Cobblers Lodge, Lyme Regis

Cobblers Lodge is one of the most enthusiastically dog-friendly places to stay in Lyme Regis, and it is the secure garden that guests with dogs mention again and again. The lodge is a self-contained space attached to the owners' house in a quiet spot above the town, with sea views over the bay, and dogs can explore the enclosed, dog-proof garden while their owners relax on the patio.

Guests travelling with dogs consistently describe the lodge as immaculately clean, beautifully decorated and generously equipped, with thoughtful welcome touches like fresh milk and a bottle of wine on arrival. Dog bowls are provided. The hosts live next door and are repeatedly praised as warm and genuinely dog-friendly, on hand when needed but happy to leave guests to themselves. For a couple and one well-behaved dog, it reads as a real home from home.

The setting is peaceful rather than central. It sits up a hill, so the walk back from the beach and harbour is a steep one, around fifteen minutes on foot; guests who would rather not climb it tend to drive, roughly four minutes to the harbour, or use the bus stop at the end of the road. Parking is a two-minute walk away at the end of a private road, with unloading allowed outside the lodge itself, which is worth planning around if you arrive with a dog, a crate and a week's luggage. The enclosed garden and quiet surroundings make it well suited to dogs who enjoy a calm base between coastal and countryside walks.

Two things are worth knowing before you book. The owners keep dogs of their own next door, and one has been noted barking in the garden of an evening. It was described as friendly and did not spoil the stay, but a very reactive dog might respond to it. The other is the numbers: one pet per booking, at £10 for the stay, so this is a place for a couple with a single dog rather than a multi-dog household. For a settled dog and owners who want a quiet, high-quality coastal retreat, Cobblers Lodge is hard to beat.