1 Apse Castle Cottage

1 Apse Castle Cottage is a 16th-century cottage on a quiet lane about a mile from Shanklin, with ancient woodland directly across the road. For a dog it is the walking that makes the case, and the cottage takes up to three of them at £35 per week, so it works for a party bringing more than one. It earns a 4.1/5 paw rating, and the reason it sits below most of the island's cottages is worth reading before you book.

Dog owners split sharply on the outdoor space, and this is the thing to settle before booking. Some describe a fenced garden that worked perfectly for two small dogs; others describe no real garden at all, just a rubble driveway area, and no safe footpath along the lane for an evening walk. The lane is narrow and cars move quickly along it. The two accounts are hard to reconcile, so ask the owners directly what enclosed outdoor space comes with your dates.

Guests with dogs have also found the house rules tighter than expected, with dogs kept off the upstairs floor. If your dog sleeps in your room, or cannot be left alone downstairs while you are asleep upstairs, that is a real constraint rather than a detail.

The other recurring theme has nothing to do with dogs. Several guests describe a musty, damp smell on entering, a cottage that is slow to warm up and a fire that could not always be lit, and cleaning that is inconsistent between stays. The interior itself is well presented and well stocked, and the beds get good reports, so this reads as maintenance rather than neglect.

Best suited to a party with settled, ground-floor-happy dogs who will drive to their walks and want a characterful base near Shanklin. It is not the right choice for owners whose dogs need a secure garden or the run of the house.