Blaenpant Bach, Newport

Blaenpant Bach is a small stone cottage a twenty-minute walk from Newport in Pembrokeshire, with the Preseli hills behind it and the coast path close by, and an enclosed garden that dog owners consistently single out as the reason it works. It is a one-dog cottage aimed at small dogs, and within those limits it is about as well suited to a walking holiday with a dog as a Pembrokeshire cottage gets.

One well-behaved small dog is welcome and no pet fee is published. The enclosed garden is the practical thing that matters most here: owners describe letting the dog out first thing and sitting outside with a coffee while it pottered about. Guests are asked to stand a dog cage on a blanket rather than directly on the carpet, and that request points straight at the cottage's one real limitation. The carpets are light coloured, and dog owners have flagged them as a poor match for a wet, sandy dog, so a coastal dog needs towelling off properly at the door.

The welcome is a consistent theme. Owners mention Welsh cakes, milk and a bottle of wine on arrival, decorations at Christmas, and a host who is warm and easy to deal with. The cottage itself is cosy and well equipped, with a sea view from the bedroom, and quiet enough that guests notice the birdsong in the morning and the stars at night.

Newport is twenty minutes on foot, with pubs, shops and a good beach, and both the coast path and Carn Ingli start close to the door. One thing to watch on the lane: sheep wander along it, so gates need closing properly behind you.

Guest scores here are very high, though from a small number of reviews, and it earns 4.6/5. It is the right choice for someone with one small, well-mannered dog who wants coastal and hill walking straight from the door, and the wrong one for a large dog, a pack, or a dog that will not stay off pale carpet.