Badgers Den, Bantham, South Devon

Badgers Den is a log cabin tucked into a secluded valley at Buckland Park, a mile or so inland from Bantham beach in the South Hams. It is the kind of place people book precisely because it is hard to reach: no shared walls, no corridors, and a private garden that guests with dogs mention more than anything else about the stay.

The dog welcome goes further than a line in the terms. Parties arriving with a dog have found a dog basket waiting alongside the welcome pack, and the garden turns an early morning or a wet afternoon into a non-event. The cabin itself is small, warm and properly equipped, with a balcony that catches the morning sun and birdsong rather than traffic.

The house rules are worth reading before you book, because they are more specific than most. Dogs have to be booked in when you book the cottage and a charge is made for each one, so the cost scales with the number you bring. Dogs are not allowed in the bedrooms or on any of the furniture, and they must not be left unattended in the property. The owners are also explicit that no garden is guaranteed escape proof, private and enclosed ones included, so treat the fence as a convenience rather than a substitute for supervision.

The walking is superb. Bantham beach and the coast path are about a kilometre away, inland footpaths run straight from the valley, and the rest of the South Hams coast, Thurlestone, Hope Cove and Salcombe, is a short drive. The wifi is unusually good for a rural cabin, which matters if someone in the party has to work.

Two honest caveats beyond the rules. The nearest beach is closed to dogs over the summer season, so it pays to know which South Hams beaches allow dogs at the time of year you are going. And the driveway down into the valley is steep and narrow, fine in summer but something guests have said would put them off in the colder months. The bathroom extractor is loud and the single beds are soft, though neither is a dealbreaker. It earns a 4.5 out of 5 paw rating, and suits couples and small parties who want quiet, self-contained and rural over convenient.