There is little point in giving a detailed guide to Bude and the surrounding area here, as there is plenty of information on other web sites. The most useful for the local area is: www.visitbude.info. The tourist information office for the Bude area is just a few minute's walk from the house beside the canal. For information about Cornwall and Devon generally we suggest you simply use your preferred internet search engine. The following is a very brief summary.

 

For anyone who wants an activity holiday in Cornwall our cottage in Bude is an ideal base. There is a huge range of outdoor pursuits and sports facilities available, many within walking distance. One of the largest adventure and activity holiday companies in the country is based in Bude, and there are many other smaller ones in the area offering individual tuition and equipment hire as well as courses for groups. There is of course also endless scope to do things independently. The following is a just a brief summary of the activities available, and there are some useful links included.

Surfing: Bude has some of the best beaches for surfing in Cornwall. Two of them (Summerleaze and Crooklets) are close to the town centre and within walking distance of our holiday cottage. Widemouth Bay with its long and wide beach, large cliff top car park and surfers' cafe is just a couple of miles away. Kite surfing is also possible here. The superb beach at Polzeath is less than an hour's drive, with all the famous surf spots from Harlyn Bay and Constantine down to Newquay and Perranporth not much further. Croyde Bay is about the same distance to the north. Life guards patrol all the main beaches throughout the summer, keeping experienced and novice surfers apart and away from any dangerous currents. The web site www.ravensurf.co.uk is a useful source of local surfing information.

 

Walking: There is an extensive network of public footpaths in the Bude area, both inland and along the coast, including some of the most spectacular parts of the South West Coast Path. In addition the local authority and the National Trust are very active in improving access to the coast by creating permitted paths and access land by agreement with landowners. These are well signposted, but only appear on the most recent O.S. maps. The more popular routes are well-maintained and signposted and there are numerous circular walks and nature trails of varying lengths.

Careful study of the tide tables will enable you to walk for several miles along the firm sand beaches to the north of Bude as far as Sandymouth (and its National Trust tea shop!) and Duckpool. There are also local bus services which can save retracing your steps on coastal walks. In complete contrast, large parts of north and west Dartmoor can be reached by car in less than an hour, and there is a fast bus service to Okehampton which has direct access to the moor.

The coastal path can be reached in about 10 minutes along a public footpath from the end of Mallards driveway. The canal towpath opposite the house is perfect for an evening stroll, or as part of a longer walk with a cream tea or lunch stop at the inland end of the canal, before heading for the coast and back along the cliff top. Dog-owners should note that there are relatively few dog bans on local beaches with Bude's Summerleaze, the south end of Widemouth, Northcott and Sandymouth all being dog-friendly all year round. Dog bans on other beaches do not apply from October to Easter.

 

Beaches: In case anyone has forgotten in these days of cheap flights and foreign holidays, Cornwall's beaches offer wonderful experiences, scenery and endless activities, and all completely free of charge. What's more they are never the same twice as they change every day and every hour with the tide and the weather. Bude's town beaches are just a short walk away and have fine sand for making castles and dunes for hiding in. A huge area of rocks and cliffs are accessible when the tide is low, and with careful planning you can walk for several miles to the north of Bude on firm sand through and past some extraordinary rock formations. There are innumerable rock pools to explore with a fishing net and also several caves. The sea provides endless fun in the waves, with or without a surfboard. A wetsuit will allow you to enjoy being in the sea for much longer and it is quite inexpensive to buy one, or you can hire one. Lifeguards patrol all the popular beaches throughout the summer. There is a choice of dog-friendly and dog-free beaches both locally and further afield.

 

Canoeing and Kayaking: Bude Canal is perfect for learning to handle canoes and kayaks, and its two miles of navigable water is used extensively by beginners. Surf kayaking is also very popular on the beaches mentioned above. You can launch a surf kayak from the private jetty of our holiday cottage and be at Summerleaze beach in about 5 minutes! Sheltered access to the sea from the end of the canal makes Mallards a perfect starting point for experienced sea kayakers.

 

Nightlife and indoor activities: Life doesn't stop when the sun goes down, especially if you are a teenager or young adult, so here are a few words about things to do in the evening. There are several pubs within walking distance, the nearest being the Brendon Arms by the canal. The rather posh Falcon Hotel is right next door, which also has a very welcoming bar and reasonably priced food. There are numerous wine bars and restaurants in town and all within walking distance along the canal and across the park. There is a good guide at www.visitbude.info.

Also by the canal but fortunately just out of sight and sound of Mallards there is often a fun fair in the Bude Tourist Information Office car park. There is a night club is at the bottom of town by the river, with an amusement arcade nearby. At the leisure centre on the east side of town close to Morrisons supermarket there is a swimming pool with water slides etc. together with ten-pin bowling and a large indoor playground for young children.

 

Shopping: This has to be counted as an activity these days, and we can say that Bude has been rated highly by a number of discerning and streetwise female teenagers. Bude has mercifully few of the all-too-common big names on the high street, which means that there are lots of independent shops with a more interesting and varied range of goods. There are numerous surf shops, some selling boards and equipment and others just the associated 'lifestyle' clothing. There is a small but thriving department store, second hand book shops, gift shops and many discount clothing and shoe stores. Also a couple of butchers, a dairy and of course several bakeries and small take-away food shops selling locally made pasties. This is all just 10 or 15 minutes walk away from Mallards, but if you do drive in to town it is almost always possible to find a free parking space on one of the shopping streets or nearby as the traffic slowly circulates around the one-way system. Two smallish supermarkets are in town (Co-op and Sainsburys, both with car parks) and there is a large Morrisons store on the main road out. The well-known factory outlet shopping centre 'Atlantic Village' is near Bideford, 28 miles up the A39.

 

Bird Watching: The Bude river valley is a nature reserve and there is a bird-watching hide on the opposite side of the canal just 10 minutes walk from your holiday home, or only 2 minutes in the rowing boat! In addition to birdlife on the cliffs and in the estuaries along the coast, there are also several managed nature reserves on the inland reservoirs managed by the the South West Lakes Trust.

 

Running: All the above comments about walking apply equally to runners who like to get off-road. The coastal path is particularly good for running as it is mainly dry and over open grassland, there are no navigational problems and the views of course are stunning. The canal towpath is great for a morning jog, or for those who don't like getting their shoes dirty. A major Triathlon event is held in Bude every year.

 

Rock Climbing and Abseiling: There is some good rock climbing on the cliffs around Bude, and some classic routes in quite isolated spots along the coast in both directions. There are also indoor climbing walls locally. Some of the tors on Dartmoor and Bodmin are less than an hour's drive away. Abseiling is a popular

 

Cycling: The roads are relatively quiet in this part of Cornwall and up into Devon, both near the coast and inland, so there is plenty of scope for exploring the area safely by bike. There are several well-signposted cycle routes in the area, including a local off-road but surfaced route into town, starting from the canal towpath and crossing the river valley through the nature reserve. You can also get to a number of off-road cycle routes within an hour's drive, including the Camel Trail between Bodmin and Padstow, and the Tarka Trail along the Torridge estuary. A major Triathlon event is held in Bude every year.

activity provided by the adventure centres.

 

Dinghy Sailing and Windsurfing: Although the sea in North Cornwall is too exposed to the open sea for most small boat sailors and windsurfers there are several large reservoirs in the area with excellent facilities and equipment hire. The nearest is at Upper Tamar Lake just a few miles north of Bude, while the much large Roadford Lake is about 40 minutes drive. Both lakes are managed by South West Lakes Trust . Experienced windsurfers will want to visit Daymer Bay on the Camel Estuary which is less than an hour's drive away. Dinghy sailors have a choice of sheltered coastal water on the Camel Estuary at Rock, or on the Taw / Torridge estuary at Bideford and Appledore.

 

Horse Riding: is available at several stables and riding schools locally and many more on the north and west side of Dartmoor, less than an hour's drive away. The nearest stables are just a short walk from the cottage.

 

Angling: Bude Canal is a popular spot for coarse fishermen and competitions are often held there. You can fish from the private jetty at Mallards with a local licence (close season April + May). There are numerous coarse and trout fishing lakes and rivers in the area, including several large reservoirs managed by the South West Lakes Trust .

 

Golf: There is an excellent 18 hole links golf course at Bude with views of the sea and adjacent to the town centre. Visitors are welcome. See www.budegolf.co.uk for details. For those who don't take their golf too seriously, there is also a pitch and putt course by Crooklets Beach and crazy golf in the park.

 

Tennis: There are several well-maintained municipal courts by the park between the canal and the town centre, about 10 minutes walk from Mallards.

 

Swimming: Bude has a very large sea-water pool at Summerleaze Beach which was restored and re-opened in 2005. There is also an indoor pool with water slides etc. on the edge of town adjacent to Morrisons supermarket.

 

Skateboarding: We couldn't possibly encourage anyone to use the tarmac car parks, paths and quiet back roads for this purpose, but nevertheless they are there. There is an official downhill road race held at Widemouth Bay every year and occasional events elsewhere. There is a skate park behind Crooklets Beach and a mountain boarding centre a few miles away.

 

Model Boats and Cars: Bude Canal is also perfect for radio-controlled model boats and there is a specialist shop at the Lower Wharf. Radio-controlled cars can be used in the canal-side and beach car parks in the evenings when they are virtually empty . There is an enthusiasts' weekend arranged every year.

 

 

Many common birds can be seen on Bude Canal beside the house and there is an extensive nature reserve with bird-watching hides a short walk away.