Meadow View, Hellingly

Meadow View is a small cottage at Hellingly in the Sussex Weald, and its strongest card for dog owners is the garden. Guests with dogs single it out as fully enclosed at both the front and the back, secure enough that the door can be left open while everyone relaxes inside. That one detail does more for a dog holiday than most pet packages, and it is a large part of why the cottage earns a 4.7/5 paw rating.

The walking on the doorstep is the other draw. A footpath, a stream and open fields run close to the cottage, so the first and last walks of the day need no driving at all, and the Cuckoo Trail and the Weald Way are both within reach for something longer. The A22 is close, which puts Eastbourne, Hastings and the South Downs within an easy drive when you want a beach or a proper hill.

Inside, the cottage is characterful and well equipped rather than large. Guests describe it as cosy, spotlessly kept and warmer and roomier than the photographs suggest, with a kitchen good enough to cook properly in and a garden that catches the sun. The host answers questions quickly before arrival and checks in during the stay, which is reassuring when you are somewhere unfamiliar with an animal.

A few honest caveats. The staircase has no balustrade, which is worth knowing if you have a dog that follows you everywhere or young children in the party. Storage is tight, with limited kitchen surface and little spare drawer space, and the sofa is more formal than a sprawl-and-relax one. Traffic noise carries in when the windows are open in summer. Nothing is published about a pet fee or a limit on numbers, so agree both with the host when you book.

Best suited to a couple or a small family with one or two dogs who want a secure garden, footpaths from the door and the Sussex coast half an hour away.