By the seas and moors with dog-friendly cottages in Devon
In a land of cliff-backed beaches and undulating dunes, of rolling moors and heaths, green hills and little dales, it’s hardly a wonder that 4-legged adventurers feel right at home. Dog-friendly cottages in Devon are your chance to offer your canine companion all the highlights of the West Country. They come in all sorts, with luxury pads touting hot tubs and sea-view houses just a stick’s throw from the beach. Read on for plenty in the way of booking tips and destination ideas.
Rules in dog-friendly cottages in Devon
Before you can start pining after those clotted-cream teas and cloudy ciders with the pooch in tow, be sure to read the small print of your holiday rentals. There are often extra requirements for travellers and their pets.
Check the pet-policy in your particular cottage
Every dog-friendly cottage in Devon will have its own individual pet policy. Read it carefully before you press the book button to see if it suits you. Common things to think about include whether there’s a limit on the number of dogs you can bring, if the furniture in the house is a no-go lazing zone and if there’s an extra nightly fee for your canine company.
Make sure you can roam around your Devon cottage
It’s not just the cottages of Devon that impose clauses on the paws. You could also find that the countryside has its own dog decrees. The most obvious thing to look out for is access restrictions on the Devonshire beaches. Even famous stretches of sands like Westward Ho!, Woolacombe and Salcombe ban barkers at certain times of the year.
Multi-dog Devonshire cottages
If you’re lucky enough to have a whole pack of hounds accompanying you to the West Country, you’ll need to find somewhere that allows for more than just a solitary pet. Thankfully, there are cottages from Dartmoor to Ilfracombe that open their French doors to additional animal guests, with 2 being the most common limit.
Features of dog-friendly cottages in Devon
There’s a whole host of various features to watch out for in the dog-friendly cottages of Devon. Ranging from luxury additions to large gardens, they can really help make you and your pal more comfortable in the West Country.
Dog-friendly cottages in Devon with a hot tub
While your 4-legged friend will surely have to forgo a dip in a bubbling tub, there’s no reason why you can’t relax and unwind. After long walks of stick-throwing and tail chasing, it could be just the thing that’s needed.
Dog-friendly cottages in Devon that have gardens
With so much space to go around in this green and gorgeous county, it’s quite unusual to find a cottage rental that doesn’t have its own al fresco space. Whether that will be suitable for the pooch is a whole other matter. The key thing to look for is an enclosed area, where you can leave your pet to run free and turn your attention to your farmhouse cheddar and cider lunches.
Luxury features in dog-friendly cottages in Devon
You can turn that walking jaunt to Dartmoor or North Devon into a luxury break with just the click of your mouse by opting for a high-class stay. Packing in sumptuous kitchens, sea-view decks and even fireplaces, they offer somewhere truly unique for you and the pup to curl up.
Creative spots to find dog-friendly cottages in Devon
A great slab of the southwest, covering 2,500 square miles from coast to coast, Devon certainly isn’t short on countryside where you can let the pet run free. Here are a few places that stand out from the crowd.
Dog-friendly cottages in south Devon
The salt-washed beaches of south Devon are perfect for a pooch that likes to take a dip. Be wary that many coves and bays here have restrictions on when dogs are allowed to visit. You’ll need to ferret out the canine-friendly ones, which range from the sloping pebbles of long Beesands Beach to the forest-backed inlet of Mill Bay near Salcombe.
Dog-friendly cottages in Dartmoor National Park
Your pup is bound to get a warm welcome in the quaint villages of Haytor Vale and Moretonhampstead, which offer doorstep access to the miles and miles of walking trail that crisscross this iconic West Country landscape. Keep the eyes peeled for wild ponies and grazing farm animals as you walk – you might need to re-attach the lead in a hurry.
Catch some Devon surf with the dog
The north coast of Devon is where the surf rolls in. So, if it’s waves you’re after, and sweeping dune-scapes and cliff trails for the dog, consider looking for a place to stay near Saunton, Westward Ho! or Croyde.