Meadow Cottage, Fowey

Meadow Cottage is a converted barn in a quiet rural spot at Golant, a few miles up the river from Fowey on the south Cornwall coast, and for a self-catering cottage it is about as set up for dogs as they come. The clue is in the name: the property looks out over a large meadow, and guests travelling with dogs mention it again and again as the thing that makes a stay here special.

Dogs have real space to enjoy. Reviewers describe a garden at the cottage plus the adjacent meadow, which owners repeatedly call perfect for exercising a dog several times a day - a genuine bonus over cottages where you have to drive to find a walk. From the property there are footpaths and coastal walks, with beaches a short drive away and the village of Golant, complete with a friendly riverside pub, within walking distance down the hill. The walk back up is steep, which is worth knowing, but guests consistently say it is worth it.

The garden itself is where accounts diverge, and it is the one thing worth settling before you book. Most guests describe it as enclosed and safe for letting a dog straight out. Others have found the boundary is post-and-rail fencing with a gap beneath the gate wide enough for a dog to walk straight through - enough to turn a relaxed week into one spent keeping constant watch, and enough that they would not have booked had they known. If a genuinely dog-proof boundary is the reason you are choosing this cottage, confirm the current fencing and gate with the owners rather than assuming.

The cottage itself earns warm, repeated praise: clean on arrival, comfortable, well equipped and peaceful, laid out over a converted-barn floor plan. The owners, who live on site, come up in almost every review as welcoming, responsive and helpful without being intrusive, on hand for the odd practical hiccup like a tripped fuse or a cooker issue. As a whole-house rental, dogs are not sharing space with other guests.

Meadow Cottage suits families and couples travelling with one or two dogs who want open space for walks right outside the door and a peaceful Cornish base within reach of the coast. The meadow is the real draw, and for most owners the garden does the job alongside it - just satisfy yourself about the boundary first if your dog is a determined explorer.