The Salty Monk, Sidford (Sidmouth)

The Salty Monk is a 5-Gold-Star boutique bed and breakfast on Church Street in Sidford, just outside Sidmouth on the East Devon coast. It's a 16th-century former monks' salt house converted into seven individually-designed en suite rooms with a well-regarded restaurant on site - and it's one of the more genuinely thought-through dog-friendly stays in East Devon.

Three of the seven bedrooms are dog-friendly, and the dog-rooms are deliberately on the ground floor with private direct access to an outside area. That layout decision is the kind of detail that signals dog-friendly isn't an afterthought - for early-morning toilet trips, you can let the dog out without doing the front-door routine, and there's no stair-navigation to handle with an older or larger dog after a long coastal walk.

The pet fee is GBP 20 per dog per night. On arrival, dog guests are met with a welcome hamper that includes a water bowl, treats, a towel, a bag, a torch and a feeding mat, alongside a doggie welcome letter that points out local walks and dog-friendly beaches. Doggie gifts are also available on site for GBP 10 each. Dogs are welcome at dinner and breakfast on a lead - which is the practical difference-maker for travelling couples who want a proper restaurant evening without arranging a sitter.

Recent guests travelling with dogs consistently rate the stay highly. The current paw rating is 4.5/5 across eight confirmed pet-traveller reviews on Agoda - the kind of sample size that suggests the property has been hosting dog-owning guests for years and has refined the experience accordingly.

Location-wise, Sidford sits a short distance from Sidmouth and the Jurassic Coast. The South West Coast Path is easily reachable for proper structured coastal walking - the Sidmouth-to-Branscombe section is one of the more rewarding stretches in East Devon, with sea views the whole way and dog-friendly cafes at either end. Several local beaches accept dogs at various points across the year (check seasonal restrictions, particularly for the main Sidmouth town beach).

The restaurant-with-rooms format means evening dining is essentially built in. For dog owners specifically, that removes the everyday holiday problem of finding a restaurant that will accept the dog after a day on the coast.

Best suited to a couple travelling with one well-behaved dog who want a 5-Gold-Star boutique B&B base in East Devon with proper restaurant dining included, ground-floor dog access, and a host who clearly enjoys having dog guests. Book early - only three of the seven rooms accept dogs.