Meadowside, Penzance

Meadowside sits in the quiet countryside above Lamorna Cove, part of a working farm in the far west of Cornwall, and it is the sort of place people book precisely because they are bringing a dog. The whole house is yours, so there are no shared corridors or reception areas to steer a nervous dog through, and the grounds can be shut off completely behind a private driveway and gates.

That enclosed space is what dog owners talk about most. Small and medium dogs can be let off the lead on the private lawns and garden, and there is open ground to walk straight from the door, including a footpath across the fields to a lake. Anyone travelling with a bigger dog should know the boundary wall is on the low side and a determined jumper has been known to clear it, so it is worth a look before letting a large dog roam loose.

The welcome is genuinely warm. Guests usually arrive to a cream tea, and those travelling with a dog often find biscuits put out for them too. The family who run the farm live alongside the cottage, are easy to reach when something needs sorting, and keep their own good-natured dogs, who tend to come and say hello during a stay. Sociable dogs love that; a dog who would rather not meet others may not. Chickens roam freely and there is livestock in the surrounding fields, so recall and lead discipline matter here.

Walks are the real reason to come. Lamorna Cove is within reach on foot, though the route down is steep enough to earn the climb back, and the coast path, Mousehole and the Land's End peninsula are all a short drive. Come back to a hot tub and a games room and it works particularly well for a family group with a dog in tow.

Meadowside suits owners who want space, quiet and a garden they can shut the gate on, rather than a base within walking distance of shops and restaurants.