Puffin Cottage, Hawkchurch

Puffin Cottage sits in the middle of Hawkchurch, a quiet East Devon village a few miles inland from Lyme Regis and Axminster, and the garden is the reason dog owners keep going back to it. Guests travelling with dogs describe it as the part of the stay their animals enjoyed most: a private, well-planted space attached to the cottage where dogs can potter about while their owners sit out. Footpaths lead away from the village in several directions, so most walks start at the door rather than after a drive.

The cottage is booked whole and stands beside the owners' own house, which guests consistently describe as private rather than overlooked. Dog owners mention arriving to find treats put out for their animals alongside the usual welcome touches, and the sense that dogs are expected rather than tolerated comes through repeatedly in what guests with pets say. The village pub is within walking distance and takes dogs inside, which several visitors singled out as the thing that made evenings easy. There is a shop in the village too, and fresh eggs have often been left for guests.

Two practical points are worth weighing. Most guests describe the garden as enclosed and safe, but at least one party with dogs found it smaller than they expected and not fully secure, so owners of dogs that test boundaries should check the current arrangement when booking rather than assume it is escape-proof. A guest also reported the wood burner seal being damaged during their stay and chose not to use it.

Beyond that the picture is unusually consistent: warm, clean, well equipped, with underfloor heating and a bath that gets a mention after wet coastal walks. It suits owners who want a settled village base within half an hour of the beaches, and who would rather walk from the door than drive to every outing.