Sleep Next to a Horse in a Stable by the City

This is a converted stable on a working livery yard on Valley Road, a few minutes out of Exeter, and it is a genuinely unusual place to bring a dog. The accommodation is modern and well finished inside, cleanly decorated and warm, with a window looking through to the neighbouring stall. But the reason to book is what goes on outside the door: horses come to the window, and the yard has its own cats and a resident Great Dane who tend to come and say hello.

Dogs stay at no extra charge, and the walking is the strongest practical argument for the place. Bridleways and footpaths run directly from the yard, so you can be off the lead in open countryside within a couple of minutes of the door, while central Exeter is close enough for a short drive when you want it. Guests booking specifically for dog-friendly accommodation with off-lead walking have got what they came for.

The farm animals cut both ways, and this is the thing to weigh carefully before booking. If your dog is relaxed around horses, loose cats and other dogs, the setting is the highlight of the stay. If your dog chases cats, reacts to other dogs, or is unsettled by large animals close by, a working yard with free-roaming animals is not the place to discover it. The host is easy to deal with and helpful over the phone, so it is a fair conversation to have in advance.

A few practical things. The property is genuinely hard to find, there is no signage on the farmland, and taxi drivers have struggled with it, so save directions before you lose signal. Plumbing has been a recurring niggle, with reports of a toilet that does not flush properly and a shower drain needing a clean. And the horse next door is not guaranteed: at least one stay came with an empty stall, so treat the neighbouring horse as a likely bonus rather than a booked feature. For an easygoing dog, and owners who want countryside walking on Exeter's doorstep, it earns a 4.3 out of 5 paw rating.