The Red Barn

Bude sits on the North Cornwall and Devon border and offers a traditional beachside holiday for couples and families alike.

There are two sandy beaches located in the town itself, Summerleaze Beach and Crooklets Beach. Both have beach huts available for hire and overlooking Summerleaze Beach is the Bude Sea Pool, which is a free tidal swimming pool that is run and maintained by a team of volunteers (so donations are welcomed). Other beaches only a couple of miles away are Widemouth Bay, Northcott Mouth and Sandymouth Beach, all of which showcase dramatic scenery.

There are a variety of cafes and bars if you are looking to eat out, from The Barge (a floating cafe on Bude’s canal) to The Beach that serves fine dining and cocktails with fantastic views out to sea. A couple of miles outside of Bude at Northcott Mouth, The Rustic Tea Garden serves cream teas with generous amount of proper Cornish clotted cream.

If you are seeking an active holiday, then Bude has a number of surf, paddleboard and adventure activity schools to help you have fun, whilst staying safe. Bude’s beaches are favoured with surfers, kite surfers and paddle boarders. There are surf hire huts too, for those who are just ‘trying it out’.

The Bude canal has fun for all the family with pedal boats and rowing boats for hire, followed by a spot of shopping on the canal side at The Wharf, where you will find many local artisan items for sale. Throughout summer, there is also the Bude Farmers Market held each Friday and you can also find a proper Cornish ice-cream here to cool down with.

Widemouth Bay sits just a couple of miles south of Bude and while it benefits from all the Bude has to offer, is a slightly quieter setting. It is a beachside village dotted with cafes and bars, plus everything you need for a great day at the beach. Surf hire and surf schools are available and there is a very chilled out feeling to this area.

Bude and Widemouth Bay are close to the A39, which makes it easy to explore the North Cornwall and Devon coastline. Only a short drive away are the historic villages of Tintagel and Boscastle, steeped in legends and folklore. Padstow is also only an hours drive from Bude, and is favoured among foodies with many talented chefs serving up fresh local food.