Panteg Cottage, Newport

Panteg Cottage sits a short walk above the centre of Newport in north Pembrokeshire, and it is the kind of place dog owners return to - several guests have stayed more than once and rebooked before leaving. The garden is enclosed, there is off-road parking for two cars on a narrow road where that matters, and the walk downhill to the estuary takes only a few minutes, opening onto the Parrog in one direction and the bridge across to Newport Sands in the other.

The town does the rest. Three of the pubs within about ten minutes on foot welcome dogs, there is a shop, a butcher and a cafe for daily needs, and the beach is roughly twenty minutes' walk or a very short drive. Guests describe the coast path walks either side of the estuary as the reason to come, and the cottage as a comfortable base to come back to: warm, well equipped, with a powerful shower, a proper utility room for wet dogs and towels, and comfortable beds.

Two practical details come up from guests travelling with dogs. The back door - the one you would naturally use to let a dog out - has a lock that has jammed on some stays, once for several minutes. And the garden gate bolts at the top on the inside only, so a shorter guest cannot secure it behind them from the outside. Neither prevents the garden doing its job, but both are worth knowing before you rely on it.

The other snags are minor and honestly reported: the downstairs bathroom has no extractor fan and there is damp on the ceiling, the garden shed is full enough that bulky kit will not fit in it, and the drive turns muddy and slippery in winter. None of it dents the affection guests have for the place, which is why it earns 4.6 out of 5. Best suited to walkers and families with one or two dogs who want a coastal town, a beach and the national park all within walking distance.