Little Chequers, Friston

Little Chequers is a small self-catering cottage in Friston, a quiet Suffolk village a few miles inland from Aldeburgh, and it is set up for dogs in the plainest way that matters: two are welcome, and there is a pub immediately next door. Dog owners arriving after a long drive tend to rate that second point more highly than any amenity list.

The charge is £25 per dog for the stay rather than per night, so a week with two dogs adds £50 to the booking and no more, a structure that suits longer breaks far better than the nightly fees common elsewhere. Two dogs is the ceiling.

Inside, it is a genuinely little cottage rather than a large house marketed as cosy, and guests describe it as clean, warm and well equipped for its size. Families have used it comfortably with a toddler and a dog together, which is a fair test of whether the layout works when there is more than one thing to keep an eye on.

Friston puts you within a short drive of the Suffolk coast at Aldeburgh and Thorpeness and the shingle beaches along that stretch, along with the heath and forest walks inland, so there is plenty of ground for a dog that needs a proper run. The one practical note from previous guests is that the parking arrangement is not obvious on arrival. It is resolved easily enough once you ask, but it is worth clarifying when you book rather than circling the village with a restless dog in the back. Little Chequers earns a 4.5/5 paw rating and suits couples or a small family wanting a quiet village base with the coast in easy reach.