Sunnycroft, Broadmayne

Sunnycroft is a three-bedroom house in Broadmayne, a village a few miles south-east of Dorchester, and it is set up for the kind of trip where the dog comes as a matter of course rather than as an exception. Renting the whole place means no shared corridors, no reception to walk past and no other guests' rooms to steer around: the dog has the run of the house and the garden with you.

Two well behaved dogs are welcome, and the owner asks that they are supervised whenever they are outside. That second rule is worth reading properly, because there is a lot of outdoor space here and it is the sort of garden a dog will happily disappear into.

The practical side is generous. There is plenty of room outside with somewhere to sit, an outdoor hot tub, and parking on site for more than one car, which matters when you arrive with crates, beds and a boot full of walking kit. The kitchen is properly equipped for longer self-catering stays, washing machine included, which is no small thing after a wet week on the Dorset coast. Three bedrooms and an open kitchen-living room give a family or a group room to spread out.

Broadmayne itself is quiet, with open countryside on the doorstep, Dorchester about four miles north-west and the Weymouth coast around fifteen minutes away by car, so you can pick a long ridge walk or a beach day without much driving either way. The host draws warm comments for being helpful and hands-on, and the dog-friendly welcome reads as genuine rather than grudging.

Feedback from dog owners here is still thin, so it earns a measured 4.5/5 paw rating and it is worth confirming the details with the owner when you book. Best suited to a family or a group of up to six with one or two dogs who want a countryside base for inland Dorset and the coast, and who will make use of the garden.