The Annexe at Kirtonia

The Annexe at Kirtonia is a self-contained flat at Vale Down on the western edge of Dartmoor, a couple of miles from Lydford, and it suits dog owners for a straightforward reason: your own front door, your own parking directly outside, and open moorland within a short drive. There are no shared corridors or lobbies to negotiate, which takes most of the friction out of arriving late with a tired dog.

Guests travelling with dogs describe a welcoming set-up rather than a grudging one. There is a welcome pack on arrival, a kitchen stocked with tea, coffee, milk and breakfast things, and hosts who are warm without hovering. An area for walking the dog sits directly across from the property, which matters more than it sounds when you are staying somewhere this rural, and the flat itself is repeatedly described as spotless and very well equipped for its size.

The location is the main draw. Lydford Gorge, the Granite Way and the open access land of northern Dartmoor are all close, so a stay here can be built around long walks rather than fitted around them. It also works well as an overnight stop for anyone driving down through Devon into Cornwall, and there are alpacas in the field by the entrance, which tends to interest dogs more than their owners.

Two things to weigh. The property sits on a fast main road, so the walking spot across the way is best treated as a short leg-stretch with the real walks reached by car. And because the annexe genuinely does take dogs, reviews note that traces of pet hair can linger on soft furnishings, which is worth knowing if anyone in the party has an allergy. With a 4.6/5 paw rating from a small but consistent group of dog-owning guests, it is a good fit for one or two people wanting a compact, immaculate base for Dartmoor.