Seaview House, Thurlestone

Seaview House is a small guesthouse in Thurlestone, a few minutes from some of the best dog walking in South Devon. It is run as a proper bed and breakfast rather than a self-catering let, and dogs are part of the household rather than a concession: the owner's springer spaniel, Gaston, is very much in residence, and that sets the tone for how visiting dogs are treated.

Guests travelling with dogs describe a genuinely relaxed welcome, and Jan, who hosts and cooks the breakfasts, is the reason most people rate the stay as highly as they do. Dogs are allowed in the bedrooms, and the ground-floor garden room, with its own en-suite and a king-size bed, is the one dog owners tend to single out. Guests get their own front door key, so early walks and late returns do not need arranging around anyone else.

The setting does a lot of the work. Thurlestone sits above a stretch of coast with beaches, cliff paths and Burgh Island all within easy reach, and the village is quiet enough that a dog can be walked without much traffic to think about. Parking is not available directly outside the house, but the village hall car park is free and a couple of minutes away.

Two things to settle before booking. Guests have reported that the house applies rules about where dogs can and cannot go which were not set out on the booking listing, so it is worth asking for those in writing first; the room description has not always matched what people arrived to, either. No pet charge or limit on numbers is published, so confirm both at the same time. Breakfast can be continental rather than cooked. Handled up front, none of it is a dealbreaker: for dog owners who want a hosted, small-scale base for walking the South Hams coast, Seaview House earns its 4.5/5 paw rating.