Heron Cottage, Ilfracombe

Heron Cottage is one of around ten cottages at Widmouth Farm, a coastal smallholding on the cliffs between Ilfracombe and Combe Martin in North Devon, and the setting is what earns it a place on a dog-holiday shortlist. The farm has its own private beach, reached on foot from the cottages, and an enclosed dog exercise field. That combination - a secure field for a proper run and a beach you can walk to - is rare on this stretch of coast.

Dog owners are consistently happy here. Feedback from guests with dogs is warm, from families with a young child to couples with a small dog, and the daily walk down to the bay for a paddle comes up again and again. Up to three pets can come per booking, which suits multi-dog households that most cottages turn away.

The cottage is comfortable rather than large. Beds and bed linen get particular praise, the heating and hot water work well, and there is everything you need to self-cater. It has a big double upstairs, a much smaller twin, and a single bathroom on the ground floor. Two adults, a child and a dog have found it cramped, so treat the stated capacity as a maximum rather than a comfortable fit.

The layout of the site is the main thing to weigh. The cottages sit close together in terraces around a courtyard and look out at one another, and there are no individual gardens, so a dog cannot simply be let out of the door - every toilet trip is a lead trip, and a vocal dog will be heard by the neighbours. The walk down to the beach is short but steep, which matters for older dogs and dodgy knees alike. There is no mobile signal at the property, contact with the owners is by landline, and guests are largely left to their own devices, which suits some people and not others. At peak rates the cottage has struck some guests as expensive for the space.

Best suited to walkers and beach people with a sociable, well-behaved dog who want the coast path and a swim more than a private garden. It earns a 4.4/5 paw rating.