Cornwall Saint Columb Major
The Old Smithy, St Columb Major
Independent pet-friendly review by Four Legged Guests · updated October 2026 · paw rating built from 12 verified guest reviews mentioning pets
Bring your dog if
- You want a whole-property rental - no shared lobbies or corridors to navigate with your dog
- You're basing yourself in Saint Columb Major / the Cornwall and want a pet-friendly anchor for day trips
- The wider guest experience is strong - guests rate this 10.0/10 overall on booking platforms
Worth knowing
- Pet limits: max 1 pet - research-verified; the fee isn't published, so confirm the charge when you book
How this review was built Evidence, sources, refresh cadence
- Evidence: 12 pet-mention guest reviews sourced from major booking platforms - guests who explicitly mentioned travelling with a dog. Each review is screened for pet-relevance, then judged for sentiment to compute the paw rating.
- Not a personal visit. We don't stay at every hotel we cover - we summarise patterns from real guest reviews, paraphrased and never quoted verbatim. Full standard on our editorial policy page.
- Wider context: The property has 1 guest reviews overall across booking platforms, averaging 10.0/10 - the paw rating reflects only the pet-mentioning subset.
- Last refreshed: October 2026. Policies and pricing drift; we re-check on a rolling basis. Confirm specifics with the property at the moment you book.
- How the paw rating works: Full detail on the methodology page, including the three verification gates and known limitations.
Pet policy at a glance
- Up to 1 pet per booking
Pet-friendly summary
The Old Smithy is a comfortable, well-kept cottage in the old market town of St Columb Major, right in the middle of Cornwall, and it has a loyal following among dog owners, many of whom are back for a second stay. It earns a 4.7/5 paw rating, with guests stressing how clean and nicely furnished it is despite welcoming dogs.
One dog can come on a booking. Downstairs is open plan and there is no stair gate, and dogs are not allowed upstairs, so a dog used to sleeping near its owners will need to settle downstairs on its own. Most manage that without fuss, puppies included, and a patio window gives dogs a good spot for squirrel watching.
Opinions on the outdoor space are mixed: some guests found plenty of room outside for their dog, while others felt it was limited. A quiet lane beyond the church is handy for early-morning walks, and two allocated parking spaces make day trips easy.
The location is the cottage's other strength. A small supermarket, a fish and chip shop and a pub are all a short walk away, and the Ring o' Bells in the village is dog friendly. Newquay, Padstow and the beach at Porthcothan Bay are around 20 minutes by car, putting most of the north coast within easy reach. The narrow streets of the town make the cottage a little tricky to find the first time, and the Shrove Tuesday hurling match brings the whole town out, so expect a lively day if your stay overlaps it.
The niggles are minor: the double mattress has been found lumpy, the heating can be hard to turn up on cold, wet days, and the side door lock is fiddly.
For a couple or small family with one dog wanting a central Cornish base, The Old Smithy is a reliable, well-loved choice.
Highlights from pet-mentioning reviews
What reviewers travelling with dogs consistently noted about staying here.
- One dog per booking
- Dogs not allowed upstairs, no stair gate
- Clean despite being dog friendly
- Quiet lane for early walks
- Central base for north Cornwall beaches
About this hotel
The Old Smithy is a 3-star self-catering cottage in St Columb Major, a historic market town in mid Cornwall. It sleeps four, with an open-plan ground floor, a well-equipped kitchen, wifi and two parking spaces. A shop, pub and fish and chip shop are a short walk away, and Newquay, Padstow and the north coast beaches are around 20 minutes by car.
Hotel facts
Photos
Location
Saint Columb Major, TR9 6AP
