South West dairy and scenery - three plans
6-13 August 2027 · three one-base plans · nothing booked
The most dependable current choice is Dorset: it has the shortest journey, Luna stays with the family, and few critical checks could collapse the week. Its compromise is the weakest dairy content. South Cornwall becomes the better dairy-and-scenery balance only with positive Luna confirmation at Roskilly's and the chosen Lizard route. Silence still leaves Cornwall executable, but it activates the Geevor-led response, removes those two anchors and leaves Dorset as the default. Somerset/Bath has the best potential structured dairy day but also a long Kent-detour travel day and the only branch dependent on a complete care arrangement.
| Question | South Cornwall | Somerset and Bath | Dorset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working total | £2,784 | £3,488 including £750 care contingency | £2,758 |
| Base | Falmouth | Wookey Hole | Martinstown |
| Main travel | 5¾-6½ hr each way plus charge | 5½-6¼ hr each way via Birchington plus charge | 3½-4¼ hr each way plus charge |
| Luna | Comes; every stop must work | Stays with family; care and both backup layers must work | Comes; every stop must work |
| Dairy depth | Potentially strong Jersey dairy visit; dog access unconfirmed | Strongest if Yeo Farm to Fridge runs and accepts Ada | Modest: public farm vending/local cheese, no tour |
| Scenery | Lizard, Trebah, ferry and Falmouth coast | Mendips, Brean, Wells and Bath | Jurassic Coast, Abbotsbury and Purbeck |
| Main experiences | Pendennis, Trebah, St Mawes ferry, mine | Roman Baths, Wookey, Park Farm, possible Yeo | Corfe, Swanage Railway, Durdle, SandWorld/Weymouth |
| Bad-weather depth | Pendennis, Geevor, PK Porthcurno, King Edward and Wheal Martyn, with named reserves | Best: Wookey, Haynes, Museum of Somerset, SS Great Britain, We The Curious and terminal M Shed/Bristol Aquarium pair | Swanage, SandWorld, Portland, Nothe/Weymouth, Durlston, Seaton, West Somerset Railway and terminal Beer Caves |
| Main compromise | Longest direct journey; Roskilly/Lizard dog uncertainty | Kent detour and unfamiliar-care risk; Yeo not released | Dairy is real but shallow; Corfe dog access still needs confirmation |
How to choose
- Choose Dorset if the aim is the most executable, lowest-friction family week now.
- Choose South Cornwall over Dorset when Roskilly's and the Lizard positively confirm shared Luna access. Silence activates the Geevor-led response. Any move away from Cornwall uses only eligible Dorset or care-ready Somerset; otherwise retain executable Cornwall or make no payment.
- Choose Somerset/Bath only after the family care sheet, two-night backup candidate and professional trial/date/rate checks are complete; its case strengthens materially if Yeo releases an Ada-compatible event on Thursday 12 August.
What to check before paying
- Cornwall: exact Airbnb/pet rules, Pendennis opening/dog access, Lizard route access, Roskilly's farm/restaurant dog access, mine calendar and anniversary/cream-tea confirmations.
- Somerset: signed Luna routine and emergency plan, family availability, two-night backup candidate, Yappy Days trial/date/rate fit, Yeo date/age rule, all six reserve cards and Airbnb.
- Dorset: exact Airbnb/pet rules, Corfe/Portland/Old Wardour access, Swanage/Seaton/West Somerset timetables, Beer diary/terms, Durdle permission, Luna at Woodbridge/Walkabout 6, Thorncombe, cream tea, anniversary meal and Shaftesbury/Durlston.
Detailed plans: South Cornwall, Somerset and Bath, and Dorset.
Photograph
Durdle Door and the Dorset coast seen from the clifftop path, Saffron Blaze, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
