Devon Holiday — 12–19 July 2026

📋 The Party & Logistics

Who's Going

Adults/teens (10): Michael, Darren, Khim, Alex, Anthea, Grace, Gina, Ava, Tuck (14), Yoon (11)
Dog: Milo — Cotton de Tulear rescue, DOB 14 Sep 2024 (nearly 2)
Milo is not well socialised, especially around other dogs

Accommodation & Travel

Stay: Westlands, Wrafton, Braunton, Devon EX33 2DW
Depart: 10am, Sun 12 Jul, from Ealing W13
Drive: ~5 hours with a couple of breaks
Route: M4 → M5 → A39 Atlantic Highway (scenic)
Maps: Google Directions

🗺️ Area Map — where everything is

Base is Westlands, Wrafton (gold). Every beach, dog-friendly pub and activity in the plan is plotted below — click a marker for details. Zoom and pan freely.

Base / accommodation Beach Dog-friendly pub / restaurant Activity / attraction Shop / supplies

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Tiles via OpenStreetMap. Marker positions are village-level accurate.

🐕 Milo Care Plan

Daily Handling

Keep him on a lead in busy spots
Avoid dog-heavy areas; use quiet entrances
Call venues ahead to confirm dog-friendly indoor seating
Morning walks & late evenings tend to be quieter
Have a secure "safe space" ready at the accommodation
BBQ nights: keep Milo away from the grill, hot food & dropped skewers; the smoke and a busy garden can stress him — let him settle indoors with one person while the cooking's busy

Why It Matters

Ten people + Milo means advance bookings are strongly recommended for restaurants. This itinerary mixes iconic North Devon highlights with sensible breaks.

If Milo is overwhelmed, Westlands should have a garden/cratch area — use it as a sanctuary before/after busy outings.

Keep handy: vet contact for Braunton, local dog warden number, and a copy of Milo's microchip & vaccination records on your phones.

🌤️ Braunton Weather — 12–19 July

Sunrise: 05:09 | Sunset: 21:33 | Source: BBC Weather (updated today)

Day	Conditions	High	Low	Wind
Sun 12 Jul	☀️ Sunny	28°C	15°C	E 18mph
Mon 13 Jul	☀️ Sunny	26°C	17°C	E 19mph
Tue 14 Jul	☀️ Sunny	27°C	17°C	E 18mph
Wed 15 Jul	🌤️ Sunny Intervals	27°C	18°C	E 15mph
Thu 16 Jul	⛈️ Thundery Showers	25°C	17°C	E 14mph
Fri 17 Jul	🌤️ Sunny Intervals	24°C	15°C	W 14mph
Sat 18 Jul	🌤️ Sunny Intervals	22°C	16°C	W 14mph
Sun 19 Jul	☁️ Light Cloud	22°C	16°C	W 15mph

🗺️ Suggested Itinerary

Sun 12 Jul☀️ Sunny · 28°/15°

10am: Depart Ealing W13 with the full party + Milo

Afternoon: Arrive, check in, settle Milo in his quiet space

Late afternoon: Croyde Bay — gentle beach start, wide sand so Milo can stretch his legs on lead

Evening: First shop run to Tesco Braunton on the way in — then dinner at Squires Fish Restaurant (Braunton), or a light first-night BBQ at Westlands once everyone's settled

Mon 13 Jul☀️ Sunny · 26°/17°

Full day: Woolacombe — award-winning blue flag beach, gentle slope, lifeguards in summer

Milo-friendly on lead; early morning or late afternoon to avoid crowds

Lunch: Woolacombe Beach Bar — outdoors, relaxed

Evening: 🔥 BBQ at Westlands — sunny 26°, ideal. Grab supplies from Tesco Braunton on the way back (or eat out at The Beach House if you'd rather)

Tue 14 Jul☀️ Sunny · 27°/17°

Morning: Drive to Lynton, park then walk the Valley of the Rocks — stunning coastal scenery, paths wide enough to keep Milo away from others

Afternoon: Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway — funicular, great for kids, short & exciting

Lunch: Oakey's or Blue Ball Cafe (Lynton) — dog-friendly, call ahead

Evening: 🔥 BBQ at Westlands (sunny 27°) — easy after the Lynton day; The Oak Room is the eat-out alternative

Wed 15 Jul🌤️ Sunny Intervals · 27°/18°

Morning: Explore Lynmouth village, waterfall walks, or the Lynton Martlet Theatre area

Afternoon: South West Coast Path (small section) or beach access paths with Milo on lead; avoid peak hours

Evening: 🔥 BBQ at Westlands (sunny intervals, warm) — The Rock (Georgeham) is the dog-friendly eat-out alternative

Thu 16 Jul⛈️ Thundery Showers · 25°/17°

Morning: Croyde slip-n-slide / family fun if open, else beach games

Afternoon: North Devon coasteering (cliff jumps, sea caves & a swim — wetsuits provided, weather-dependent) or a Woolacombe Bike Park MTB session for older kids/adults — Milo stays at accommodation

Evening: ⛈️ No BBQ — thundery showers forecast, so eat in / takeaway (Dolphin Chip Shop) or Blue Groove (Croyde)

Fri 17 Jul🌤️ Sunny Intervals · 24°/15°

Morning: Ilfracombe Aquarium — compact, covered, great for kids

Afternoon: Coasteering from Ilfracombe/Combe Martin (jump, swim & traverse the cliffs — wetsuits provided, great for the older kids & adults) or a Woolacombe Bike Park mountain-bike session (jumps, drops & berms — book ahead, kit hire on site)

Evening: 🔥 BBQ at Westlands (sunny intervals) — top up supplies at Co-op Braunton if needed; The Crown and Anchor (Croyde) is the dog-friendly alternative

Sat 18 Jul🌤️ Sunny Intervals · 22°/16°

Morning: Woolacombe Riding Stables if booked ahead for older kids, or leisurely beach stroll

Afternoon: Coasteering at Woolacombe (cliff jumps & sea caves — a wet-weather winner) or a Woolacombe Bike Park MTB session for the family; beach games otherwise

Evening: 🔥 BBQ at Westlands (sunny intervals) — big final-night cook-up; The Thatch (Croyde) for pub classics

Sun 19 Jul☁️ Light Cloud · 22°/16°

Morning: Return to Squires Fish Restaurant if not visited earlier, or gentle beach time

Pack, clean, depart

🍽️ Dog-Friendly Restaurants & Pubs

Venue	Area	Notes for Milo
Squires Fish Restaurant	Braunton	Fish & chips, dog-friendly outside, call ahead for indoor seating with kids
The Thatch	Croyde	Pub food, dog-friendly, busy in summer — arrive early, keep Milo close
Beach House Bar & Restaurant	Woolacombe	Sea views, dog-friendly, relaxed vibe
The Rock	Georgeham	Very welcoming to dogs inside, book ahead
The Oak Room	Lynton	Dog-friendly, call to confirm indoor seating with a group
Oakey's / Blue Ball Cafe	Lynton	Dog-friendly eateries, good for lunch
Dolphin Chip Shop	Ilfracombe	Casual, dog-friendly, great quick bite (Squires queue backup)
Blue Groove	Croyde	Eatery, more relaxed, check dog policy
Crown and Anchor	Croyde	Classic pub, dog-friendly
Larkstone Cafe Bar	Near Lynton	Good reviews, completely dog-friendly

🎟️ Activities & Booking Links

Real operators & venues — book ahead in July. Each opens the official site in a new tab.

Activity	Where	Book / Info
Coasteering (cliff jumps, sea caves, wetsuits)	Croyde / Ilfracombe / Woolacombe	Coastal Adventures · Nick Thorn · Surfing Croyde Bay
Mountain biking (jumps, drops, berms — kit hire)	Woolacombe Bike Park	Mountain View Bike Park
Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway (funicular, dog £1)	Lynton	cliffrailwaylynton.co.uk
Ilfracombe Aquarium (covered, good for kids)	Ilfracombe harbour	ilfracombeaquarium.co.uk
Woolacombe Riding Stables (beach & country rides)	Woolacombe	woolacomberidingstables.co.uk
The Milky Way Adventure Park (indoor/outdoor, rain backup)	Near Bideford (Clovelly)	themilkyway.co.uk
Valley of the Rocks walk (free, wide paths)	Lynton / Exmoor	Visit Lynton & Lynmouth
Cinema (rain backup)	Barnstaple	Merlin Cinemas, Barnstaple

🛒 Supply Shops (provisions & BBQ)

Real Braunton / Barnstaple stores for the BBQ shop runs. Plot them on the map via the 📍 chip.

Shop	Type	Location	Link
Tesco Superstore	Big grocery & BBQ fuel	Velator Way, Braunton EX33 2FB (closest large store to base)	tesco.com
Co-op Food Braunton	Quick top-ups	Exeter Road, Braunton EX33 2JL (village, 5 min from base)	coop.co.uk
Reed Butchers	Local meat for the BBQ	Caen St, Braunton · tel 01271 812192	Find online
Besshill Farm Shop	Local / home-reared meat	North Braunton	Find online
Sainsbury's Barnstaple	Larger trip / big shop	Gratton Way, Roundswell, Barnstaple	sainsburys.co.uk

💡 Do the big shop on Sun 12 on the way in (Tesco Braunton) so the BBQ nights are stocked. Top up at the Co-op for mid-week runs. Charcoal / gas & firelighters are at Tesco & the Co-op.

💡 Helpful Tips

Plan Ahead

Parking: beach car parks fill by 10am in July — arrive by 9:30am on any main beach day
Beach gear: Woolacombe & Croyde have gentle waves; bring reef shoes for rock-pooling at Lynmouth
Cliff Railway: check opening times; can close in bad weather
Food: Dolphin Chip Shop is an excellent takeaway backup to dodge Squires queues

Apps & Rain Backup

Apps: South West Coast Path (maps), Surf Report (Woolacombe), SatisNAV (Devon lanes)
Rain backup / wet-weather activities: Coasteering (it's a water sport, so rain doesn't stop it — just check operator go-ahead on thundery days like Thu 16), Woolacombe Bike Park (MTB in any weather), Milky Way Adventure Park, or cinema in Barnstaple

Milo's reset space: Westlands garden/cratch area — sanctuary before/after busy outings.

😄 Joke of the Day

Me: If humans lose the ability to hear high frequency volumes as they get older, can my 4-week-old son hear a dog whistle?

Doctor: No, humans can never hear that high of a frequency no matter what age they are.

Me: Trick question... dogs can't whistle.