Greenhedges, Budleigh Salterton (East Devon)

Greenhedges is a whole-house holiday rental on Fountain Hill in Budleigh Salterton, the quiet Regency seaside town on the East Devon coast between Exmouth and Sidmouth. Taking the entire house means no shared entrance, no corridors and no neighbours through the wall, which removes most of the friction of travelling with a dog that barks at strangers or takes a while to settle somewhere new.

The detail that stands out is the separate back entrance, which lets you bring a wet, sandy dog in off the coast path without walking it through the main house. Guests with dogs also arrive to find treats and poo bags put out, and the owners leave a genuinely useful briefing on the house and the area. There are two enclosed outdoor spaces - a front garden and a side courtyard - so the dog can go out without being taken out. Two well behaved pets are welcome. It earns a 4.4 out of 5 paw rating.

Budleigh Salterton is underrated as a base for this. Its beach is pebble rather than sand, which is exactly why it stays open to dogs when the sandier resorts along the coast bring in summer restrictions. The Otter Estuary nature reserve sits at the eastern end of the town for flat, easy walking, and the South West Coast Path climbs out of town in both directions. Exmouth is a short drive west and Sidmouth about fifteen minutes east.

The house has no published pet fee, so confirm the cost and the arrangements when you book rather than assuming. As a whole-house let it suits a family or a couple of couples more than a solo traveller.

Best suited to a family or pair travelling with one or two dogs who want a self-contained house, an enclosed outdoor space and a beach they can use in August as easily as in February.