The Gallows, Pembroke

The Gallows is a small rural chalet a few minutes outside Pembroke, and it suits dog owners who want somewhere quiet, self-contained and close to the Pembrokeshire coast. It is a one-space bolthole rather than a hotel - you collect the keys, come and go as you please, and nobody expects an explanation. Dogs are welcome as a matter of course, and guests travelling with them describe an easy, unfussy welcome.

The single most useful thing to know before booking is that the garden is private but not enclosed. Guests with dogs describe it as a genuine asset - big, quiet and pleasant to sit out in - but the boundary is open onto the surrounding farmland, so dogs are expected to stay on a lead whenever they are outside the chalet. Dog owners mention this repeatedly, and more than one wishes the garden were fenced so their dog could run loose. If your dog is reliable on a lead you will still enjoy it; if you were counting on letting them out unsupervised, plan around it.

Inside, the chalet is warm and set up for self-catering, with a small hot plate rather than a full kitchen, and no WiFi at all - which most guests treat as the point. The hosts leave a welcome gift and stay out of the way, and there is a small cafe next door, which is friendly but does bring some traffic past the property during opening hours.

The setting is the other draw. The chalet sits among farmland with nature walks from the door, and Freshwater East beach is an easy drive and genuinely relaxed about dogs. Pembroke itself, with the castle, is close enough for an afternoon.

It is not flawless: one guest found the chalet needed a more thorough clean than it had had, and reported the hosts' own animals wandering in. On the whole, though, this is a good fit for one or two people with a well-behaved dog who want quiet, dark skies and a beach within reach, and it earns a 4.6/5 paw rating.