Wheal Jewel, Helston

Wheal Jewel is a wooden lodge on a quiet Cornish smallholding a few miles north of Helston, and its appeal for dog owners is mostly about what surrounds it. The grounds are open and well kept with views across the hills, there is very little passing traffic, and there is enough wildlife about, rabbits in particular, to keep a dog thoroughly entertained from the deck.

Inside, the lodge is warm, well equipped and easy to keep clean, which is what matters after a wet Cornish walk. Wood is supplied for the burner and it heats the place quickly, and the wood-fired hot tub is the feature guests return to in almost every review. The owner lives on site, drops by to say hello, and is consistently described as helpful and easy to deal with.

The important caveat for anyone bringing a dog is that the back garden is not enclosed. Guests who have stayed here with a dog say this is the one thing that makes the lodge impractical, and it means a dog that cannot be trusted off-lead will need a long line every time it goes out. If your dog reliably stays put, the openness is a bonus. If it does not, this is the wrong lodge.

It is also worth declaring your dog at the time of booking. The site checks, and guests have been messaged mid-stay to ask whether a dog had been brought along without being added to the booking, which is not the sort of conversation you want on holiday. There is a restaurant on the same site doing a well-regarded Sunday carvery, along with paid activities that some guests have found expensive. For an owner with a steady, recall-trained dog who wants a hot tub, quiet and hill views, it earns a 4.3/5 paw rating.