Upper Seascape, Lyme Regis

Upper Seascape is a self-catering apartment set on the hillside above Lyme Regis, looking out across the Jurassic Coast towards Golden Cap, with a short downhill walk into the old town, the harbour and the seafront. It works as a week-long base on the Dorset coast for a family or a couple travelling with a dog.

One pet is allowed per booking, and the property's booking listing does not set out a fee or any size limit, so it is worth confirming those terms directly before you travel.

The enclosed garden is what dog owners keep coming back to. Guests travelling with dogs describe the secluded, fully enclosed outdoor space as somewhere a dog can be let off to run safely, with a large summer house that earns its keep when the weather turns and the beach is off the cards. The ground-floor shower room gets its own mentions as the place to rinse sandy paws, and sandy children, before anyone heads upstairs. Inside, the flat reads as spacious, comfortable and properly equipped for a longer stay.

Lyme Regis itself is good dog country. The Cobb, the seafront and the South West Coast Path are all within walking distance, the long Jurassic Coast walks start more or less from the door, and much of the town relaxes for dogs outside the summer season.

There are caveats worth weighing. The apartment sits up a steep hill with a flight of steps down to the garden, so it suits sure-footed dogs and owners rather than anyone who struggles with stairs, and the paving slabs have been reported as slippery in the wet. Feedback is mixed on upkeep: the garden and the patio furniture draw criticism across several stays, and a few guests have arrived to find the place less than spotless, including dog hair and mess left behind from earlier visits - a fair thing for a dog owner to check on arrival. Parking uses permits for a nearby public car park rather than a space of your own.

On balance it suits active dog owners after a roomy seaside apartment with a genuinely secure garden and coast-path walking from the door, who will forgive a hill and some patchy upkeep for the views.