Woodlands, Dartmouth

Woodlands is a large hillside house above Dartmouth with a garden that does most of the work for visiting dogs. Families book it for milestone birthdays and multi-generational weeks, and the pattern in reviews is consistent: the humans end up on the terrace looking down over the river, and the dogs end up working their way round the lawns and the waterfall that runs through the grounds.

Two dogs are welcome per booking, which makes it one of the more usable large houses in the area for a family that travels with a pair rather than one. No pet fee is published, so ask what the charge is - an unpublished fee is not the same as a free one - and flag the dogs when you book.

Owners who have stayed with dogs come back, several of them more than once, and they tend to raise the same points: a house that is genuinely well equipped rather than minimally furnished, spotless on arrival, with enough room for a big party and a dog to keep out of each other's way. The location earns its share of that too, with the castle, Dartmouth town and Blackpool Sands all reachable on foot, so a week here needs very little driving to keep a dog exercised.

The terrain is the honest caveat, and it comes from dog owners specifically. The track up from the road is steep and completely ungated, and the drop from the house down to the lawn is sharp, so a dog with any inclination to wander needs watching rather than being let out alone last thing at night. The same hills make the walk into town hard going for anyone with limited mobility. The waste and recycling system also takes a few minutes to work out, and dog waste has its own bin.

It earns a 4.6/5 paw rating. Best suited to a family or group with one or two steady dogs who will make the most of the garden and the coast path, and who are content to supervise outside rather than rely on a fence.