Avocet Cottage, Amble

Avocet Cottage sits on a quiet street in Amble, a couple of minutes' walk from the harbour and not much further from the beach, which is close to ideal for a dog. Northumberland does long empty sand better than almost anywhere in England, and from here you can be out on it before breakfast without moving the car. The courtyard behind the cottage is a suntrap and doubles as somewhere to sit out with a dog in the afternoon.

The welcome extends past the front door. Guests travelling with dogs describe the town itself as the draw as much as the cottage: Amble has a good run of pubs that take dogs, and visitors report being made a fuss of rather than tolerated when they turn up with one. The owner is quick to communicate and the kitchen arrives properly stocked, down to tea and coffee, so it works as a home from home rather than a stripped-back let.

One thing to watch is the turnaround. The cottage has been found on arrival with marks left by a previous visitor's dog on the sofa and a basic supply or two missing, which is a housekeeping lapse rather than a fault with the property, but it is worth checking and flagging straight away if it happens to you. Nothing else recurs: comfort, location and value all come through consistently.

Nothing is published on the booking listing about pets, so the fee, the number of dogs allowed and any size limit are all unstated and need settling with the owner in advance. With that done it earns 4.6 out of 5, and suits a couple or a small group with a dog who want a coastal base where the beach, the harbour and a dog-friendly pub are all inside a ten-minute walk.