Victoria House St Issey

Three-bedroom period cottage in St Issey village, 4 miles from Padstow on the B3274. Sleeps five (2 king-size + 1 single). Two dogs welcome. On-property parking.

Low-ceilinged traditional layout: kitchen, lounge, and dining on the ground floor; bedrooms above. One bathroom for five - better suited to a family or two adults plus children than three couples sharing. WiFi, washing machine, full kitchen. No dishwasher.

Generously sized enclosed garden, tucked behind the house away from the road. Kids and dogs off-lead without negotiating gates. BBQ on the patio. The village's Pickwick Inn is a short walk for the alternative.

Padstow (4 miles) delivers the food scene (Rick Stein, Paul Ainsworth, Prawn on the Lawn) and the start of the Camel Trail - 18 miles of flat former-railway cycle path through Wadebridge to Bodmin. Bike hire available in Padstow or Wadebridge. The trail passes within 2 miles of the cottage.

The Seven Bays headland (Trevone, Harlyn, Mother Ivey's, Booby's, Constantine, Treyarnon, Porthcothan) is all within a 15-minute drive. Trevone (5.5km) is the closest sandy beach. Daymer Bay (5.8km) and Greenaway (6.5km) sit on the Polzeath side of the Camel Estuary - a slightly longer drive via Wadebridge or Rock.

Best for: dog-owning families wanting a quiet village base for Padstow and the Seven Bays beaches without the in-town price premium. Less good for: groups where one bathroom for five is a problem, or anyone wanting a beach within walking distance.