The Old Smithy

Two-bedroom former inn on Union Square in St Columb Major, sleeping four with two bathrooms. The cottage sits in the centre of this small mid-Cornwall market town, a two-minute walk from the 13th-century St Columba parish church and the village pubs. Dogs are welcome and there is off-road parking for two cars.

The layout runs over two floors with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, an open kitchen-diner, and a sitting room. A private courtyard garden sits behind the cottage, useful for dogs and evening drinks out of the wind. Wifi, dishwasher, and washing machine are all included. Note: the Union Square location means some foot-traffic noise on weekends.

St Columb Major is the town that still plays Hurling the Silver Ball twice a year, on Shrove Tuesday and the Saturday 11 days later - one of the last surviving medieval street games in Britain. Watergate Bay is a 4.5 miles drive north for surf and the Beach Hut restaurant, and Mawgan Porth is 4.7 miles for a quieter sand. Newquay sits six miles south-west, Padstow seven miles north, and Cornwall Airport Newquay four miles south.

Best for a small family or two couples who want a dog-friendly town-centre base with beaches, Newquay, and Padstow all within 15 minutes' drive. Less good for anyone wanting rural isolation.