckcottages.co.uk.