THE AREA
North Cornwall is still the undiscovered jewel in the West Country Crown and that's one of the reasons why we think it's so special!
Something happens to you when you stand on a cliff top in North Cornwall, you just can't help it; you're just overwhelmed by the scene.
You'll fall under the same spell on hot summer days, counting the waves breaking on the crescent beach; on crisp autumn morning hikes across
the heath land; or on spring afternoons on the coast path, watching fishing boats pull in and out of the harbour beneath you, even at night
the stars seem, somehow closer, and yes brighter
North Cornwall is an area of contrasts and whilst not being all things to all people, will certainly have something for every one. Vast
sandy beaches, quiet rocky coves, quaint fishing villages, beautiful country houses and gardens, country and coastal walking for the once a
year walker or the hardened enthusiast and even the Tate Gallery at St Ives for the lovers of art.
The ancient village of Stratton is a pleasing jumble of narrow streets and quaint houses, and the centuries-old Tree Inn is the birth
place of the famous Cornish Giant, Anthony Payne, who fought at the Royalist Civil War victory of Stamford Hill in 1643, re-enacted annually
every May
Bude where coast meets countryside
A seaside town situated on the Atlantic Heritage Coast. Everything for the perfect break.
Bude has been welcoming visitors since Victorian times. The charm and atmosphere of a traditional seaside resort are retained in
harmony with modern services and facilities to satisfy today's discerning visitor.
The town is situated on the Atlantic Heritage Coast of Cornwall, adjacent to fine sandy beaches, and on the South West Coastal Path.
Bude and nearby beaches provide some of the finest surfing to be had in all England; most beaches have lifeguard cover during the Summer
months.
There's much more
than sea and sand here too. The town has excellent sport and leisure facilities - including an 18-hole golf course, and heated indoor
swimming pool an interesting selection of shops, the many fine restaurants, evening concerts and dancing - all provide a varied and
satisfying seaside menu.
Each summer the town swings to the rooty tooty rhythms of the famous Bude Jazz Festival, and then there's the Cajun music festival,
a spectacular carnival and Lifeboat day in August.
A few minutes walk from the town centre and you can be exploring the dramatic scenery of the South West Coastal Path, or discovering
the famous Bude Canal an engineering fete of the early 19th century, or walking in some of the most unspoilt rural areas to be found in
the South West. The Bude and Stratton Museum will give you an insight to some of the towns history
Take the north road out of Bude and you're soon amidst scenery of unforgettable beauty. From the towering cliffs which gird storm-lashed
Morwenstow, you can watch the changing moods of the Atlantic. In the churchyard are graves of shipwrecked mariners, buried by the
eccentric sea-booted poet, Parson Hawker. Then sit for a while in the hut, tucked into the cliff face, where he penned his verses.
Explore further inland, have a ploughman's lunch at the Tree Inn in Stratton, birthplace of Giant Anthony Payne, who threw his massive bulk
behind the Royalists in the Battle of Stamford Hill. Choose your favourite village from Kilkhampton, Marhamchurch, Week St Mary, and many
others, each with its individual charm. And as you're cruising the lanes you'll notice how the wild landscape of Cornwall is tamed into the
rolling hills of the Upper Tamar.
Just a step across the border, the town of Holsworthy with it's leisure centre, museum, Wednesday livestock and street markets, is an ideal
place to spend a few hours. You'll enjoy the best of both worlds here: a traditional rural atmosphere within easy striking distance of the
coast - including lovely Clovelly, spectacular Hartland Point and mysterious Lundy Island.
Head south along the coast road and hammered by the relentless Atlantic rollers, the rugged coastline from Widemouth Bay to the Camel Estuary
is the highest cliffscape in Cornwall. If your walking along the coast path you'll need to stop often just to take in the sheer scale of it
all, or even stroll down to the dramatic beaches at Crackington Haven or Trebarwith Strand to take a closer look. But don't rush... the view
round the next corner has been millions of years in the making, so it'll keep a few moments longer.
Attractive fishing villages have found their niches in these perpendicular cliffs. Port Isaac, where Squeeze-ee-Belly alley weaves down to a
harbour hemmed in by fish cellars, Rock, Polzeath and the Camel Estuary. At Boscastle, watch incoming boats as they steer through the
cliff-hung entrance to the calm of the harbour within. And in the evenings, you'll find some of the day's catch served up in local
restaurants!
