Greystone, Hope Cove

Greystone is a large single-storey house looking out over Hope Cove on the South Devon coast, and its strength for dog owners is space. Parties of six have stayed with a large dog and found room for everyone, which is not always true of coastal lets that accept pets; the house is comfortable, warm and set up for groups rather than couples.

Guests bringing dogs come back. Repeat visitors describe the owner as helpful and considerate when something needed attention, and a welcome basket has greeted more than one arrival. Inside there is a wood burner, heating that copes with a Devon winter, plenty of hot water for a full house and two fridges, so a week with wet dogs and muddy boots is manageable. The setting is very quiet, and Hope Cove's beaches and the coast path start close by.

The garden needs a word, because it changes how you would use the place. It is pleasant but it is not secure: brambles at calf height on the steps to the back garden and long grass have both been reported, and guests have specifically noted that it is not safe to leave a dog or a small child loose out there. Treat the outside space as somewhere to sit rather than somewhere to let a dog run, and plan walks accordingly. The driveway is also very steep, which low cars have struggled with.

Housekeeping is the recurring gripe. Hair from previous guests' dogs has repeatedly been found in the living-room rug, in bedrooms and in the vacuum cleaner itself, and the decking is slippery and in need of a scrub. The booking listing allows one pet, though larger parties have described arriving with more than one dog, so multi-dog groups should confirm before booking. With a 4.4/5 paw rating, Greystone suits a group who want a big, warm, dog-friendly house with a Hope Cove view, and who will walk their dog rather than turn it out into the garden.