One Sandringham, Ilfracombe

One Sandringham is a boutique-styled house on Wilder Road in Ilfracombe, directly across from Tunnels Beaches and finished to a standard well above the average seaside let. It is quirky, carefully decorated and properly equipped, and it welcomes dogs.

One or two small to medium dogs can stay. No pet fee, weight limit or breed restriction has been published, so settle those with the owners when you book. Outside space is a small enclosed courtyard rather than a garden - fine for a few minutes out, but not somewhere a dog can be exercised.

What stands out in guest feedback is how well the house is kept despite taking dogs. Visitors report no smells and no traces of previous pets, which is far from a given in a property that welcomes them, and parties arriving with two dogs have been accommodated without difficulty. The kitchen is well stocked, there are good toiletries, and the rooms are presented with real care.

The caveats are real and they matter more with a dog than without. The road immediately outside the front door is busy, which is a consideration every time that door opens with a dog on the other side of it, and light sleepers have found the traffic noise intrusive at night. The stairs are steep and spiral, awkward for an older or heavy dog and worse if you end up carrying one. Parking is a designated space about five minutes' walk away, and guests with larger cars have struggled to fit into it. There has also been a report of damp and mould papered over in the top bathroom, and an odd smell in the living room.

The compensation is the position: the beach is across the road, and the harbour, the town and the coast path are all an easy walk. It suits owners of a small or medium, road-sensible dog who will appreciate a beautifully finished house and a beach on the doorstep, and who do not need a garden. If your dog is large, elderly, unsteady on stairs or reactive to traffic, somewhere quieter and away from the seafront will serve you better.