Temple House, Sidmouth

Temple House is a large, striking whole-house rental in Sidmouth, within walking distance of the Regency seafront and the East Devon coast path. Having the whole place to yourselves is the main advantage for a dog: no corridors, no lifts, no other guests to negotiate, and enough room indoors that a dog is not underfoot on a wet afternoon. Guests describe it as a stunning house with plenty of open space and good facilities.

Two well-behaved dogs are welcome, with a charge of 30 pounds for the second, and the house rules are sensible rather than restrictive: dogs stay downstairs and off the sofas. There is an enclosed rear garden with a patio for the last trip out at night.

One caveat is worth taking seriously. Guests travelling with a dog have flagged a gap under the garden gate wide enough for a small or determined dog to slip through, so treat the garden as secure only once you have looked at that gap yourself. A folded blanket or a board across it takes a minute and saves a chase down the street. The other niggle guests raise is plumbing rather than pets: taps that are stiff to turn off and then drip.

Sidmouth suits dogs well outside the summer. Like most Devon resort beaches the main beach carries seasonal dog restrictions, so check the dates before you travel, but the coast path either side of the town gives year-round walking and the Byes, the riverside park running inland from the centre, is an easy flat alternative on a wet day.

Temple House earns a 4.4/5 paw rating. It suits families or groups who want space, a coastal base and room for two dogs, and who will take a moment to sort the gate before letting a dog loose in the garden.