An idyllic place… absolute heaven.’ So say regular visitors to Martyn Scarterfield and Petra Lampe’s dog-friendly B&B with ‘fabulous views’ over Bigbury Bay. New arrivals receive ‘a really warm welcome’ from the ‘charming and friendly’ hosts, Martyn Scarterfield and Petra Lampe. There is a Three Bears choice of bedrooms – small, medium and a large, each just right in its way. A dual-aspect room has ‘stunning panoramic coastal views’. All are homely in the best sense, supplied with biscuits and sherry. In an Edwardian house built as a holiday home, rattan chairs and potted palms abound, especially in the light-filled breakfast room overlooking the Avon estuary. You can sit out on the decking – or by a wood-burning stove in a lounge. Dogs are welcomed by the owner’s Labrador, Caspar. At night, with three days’ notice, residents can dine in. Martyn’s limited but ‘tasty, generously portioned’ three-course menus might include melon with Parma ham and figs, a steak or fresh fish, pear and frangipane pudding. Breakfast choices include an ‘excellently cooked’ full Devon, eggs Benedict, kippers, smoked salmon. Steps lead to the beach; the South-West Coastal Path runs right by. ‘No doubt we will be back once again!’ (SR, SH)