Be Our Guest, Cresswell

Be Our Guest is a privately let caravan on Parkdean Cresswell Towers, a holiday park just behind the dunes at the southern end of Druridge Bay in Northumberland. Dogs are welcome, and the hosts go a good deal further than simply allowing them: guests travelling with dogs arrive to find blankets and treats put out alongside the cake and biscuits left for the humans.

The caravan itself is the other reason the reviews read the way they do. It is a three-bedroom van, fully equipped down to the details - air fryer, cleaning supplies, towels, tea and coffee - and guests consistently describe it as spotless. It sits far enough from the main complex to stay quiet in the evening but close enough to walk over to the clubhouse and site facilities, which suits owners who would rather not leave a dog listening to a busy bar through the wall.

The setting is the strongest card for a dog owner. Cresswell sits at the bottom of Druridge Bay, seven miles of sand backed by dunes and a country park, with the coastal path running north from the village. There is open walking within a few minutes of the van, and the Northumberland coast beyond it is one of the better stretches of England for a holiday with a dog.

The park sets its own dog rules and they apply the moment you are through the gate: leads everywhere except the designated dog-walking areas, a collar and ID tag, and breeds listed under the Dangerous Dogs Act refused site-wide. Assistance dogs are welcome throughout and exempt from any additional charge. What is not published is a fee or a limit on numbers for this particular van, which is privately let rather than part of the hire fleet, so settle both with the hosts if you are bringing more than one dog. The clubhouse and site facilities also keep seasonal hours, so a winter stay can be a very quiet one. For dog owners who want a well-kept, well-stocked coastal base with hosts who clearly like dogs, it earns 4.6 out of 5.