The Old Laundry, North Tawton

The Old Laundry is a converted whole-house rental on a working farm outside North Tawton, in the quiet farming country north of Dartmoor. There is no lobby and no other guests, which is the main appeal for anyone whose dog is happier without an audience, and the surrounding estate gives you walking straight from the door rather than a drive to the nearest footpath.

Two dogs are welcome, and they have the run of a large estate for walks. That is a meaningful upgrade on the single-dog limits common in Devon self-catering, and it makes the property workable for households that travel with a pair. The owner is consistently described as friendly and easy to deal with, and the farm setting is part of the experience rather than a backdrop: there are peacocks in the grounds, which most visiting dogs find novel and a few find a great deal too interesting.

The important practical caveat is that the garden is open rather than enclosed. Dogs that need a fenced space for a last-thing-at-night toilet break, or for off-lead time in the morning, will need to be walked on the lead instead. Combined with the livestock, that makes this a better fit for a dog with a reliable recall and a settled attitude to sheep and poultry than for a young dog still learning either.

Indoors, the draws are a log burner, a comfortable bed and genuine quiet; the property averages 8.6 out of 10 across guest reviews. The recurring complaint has nothing to do with dogs: the sofa bed is uncomfortable enough that several guests have written it up, so a party relying on it for an extra sleeper should think again.

With a 4.3 out of 5 paw rating, The Old Laundry suits couples or a small party with one or two steady dogs who want farm walks, wood smoke and no neighbours. It is less suited to dogs that need an enclosed garden, or to anyone who would be sleeping on the sofa bed.