East Street Beach House, Ryde

East Street Beach House is a large family holiday house on Bellevue Road in Ryde, a couple of streets back from the sand and about ten minutes' walk from the high street. It is set up for big groups - five bedrooms, a long dining table, plenty of seating - and the top-floor bedroom looks out over the Solent. For dog owners the draw is simple enough: the beach is a short walk away, the green space at Appley is not much further, and you can reach most of the island from here without a long drive at either end.

Groups have brought more than one dog here without the house feeling crowded, which is unusual for a town house and is really a function of its size. Dogs are welcomed rather than merely tolerated, and the owners' habit of leaving a stock of basics - bread, milk, eggs, fruit - takes some pressure off an arrival that already involves a ferry crossing.

The one caveat that matters, and it matters a good deal, is the garden. It is a pleasant space with a barbecue and somewhere to sit, but it is not fully secure: dogs have got through into a neighbouring garden from it. If you have a dog that will take an opportunity, treat the garden as unenclosed, keep it on a lead out there, and walk the boundary yourself before you rely on it.

Otherwise the reports are consistently strong on cleanliness, space and condition, and the owners answer quickly when something needs sorting - more than one party has been met on arrival after struggling to find the house. Ryde's main beach carries seasonal dog restrictions, as most of the island's resort beaches do, so check the dates before you plan a holiday around it.

Best suited to a large family, or two families travelling together with dogs, who want to be within walking distance of the sea and will keep an eye on a garden that is not dog-proof.