Caramel Cottage at The Bay, Filey

Caramel Cottage sits on The Bay, the modern holiday village set on the cliffs just outside Filey, and it is built for the sort of group that turns up with children and dogs in roughly equal numbers. It is a whole house sleeping six, finished to a high standard, and it welcomes two dogs, with the property's own listing advertising no extra charge for them.

What guests with dogs praise most is the outdoor space. There is a secluded patio and lawn behind the house that works for children, dogs and a barbecue at the same time, and the corner plot gives the cottage more room around it than most of its neighbours. The house itself draws steady comment for being roomy, modern and easy to keep clean, which matters when you are coming back off the coast with wet animals.

The garden deserves a word. Dog owners staying in the cottage's earlier seasons reported an open boundary - including a dog that got out on the first night of a stay and spent the rest of the week on a tether - but the property now describes the garden as enclosed, with somewhere safe to let dogs out. If yours is a determined escaper it is still worth checking the fence line on arrival before opening the back door. A few guests have also questioned the standard of cleaning on arrival, so it is worth a look round when you get in.

Filey works well as a base for a dog regardless. There is a long sand beach below the cliffs, the Cleveland Way runs north along the headland towards Filey Brigg for longer walks, and there is open ground around the resort itself for quick trips out. Caramel Cottage suits families who want a modern, roomy house near the coast with outdoor space the dogs can share; on that basis it earns a 4.3/5 paw rating.