Bude

Easterly Cottage is close to Bude, just five miles away from the Devon border, which makes it an ideal center from which to explore both Devon and Cornwall.  This part of north Cornwall offers peaceful surroundings – perfect for relaxing holidays, away from the traffic and congestion of home.

The rugged coastline, the natural beauty of the countryside and the superb bathing and surfing beaches of Bude are well known. From Duckpool in the north to Widemouth Bay in the south, there are beaches to suit all tastes – broad stretches of sand for sunbathing and making sand castles, surfing on Crooklets or exploring rock pools at Northcott Mouth. The resort has an open-air swimming pool, washed twice daily by the tide, and an indoor leisure pool with wave machine and slide – very popular with young children.

Bude’s many unspoiled sandy beaches are patrolled by lifeguards in the high season. For Surfers and body-boarders, the beaches are ideal and even young children become experts over the course of a week’s holiday at one of our cottages!

The two town beaches of Summerleaze (pictured above)  and Crooklets are good for families – each with a cafe, toilets, and showers. There are also the National Trust beaches of Northcott Mouth (one mile north), and Sandymouth (two miles north), joining with the town beaches at low tide to provide miles of uncrowded golden sand to walk, play or explore the numerous rock pools full of fish, crabs, and shrimps. Another couple of miles further north is Duckpool, which at low tide opens out to a wide sandy beach. The coastal path which runs along this stretch provides some breath-taking views.

Bude offers locally caught fish both in traditional fishmongers, fish and chip shops and in many of the local restaurants that specialize in local seafood. So whether you want to prepare a sumptuous meal in one of our well-equipped kitchens, grab a quick takeaway or dine out in style, you’ll be well catered for in Bude. There also are several Cornish Pasty specialists who bake a  variety of delicious Cornish pasties on the premises, and it’s difficult to walk past without buying one for lunch!

Bude provides great surfing beaches, and so there are many shops catering for the serious surfers as well as holidaymakers taking up bodyboarding for the first time, and wanting reasonably priced wetsuits and boards.

Just over the Devon border is the unique village of Clovelly, and the stunning craggy cliffs at Hartland. Within about half an hour’s drive are other major attractions – the Arthurian centre at Tintagel, charming Boscastle with its harbour, the fishing port of Padstow, and historic Launceston with its medieval castle.

For sports enthusiasts, the area offers tennis, squash, golfing, canoeing, surfing, windsurfing, rock climbing, abseiling, mountain biking, sailing, archery, ten-pin bowling and fishing. There are three adventure centres in Bude, offering tuition in many of these sports, which can be booked for an odd morning or afternoon while you are on holiday.  Bude’s 18 hole golf course has one of the finest links in the South West.

Fishermen are well catered for with coarse fishing from the Canal towpath in Bude and sea and game fishing locally. There are riding stables nearby which provide trekking along the cliff-tops and beach according to season and tide times. For cycling enthusiasts, the Tarka Trail in Barnstaple and the Camel Trail in Camelford both offer cycle rides on flat ground enjoying superb views – a great way to get fit and see the countryside! Bude has many cafes and tea shops -some with breathtaking views over the beach and breakwater. A great place to have enjoy lunch or an afternoon Cornish cream tea!

The canal offers peaceful walks, within a nature reserve, or you can hire a rowing boat and take a picnic lunch to enjoy in tranquil surroundings.  At the end of the canal, there is a wonderful walk over the cliff top and out along the breakwater at low tide. Bude castle gardens and the Bude light are also close by, and provide perfect surroundings for children to unwind, or enjoy an ice-cream, while you sample another cream tea….. (they aren’t fattening if you eat them quickly!)

For garden lovers, Cornwall’s mild climate means that there is an abundance of lovely gardens to visit. In April and May Cornwall plays host to a garden festival with more than 70 mature gardens opening their gates. Then there are all year round gardens – from St. Michael’s Mount in Mount’s Bay, Trebah on the Helford River, the Lost Gardens of Heligan near Mevagissey, Trelissick near Truro, Tresco on the Scilly Isles or the amazing tropical biomes of the Eden Project at St Austell. You will find it difficult to visit them all in one holiday.Even in Winter, you can’t keep the children off the beach! Northcott  Mouth ( pictured right at February half term) is great for making dams, diverting streams and then just before its time to go back to the cottage for a swim in the indoor pool, breaking the dam walls and letting the water flood out. Endless fun (and the children sometimes join in too)!

Once discovered families return again and again to this unspoiled and uncommercialized part of the country. We hope that we have given you a flavour of the Magic of Cornwall; now come and see for yourselves – you won’t be disappointed!