Behind the breakwater was the opening of the canal at the Bude Sea Lock, which was one of a kind featuring huge oak gates allowing vessels from up to 300 tons to travel the canal’s basin. Despite having damage from the storms over centuries the gates to this date are still fully operational and are a must-see when in Bude.
Ceasing operations in the 1890s, the railway began to be the main transport option for many but since it has had a second lease of life, now large sections of Bude Canal are open to walkers and the first couple of miles can be traversed by boat, canoe or kayak. In addition, there are multiple inland trails from where it’s possible to gain a first-hand sight of this early innovative waterway.
Bude Surfing
As many west-facing Cornish towns, the surf is amazing but the downside is finding somewhere small enough to surf when a big swell is running, but that’s only one problem during winter months. Surfing has been a part of Bude for years, it has some great surf spots in and around this town, including one which on a good day might just be the best in the UK which is a very bold statement seen as just down the road is Fistral beach. If you’re just starting out or want to try surfing then Summerleaze is the best spot as it’s a little bit more sheltered than other beaches nearby, you’ll find many surf schools which operate around Bude plus lifeguards and great facilities to go with it.
For more advanced surfers there is Widemouth Bay which has waves for all levels, while the main beach is sandy there is a rock section at the southern end with a reef break that attracts experienced surfers. On a similar level Crooklets, or known as the “Bondi of Britain”, the waves here are generally better than neighbouring Summerleaze but also somewhat more challenging.
Further along are Sandymouth, Northcott Mouth and Duckpool during low tide these beaches are joined together forming a 4-mile strip of sand, characterised by numerous rocky outcrops and with a remote air these spots can feel a little intimidating, but if you want to avoid the crowds and get some great waves this could be a good call.
For people who eat, sleep, surf then there’s a little town a few miles south of Bude known as the rocky coves of Millook Haven, somewhat off the beaten track but this beautiful spot is home to a long barrelling point break that can hold some big swells, nowadays it’s not as much of a secret but when it’s going this place is full of the best surfers around.
If you don’t like surfing or want a break Bude also is a part of the South West Coast Path. This part of the SWCP has some of the most dramatic, remote scenery of the entire Cornish leg, high cliffs and plunging valleys with long stretches of sandy beaches, one of the most demanding terrains but well worth the effort.
What was once home to smugglers and wreckers the border between Cornwall and Devon is also the haunt of the eccentric vicar of Morwenstow, Reverend Robert Hawker which you can see his tiny wooden hut built into the cliffs, this is where he was said to have to spend a lot of his time writing poems and smoking opium.
Tommy’s Pit
Part of Budes natural sea is the Bude Sea Pool or known as Tommy’s Pit, located right on Budes main Summerleaze beach. Built-in the 1930s the Tommy’s Pit sea pool gives a safe environment for getting in the sea, nearly 300 feet in length and big enough to accommodate a fair few people. Featuring plenty of shallow parts the pool is suited to experienced and non-experienced swimmers and there is a seasonal lifeguard on just to watch over the pool in the busy periods.
Originally built with the kind donations from the local wealthy family, today it is as popular as ever, although now it has to rely on funding and volunteers from the Friends of Bude Sea Pool charity. There is another open-air pool tucked away on the other side of Summerleaze which a lot of people don’t realise, known as Tommy’s Pit, a smaller pool which dates all the way back to the 1850s when it was a men-only bathing pool.