Yew Tree Cottage, Plymtree

Yew Tree Cottage is a modern detached cottage in the centre of Plymtree, a quiet village in mid-Devon between Cullompton and Honiton, and it is built around exactly the feature dog owners look for first: a fully enclosed garden opening directly off a bedroom. That means a dog can be let out last thing at night without anyone getting dressed, and it means the garden works as a safe run rather than a supervised lawn.

The garden is the recurring theme in what guests with dogs say. It is described as properly enclosed and a sun trap, and parties bringing a dog alongside two couples have found the layout works without anyone tripping over the animal. The practical wrinkle is the threshold between garden and bedroom: with no mat at that door, wet paws go straight onto the bedroom floor, and guests have suggested packing your own mat and an old towel. There is also nowhere obvious to hang wet coats and leads by the front door.

The hosts are a large part of why the place scores so well. They come across as helpful, quick to reply, and around when needed without hovering. The Blacksmiths Arms is immediately next door and draws consistently warm reviews for its food, so an evening meal does not mean a drive, and dogs are welcome inside the pub as long as they are kept on a lead.

The caveats are modest. Underfloor heating is the only heating and one party found it struggled through a cold late-March week, worth knowing if your dog is elderly or short-coated. The village is small, a pub and not a great deal else, so the walking is lanes and footpaths, with the woodland and beaches of east Devon a short drive rather than a stroll.

Best suited to a couple, or two couples, with a dog who want a quiet and immaculate base for exploring east Devon, and who value a secure garden over a doorstep walk. It earns a 4.5/5 paw rating.