September 2017 holidays

Are you looking for a break with family or friends in September 2017? Cornwall is lovely in September, after the summer rush. Explore empty beaches or the coastal path. Pick some blackberries from the hedges. Catch some spectacular September sunsets. Hopefully we will see some late summer sunshine!

Family cottages – 10% off!

We are currently offering 10% off when you book one of our family cottages for a week between 2 and 16 September. We have cottages sleeping 4, 5, 6, 7 and 11. Contact us by email at enquiries@hiltonfarmholidays.co.uk, facebook messenger or call us on 01288 361521 for details. You can find out more about our cottages on our website .

Short breaks (minimum 3 nights) also available. Email enquiries@hiltonfarmholidays.co.uk for details.

Cottages sleeping 4-5 1 week

Pound (sleeps 4 plus cot)

2-9 September – 1 week NOW £610 (usually £680).

Swallow’s Nest (sleeps 4)

2 September – 16 September 1 week NOW £555 (usually £620).

Primrose (sleeps 5)

2 September – 16 September 1 week NOW £590 (usually £660)

Cottages sleeping 6-7 1 week

Badger (sleeps 6) 2 September – 16 September 1 week NOW £610 (usually £675)

Manor (sleeps 6) 9-16 September NOW £730 (usually £810)

Parsons (sleeps 7) 2 September – 16 September 1 week NOW £750 (usually £840)

Our Farmhouse.

Farmhouse

Our beautiful Farmhouse is available from 2 – 16 September. We have a 10% off late availability offer if you book for a week (usually £1600). Our Farmhouse sleeps up to 11 in 5 bedrooms. There is plenty of space for a large group, with two comfortable living rooms, a dining room and separate kitchen. There is a private garden with BBQ. Find out more about the Farmhouse here.

The Farmhouse is always popular with larger family groups or groups of friends. Our heated outdoor pool is open until the end of September. We also have a tennis court and hot tub on site, as well as a play area for any children in the group. See some of our reviews on Trip Advisor.

One guest who stayed in the Farmhouse commented: “Our family of 10 recently stayed in the farmhouse and we all agreed that the accommodation and facilities were first rate. The farmhouse was spotless, the pool was used every day and so too was the hot tub. My grandsons enjoyed the football goals and my little grand daughters were in their element feeding the animals. Faye and her husband were very friendly and welcoming and I would highly recommend Hilton Holidays to anyone who wants a lovely place to stay for a holiday. We will definitely be returning!”

Blackberries and eggs from our hens.

A September sunset at Hilton.

Bude

There is lots to do around Bude. The town has two lovely beaches, Summerleaze and Crooklets. Summerleaze also has the Bude Sea Pool. Most local attractions are open in September. Watersports are available at most beaches and on the canal all year round. See some of our other blog entries for ideas on what to do in the area.

Favourite walks around Bude

Crooklets in Bude to Northcott or Sandymouth along the sand and coastal path

One of our favourite walks around Bude is along the beach from Crooklets to Northcott Mouth or Sandymouth at low tide, coming back along the coastal path for the views. You need to time it right as the tide does come in quickly and cuts off parts of the beach. You can check tide times at Surf Reports.

This is a beautiful long stretch of sand with lots of rock pools and with the backdrop of the dramatic cliffs and the strange rock formations. This walk is popular with all the family and especially our dog, Toby.

Start the walk at Crooklets beach. in Bude. Parking is available at Crooklets or Rosie’s cafe or on the street from October to the end of May. Dogs are not allowed on Crooklets from Easter to the end of September. However, you can still do the walk. Just walk up above Crooklets, either taking the steps next to the Bude SSLC hut behind Rosie’s or following the road up behind Rosie’s. Go through the gate onto the coastal path where you will see a path going down through the cliffs on your left. Follow this and scramble down the rocks onto the beach. Head right and you will find a way through the rocks down onto the sand.

Walk along the sands to Northcott Mouth. This is a dog friendly beach and there is a lifeguard service in the summer. You can climb up the beach here. It is a bit of a scramble over stones at the top. You will see a cottage up on the top of the cliffs to your right as you face inland. The coastal path back to Bude runs up past this cottage. This is a fairly easy stretch of the coastal path with no really steep climbs or steps. The views are spectacular and the flowers in Spring are beautiful.

If you feel like stopping for lunch or a cream tea Margaret’s Rustic Tea Gardens at Northcott Mouth are highly recommended. The cream teas and cakes are delicious. Sandwiches and pasties are good too. All seating is outside in a pretty garden just along the track from the beach. Margaret’s is open from Easter to early October.

Alternatively carry on along the sand to Sandymouth, a beautiful National Trust beach. If the tide is low, just north of Northcott Mouth you will see bits of a shipwreck sticking up from the sands. This is the wreck of the SS Belem which ran ashore in 1917.

Pieces of the wreck of the SS Belem which ran aground in 1917

From Sandymouth walk up the path leading up from the beach. Pick up the coastal path on the right towards Bude. There is a cafe and toilet at Sandymouth (March-November, times vary), or stop off at Margaret’s at Northcott along the way.

On a good day the sea is very inviting…

The path from Sandymouth to Northcott is more difficult than the stretch to Bude. There is a steep but short climb from Sandymouth to the coastal path and a steep run of steps down to Northcott.

You can walk from Crooklets to Northcott and back in an hour if you are quick. Allow and hour and a half to two hours if you want to explore the beach or stop off for lunch. Allow two hours to walk from Crooklets to Sandymouth and back.

Things to do around Bude

We are about 10 minutes away from Bude, a small seaside town on the beautiful North Cornwall coast. Bude has won the British Travel Awards Best UK Coastal Resort two years in a row! Visit the Tourist Information site or drop into their office by the canal to find out more about Bude.

Here are some of our favourite highlights from what the area around Bude has to offer.

The beaches and Bude Sea Pool

The beautiful Bude Sea Pool at Summerleaze beach.

Bude has two beaches in town – Crooklets and Summerleaze. Try the Sea Pool on Summerleaze beach which offers safe swimming in the sea. The Sea Pool was built in the 1930s and is run by a community group. Surfing and body boarding are popular on both beaches, or try surfing at nearby Widemouth Bay. Board hire and lessons are available on all beaches. If it’s too cold for a dip, explore the rock pools at Crooklets or Black Rock (south end of Widemouth).

A walk along the coast

If you feel like a walk, you can walk along the sand from Crooklets to Northcott Mouth or Sandymouth at low tide. Please check the tide times as parts of the beach do get cut off! Walk one way along the coastal path for the spectacular views. You can pick up the coastal path at Crooklets, Northcott or Sandymouth. At low tide you can see the remains of a 1917 shipwreck, the Belem, just north of Northcott Mouth beach. Stop for a cream tea with Margaret at her Rustic Tea Rooms at Northcott Mouth (open from Easter-September). Dog owners this is a good walk with a dog but please note that there are sometimes sheep on the path in the winter and Crooklets is closed to dogs from Easter to the end of September. This does not stop you from doing the walk with a dog though. If you go through the gate onto the coastal path above Crooklets a path leads down through the cliffs onto the beach just beyond Crooklets where you can scramble over the rocks onto the beach. Or park at Northcott or Sandymouth which are both dog-friendly beaches (National Trust car parks).

The coastal path from Sandymouth to Bude on a winter’s day

You can walk from Marhamchurch into Bude along the canal and go along to the breakwater at the end of harbour – at low tide you can walk out along the breakwater. Or head south from Bude towards Widemouth Bay along the coastal path to take in more fantastic views of the rocky coastline.

Tamar Otter and Wildlife Centre

The Tamar Otter and Wildlife Centre is about 20 minutes away and well worth a visit. The otters are fascinating to watch and the small park also has deer, wallabies, owls, giant rabbits and meerkats. It is great for children of all ages. You can see the otters being fed and walk in the woodlands, looking out for the deer and wallabies.

Tintagel and Boscastle

If you are feeling energetic visit the castle ruins at Tintagel. The ruins, which are linked to the legends of King Arthur, are on a dramatic rocky outcrop jutting into the sea, with some amazing views. This is an English Heritage property so there is usually lots going on in the school holidays (open Easter-30 September). Stop off in Boscastle to explore the village and harbour or visit the Witchcraft Museum.

Cornwall at War Museum

The Cornwall at War Museum is on a bleak spot on the moors near Davidstow (open Easter-end October) on an old WW2 airfield, with exhibits in some of the original buildings. This is a small and atmospheric museum, run by volunteers, great if you have an interest in WW2 and popular with children.

St Nectan’s Glen and Rocky Valley

Two lovely walks along the river between Tintagel and Boscastle. Walk along the river to St Nectan’s Glen and see the waterfall crashing through a hole in the rocks (fee payable at cafe).

The waterfall at St Nectan’s Glen

The walk along Rocky Valley follows the river on its way to the coast, passing a ruined mill and ending with some spectacular scenery. You can walk back to the road along the coastal path above Bossiney Haven, a secluded and beautiful beach, worth visiting if you are feeling energetic enough for the climb back up to the car park.

Dramatic scenery at Rocky Valley