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

Great Easter holidays come to an end

We have had a fantastic Easter here in Cornwall, with three weeks of dry weather and a lot of sunshine. Our Easter visitors made the most of the weather. Lots of children enjoyed the pool and there were a few trips to the beach. Unfortunately our dry weather came to an end today with a hail shower at 7.30. This was not popular with my eldest, who refused to get up.

Our pool looking inviting over Easter – wish the weather was always this predictable!

We had some lovely feedback in the visitors’ book in the Farmhouse. Our Farmhouse is always popular with extended families and groups of friends as there is plenty of space. Take look at some photos on our cottages page http://www.hiltonfarmholidays.co.uk/our-cottages/the-farmhouse/. There were some great comments from our guests this Easter:

“The Farmhouse had everything we needed.” “Very comfortable.” “Fantastic.” “Thanks for the high standard of the Farmhouse.” We also had a note from some younger visitors “It was really fun here in the swimming pool”.

They recommended visits to Boscastle and Padstow, a walk on the coastal path and the steak night at the local pub, the Bullers Arms http://www.thebullersarmshotel.com/. The most popular beach seemed to be Summerleaze in Bude which is a big sandy beach. It is also home to Bude’s Sea Pool, definitely worth a visit if you enjoy swimming in the sea http://www.budeseapool.org/.

Dog friendly holidays in Cornwall

Are you looking for dog friendly holidays in North Cornwall? Perhaps you are thinking of bringing your dog on holiday with you. Lots of visitors to Cornwall bring their dogs on holiday. There are dog friendly beaches and attractions open all year round so with a bit of planning hopefully you will all enjoy your holiday. If you are looking for dog friendly holidays in North Cornwall the Bude area is a good place to start

Last summer we got a Labrador puppy, Toby.Toby is past the cute puppy stage now and has far more energy than we do! Over the last few months we have done a lot of walking around Bude and sometimes farther afield. We are very lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the UK and unless the weather is really bad, walks with Toby are nearly always a good part of the day.

Local walks

Toby waiting for me to climb up the hill on the coastal path.

The area around Bude and Marhamchurch has lots of good dog walks, essential for a dog friendly holiday. The scenery is very varied, from the canal tow path to fields, woods, country lanes, the coastal path and the beach. Our favourite walks are along the coastal path from Bude, usually finishing with Toby having a mad ten minutes on the beach.

Toby on the beach at Northcott Mouth

When the tide is out you can walk the long stretch of sand from Crooklets to Northcott or Sandymouth. Walk back along the coastal path and take in the stunning views. In the other direction, explore the breakwater in Bude if the tide is out and then take the coastal path over Efford Downs towards Widemouth Bay. The scenery in this direction is more rugged and dramatic. Carry on through Upton and pick up the tow path back to Bude or walk to Widemouth and back. There are plenty of cafes to re-fuel in Bude!

Further afield

If you would like to explore a bit further afield, the coastal scenery around Tintagel and Bossiney Bay is particularly beautiful. There is a car park at Bossiney Haven from where you can walk down to the beach which is well worth a visit at low tide. Or you can follow a circular walk from here to the spectacular Rocky Valley. Try the National Trust’s walk https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/tintagel-old-post-office/trails/rocky-valley-walk. There are walks in the woodland around St Nectan’s Glen with its waterfall http://www.st-nectansglen.co.uk/. These walks all have enough to keep children interested. For a longer walk you can follow the coastal path from Tintagel to Rocky Valley and back along the road.

Rocky Valley

The waterfall at St Nectan’s Glen

Walks from Marhamchurch

We are at the top of the hill so it is downhill at the start for most of the walks from Marhamchurch, but unfortunately upwards on the way back. If we are walking with our youngest child (aged 5) we usually cheat and park the car in the village. From the car park it takes around 45 minutes to get to Widemouth Bay and about the same into Bude. Widemouth is over the fields and a bit hilly. Bude is along the tow path which is nice and flat with plenty of distractions for tired children. In Marhamchurch itself there is a pretty walk along the river, the Hele Valley trail. Toby is particularly keen on a quick dip in the river.

Playing by the river in Marhamchurch

Dog friendly facilities

If you are looking for dog friendly holidays in North Cornwall the Bude area is a good place to start. There are dog-friendly pubs and cafes in the Bude area, including the village pub, the Bullers Arms http://www.thebullersarmshotel.com/. Some beaches have restrictions on dogs from Easter to the end of September but there are local beaches where dogs are allowed all year round, including Black Rock, Northcott Mouth and Summerleaze (on leads at Summerleaze). You can find out more about facilities and restrictions on beaches in North Cornwall at http://www.thisisnorthcornwall.com/beaches.html or further afield at www.visitcornwall.com/beaches

At Blackrock beach, open to dogs all year round.

Our cottages

We accept dogs in all of our cottages. Parsons and the Farmhouse both have an enclosed garden. We do ask guests to keep their dogs under control on site as there are other dogs, children and animals around. If you want to go further afield without your dog one day, there are boarding kennels nearby which will provide doggy day care or a short stay. See more about our cottages at http://www.hiltonfarmholidays.co.uk/our-cottages/