Chateau by the Sea, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea

Chateau by the Sea is a three-bedroom terraced house a couple of minutes from the beach at Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, and the location is what makes it work for dog owners. The promenade runs the length of the bay, the sand is on the doorstep, and you can do a proper morning walk before breakfast without getting in the car. There is a small supermarket across the road for anything you forget.

The house is set up for dogs rather than merely tolerating them. Bowls are provided, along with the kind of small essentials that usually mean a trip to the shop, and guests travelling with dogs rate the practicalities highly. Inside it is heavily styled, and the decor is the first thing most people mention, with three bedrooms plus sofa beds, a coffee bar and an outdoor seating area. The hot tub is an optional extra rather than part of the standard booking and carries a separate charge, so check what you are paying for before booking on the strength of the photos.

Newbiggin works well as a base. Druridge Bay, the wider Northumberland coast and the beaches south towards Whitley Bay are all a short drive, and the town has bars, takeaways and cafes within walking distance.

The caveats are real and worth stating plainly. Cleanliness is the recurring complaint across the review history: guests have reported dog hair and sand left on blankets, hair in the beds and hair missed under furniture, alongside sticky floors and dirty crockery. The owners come out of these accounts well, responding quickly and putting things right, including changing bedding mid-stay, but the standard on arrival is inconsistent. Beds and sofa beds are also widely described as squeaky or uncomfortable, and some stays have run into enough maintenance niggles to sour them.

At 4.3/5 it suits dog owners who care most about walking straight onto the beach and are willing to give the house a once-over on arrival. If spotless housekeeping is your priority, look elsewhere on this coast.