Budmouth, Upwey near Weymouth

Budmouth is a modern architect-designed cottage in Upwey, the spring-fed village four miles inland from Weymouth - and dog owners consistently rate their stays here highly: a 4.7 paw rating across three dog stays spanning six years, from a Shih Tzu who was welcomed everywhere the family went to a household calling it their best holiday. One well-behaved dog is welcome.

The dog arrangements come with clear rules and one unusual extra. Dogs stay leashed outdoors - the cottage is one of five in the North Manor Meadow cluster, sharing a hillside garden with picnic benches alongside its own private patio, so this is not off-lead territory at home. The unusual extra: the owner can arrange nearby kennels by request, genuinely useful for a day at a dog-excluded attraction or a wedding. Guests with dogs particularly praise the walking - public footpaths run straight from the accommodation into the chalk ridgeway country above the village.

The location splits the difference between coast and country well: Weymouth's beach (dog-restricted in summer on the main stretch, open on Preston's end), the Rodwell Trail and Portland are a ten-minute drive, Chesil's quieter reaches slightly further, and the village pub and Upwey's famous wishing well tearooms are on foot. One guest's evening deer visits capture the setting.

Honest notes from the wider pool: reviews average 4.4 with occasional housekeeping gripes, and recent dog-stay scores sit at four stars rather than five - comfortable and welcoming rather than flawless. Confirm any pet charge directly, as none is listed.

Best suited to a couple or small family with one lead-steady dog who want ridgeway walks from the door and Weymouth's coast within ten minutes - with the kennel option as a rare flexibility bonus.