The Hidden Gem, Walwyn's Castle

The Hidden Gem is a holiday cottage in the parish of Walwyn's Castle, inland from Little Haven and Broad Haven on the Pembrokeshire coast. For a dog it is a good building in a good spot: thick-walled and quiet, with a large gated garden, a nature reserve directly across the road for walks, and a downstairs bedroom and wet room that make it workable for anyone with limited mobility. Guests bringing dogs consistently praise the garden and the walking on the doorstep.

What is much less consistent is what a dog costs. Reports from guests who have stayed with dogs range from being charged nothing at all, through a supplement that was not made clear until after booking, to an additional 60 pound cleaning charge for two dogs levied alongside a request to hoover the house before leaving. Some guests who booked expecting a pet-friendly stay have not felt they got one. If you are booking with a dog here, get the charge, what it covers and what you are still expected to do on departure confirmed in writing beforehand. That single step would remove most of what guests with dogs complain about.

Two practical points are worth knowing. The decking is very slippery when wet, enough that a dog has come off it, so an older or unsteady dog needs care on the way out to the garden. And there is effectively no mobile signal or WiFi at the property, which is fine for a walking holiday but means you cannot easily look up a vet or a dog-friendly pub once you arrive. Cleanliness draws mixed comment too, with guests finding the obvious surfaces fine but the oven, drawers and bathroom less so.

The setting deserves its reputation, and the owner has been flexible in the past about adding a dog to an existing booking. But the muddle over charges is why this one lands at a 3.8/5 paw rating rather than higher. It suits confident dog owners who will pin the terms down in advance and who want quiet countryside within a short drive of the Pembrokeshire beaches.