1 The Quay, Lympstone

1 The Quay is about as easy a base as a dog owner could ask for: a self-catering house sitting right on the water's edge in Lympstone, with steps from the property down onto the beach. Guests wake to the sound of the tide, and the morning walk starts before you have finished your first cup of tea.

One well-behaved dog is welcome, and the practicalities have been thought about properly. The ground floor, where dogs stay, is laid with hard flooring throughout, so sand and mud clean up in a couple of minutes. There is a hose outside for rinsing paws after the beach, and a patch of grass nearby for dogs that are particular about where they go. Arriving guests with dogs regularly find treats, a towel and a rug waiting.

The owner is a large part of why the place reads so well. Guests describe useful information sent ahead about parking and the area, welcome touches on the table and the log burner laid ready to light. The village itself does the rest: a shop, a cafe and three pubs within walking distance, several of them dog-friendly, and a station that puts Exeter, Exmouth and Topsham within reach without moving the car. Walks run in every direction, with local beaches and Dartmoor an easy drive.

Two things to know before booking. Parking in Lympstone is genuinely tight, the public car park fills up even in September, and the owner briefs guests on how to manage it. And one summer stay was badly affected by sand hoppers coming into the downstairs lounge at night, which the owners put down to an unusual amount of seaweed on the beach that season and describe as a first in many years of letting. Since dogs stay on the ground floor, it is worth being aware of.

A 4.8 out of 5 paw rating reflects how well this suits couples or a small party with one dog who want water on the doorstep and are relaxed about hunting for a parking space.