The Garden Flat at Wynncroft

The Garden Flat at Wynncroft is the kind of Paignton base that makes a seaside week with dogs feel uncomplicated. It is a self-catering ground-floor apartment on a quiet residential street, with its own fully enclosed courtyard garden and off-street parking, so there are no shared corridors to negotiate and nowhere for a dog to slip away to. It earns a 4.7 out of 5 paw rating.

The flat takes up to four smaller dogs or two larger ones, and they are welcome in every room rather than confined to a kitchen or a boot room. Hard laminate floors run through the living space, which is the detail that matters most after a morning on the sand: muddy paws and wet fur wipe up rather than working their way into carpet. The enclosed courtyard garden does the rest of the work, giving dogs somewhere to potter between walks.

What guests mention most often is the welcome. The host leaves a treat box for the dog alongside the food basket, milk and breakfast bits put out for human guests, and that kind of preparation sets the tone for the stay. Guests describe the flat as spotless and thoughtfully stocked, and families travelling with children and dogs together report both being catered for rather than tolerated.

The location suits dogs that like a proper beach walk. Paignton town centre, the seafront and the railway station are all within an easy stroll, and Goodrington Sands, the stretch that stays open to dogs, is a little further along the coast. Paignton Zoo and Splashdown are a few minutes by car for the rest of the party.

Two things are worth knowing. The back gate has no lock, so a determined escape artist needs watching in the garden, and the taps, plumbing and hot water have been flagged as the weak point of an otherwise well-kept flat. Best suited to families and couples wanting a Devon coastal base where the dogs come everywhere with them.