The Orchard, Crantock

The Orchard is a large, sociable holiday house in Crantock, a village on the coast just outside Newquay, built for the kind of group holiday where a dog comes along. Four good-sized bedrooms, three bath and shower rooms and a downstairs loo sit around a big open-plan kitchen-diner, and outside there is a hot tub and a large garden that is properly enclosed - the single feature dog owners here mention most.

The booking listing allows up to two pets per booking and discloses no pet charge, so ask about one when you book. The garden does the heavy lifting: big enough for a dog to actually run in and secure enough that nobody has to watch the gate, which is rare in a house this close to a village centre. There is a hot outside tap as well, which guests arriving back with sandy dogs and wet surfboards both make use of.

The property manager gets consistently warm mentions - a cream tea waiting on arrival, gluten-free scones sourced from a nearby farm shop on request, and quick answers to questions. A ground-floor bedroom and bathroom make the house workable for guests who cannot manage stairs, though that bathroom has a bath with a shower over it rather than a walk-in.

Crantock beach is about ten minutes away on foot, with soft sand, decent surf and paddleboard hire, and the village shop and pubs are closer still.

The caveats are worth taking seriously, and they are about dogs. Guests have arrived to find clear evidence that previous dogs were allowed upstairs and onto the furniture: a smell of dog in the carpets, and enough hair on the sofas to transfer onto clothes, in a house otherwise finished to a high standard. A separate returning guest found cleaning standards had slipped on a second visit, with pet hair on the carpets, hair on the kettle and an unclean bread bin. Neither guest stopped recommending the house and neither report is universal, but if that would bother you, check on arrival and raise it straight away. For a group with a dog who want space, a secure garden and a beach within walking distance, it is otherwise a strong choice.