Church Farm Dairy

Paw rating: 5.0/5 (from 2 confirmed pet-traveller reviews). Church Farm Dairy is a whole-house rental near Exeter that welcomes dogs without ceremony — and both pet-travellers who have stayed and reviewed it gave it the highest possible ratings overall, with their dogs alongside.

The setting is the property's biggest pet-friendly asset: rural Devon countryside on the edge of Cadbury village, with woodland walks climbing up to the Iron Age hillfort at Cadbury Castle. Guests with dogs have called out being able to range further afield straight from the door, including a stop at the nearby Exe Valley Farm Shop, which is also dog-friendly for sit-down lunches. The Entire House format avoids the shared corridors and lift-sharing that complicate stays at conventional hotels — the property is yours for the duration, dogs included.

One practical caveat worth weighing before booking: the garden is open rather than fully fenced, so dogs can't be safely let out off-lead without supervision. That is fine for a settled, recall-trained dog on a short rural stay, but harder going for puppies, escape artists, or anyone who wants to leave a dog outside while they have a cup of tea. The same reviewer also flagged that the windows don't open easily, which makes the cottage warm on sunny days — relevant if you're travelling with a thick-coated breed in summer.

Owners welcome guests on arrival, which is often a good early read on how a property feels about dogs. Best suited to: couples or small groups travelling with one or two well-behaved dogs who'll happily be on-lead in the garden, who want to spend their days walking the surrounding Devon countryside rather than urban day-trips. With only two pet reviews on file, calibrate accordingly — but the signal so far is strongly positive.