The Loft Midhurst

The Loft Midhurst is a smart, well-equipped apartment on North Street in the middle of Midhurst, and it has become a reliable choice for people bringing a dog into the South Downs. Dogs are welcomed rather than merely permitted, and guests who have stayed with one describe the flat as properly set up for it - roomy, spotlessly clean, and comfortable enough that the dog settles as quickly as the owners do.

The terms are clear enough: dogs only, so no cats or other pets, and an additional cleaning charge applies for the dog. The amount is not published up front, so confirm it with the owner when you book. The owner also asks for written consent in advance, and the house rules keep dogs out of the bedrooms and off the furniture, so bring a bed of their own.

What lifts the place is the location and the host. It sits right on the main street, which puts the town's coffee shops, pubs, restaurants and a supermarket two minutes away on foot, and it opens onto some of the best dog walking in West Sussex - footpaths out towards Cowdray Park and the wider South Downs National Park start more or less at the door. The owner is responsive and easy to deal with, and check-in generally runs smoothly.

Two things to weigh. It is a town-centre flat rather than a cottage, so there is no private garden and every trip out is a proper walk, which suits an active dog more than a very old or very young one. The house rules also ask that dogs are never left unsupervised in the flat, so meals out and evenings need planning around that. And the cleaning charge means a single-night stop is relatively poorer value than a longer break. For couples or a small family wanting a comfortable base in a genuinely attractive Sussex market town with a dog along, it is hard to fault, and it earns a 4.6 out of 5 paw rating.