Crantock Bay House, Crantock

Crantock Bay House is a large family home on the headland above Crantock Bay, near Newquay, and for dog owners its defining feature is the garden: a big, fairly flat, fully enclosed lawn that guests come back to as the reason they booked. The descriptions of it are unusually consistent - secure, secluded, no way out - which is a rare thing to be able to say about a rental garden, and it means a dog can be let out without anyone standing guard at a gate.

Up to two pets can stay, at a pet fee of £40. The booking listing does not state whether that is charged per stay or per dog, so confirm it when you book. The house sleeps a large group and is regularly taken by three generations at once, with room to spread out and parking for several cars.

Beyond the garden the walking is excellent. The coast path is about five minutes down the road, with Crantock, Polly Joke and Holywell beaches all reachable on foot and dog-friendly year round, and Cubert Common sits behind the house. Two eating places are a couple of minutes away, one welcoming dogs throughout and the other in its garden, and Crantock village with its shop and pubs is roughly ten minutes on foot. Arrivals are met with scones, clotted cream and Cornish tea, and the housekeeper is repeatedly described as helpful and quick to answer questions.

The complaints are minor and practical rather than anything to do with the dog welcome: the wi-fi has been slow enough to frustrate, there has been no working torch for checking on dogs in the garden after dark, the clocks were once left on the wrong time setting, and the welcome information could be fuller. It earns a 4.8/5 paw rating.

Best suited to families and multi-generation groups who want space, sea views and a garden secure enough to stop worrying about the dog, within walking distance of three beaches.