Terrific Things to do in Bude
All of our luxurious holiday rentals at Court Farm Holidays are located in stunning North Cornwall and are situated just a stones throw from the perfectly picturesque and brilliantly beautiful town of Bude.
According to some local historians, Bude has been a settlement since the bronze age but was only recorded as a dwelling since the middle ages. The population of this seaside town began to explode in the mid 19th century when the Bude Canal was built to transport the mineral rich sand of this stretch of the coastline to farms and distributors across the county. This project brought workers and their families to build the canal and work on the boats.
Bude became particularly prominent with visitors in the Victorian age when it became a popular destination for “sea-bathing” and the newly emerging seaside holiday. The prudish Victorians even segregated the two main beaches in Bude, Crooklets for the ladies and Summerleaze for the Gentlemen, so everyone could enjoy a swim without anyone seeing too much ankle! To this day Bude still attracts visitors every summer without fail, with its lovely beaches, classy selection of food and drink, and the stunning surrounding scenery.
At Court Farm we love our local town and all that it has to offer and we have got some great local tips for a day out in Bude in our back pockets, to share with you our lovely guests.
A Swim in Bude Sea Pool
Bude’s relationship with the sea is integral to every person who lives and visits there and getting into the sea for a swim is all part of that. Staying safe in the sea is alway a priority too and in fact Bude was the site of the very first Surf Rescue club in the whole of the UK in 1953.
In the UK wild swimming has taken off over the last few years with many people espousing the benefits of cold-water and sea swimming, and Bude Sea Pool is a great place to start. Originally built in the 1930s this semi-natural pool is a safe place to swim for all ages and is also completely free for anyone to use. The sea pool is overseen by Friends of Bude Sea Pool (FoBSP), a wonderful charity that helps to preserve and enhance this wonderful community amenity and help keep it safe and free for all.
A Cream Tea at Northcott Mouth
One of our favourite local beaches and the location for some of our superb cottages, is the wonderful Northcott Mouth. Situated about a mile north of Bude town centre this beach has sand, surf and one of the best places to have a cream tea in the area.
The Rustic Tea Garden is a locals favourite and is right on the coast path at Northcott. It is said to have some of the best scones in the South-West and is a gorgeous place to sit in the great outdoors and enjoy some clotted cream goodness, al-fresco. With some of the friendliest staff around to add to all this, The Rustic Tea Garden is one of our favourites, here at Court Farm Holidays.
A Coastal Lunch With Views Over Widemouth Bay
If you fancy a nice pasty, an all day breakfast or just a quality coffee overlooking one the most majestic stretches of sand in North Cornwall then why not try Widemouth Bay Cafe. This affordable and perfectly located cafe also serves up some great cakes all day long and has a good amount of space inside and out and is just a short drive from our main Court Farm base, in Marhamchurch. The Widemouth Bay Cafe is a perfect place for a breakfast or a fish and chips lunch during your stay when you don’t want to go too far from our luxurious accommodations.
Why not check out the local fish shop at Widemouth Bay, The Beach House Shop, when you’re there and pick up some fresh seafood for your dinner back at Court Farm and treat yourself to a proper Cornish meal, as they say ‘when in Cornwall, do as the Cornish do”!
Shopping In Bude
A lovely melange of independent retailers alongside some of the more well known chain stores and amenities, Bude is a great place for a little wholesome Cornish retail therapy. Of course this part of Cornwall boasts a whole host of top quality surf-shops which in Bude includes Zuma Jay, The Cabin and Ann’s Cottage, all of whom have a great range of boards, wetsuits, clothing and all manner of other surf related gear.
If a more relaxed holiday is on your agenda then why not try getting some great local food and produce from shops such as ReFILL, who serve a range of refillable dried goods from pulses to shampoos, Lansdown Dairy, serving a massive selection of Cornish produce as well as most essentials, or Electric Bakery, a hip bakery that makes a delicious range of treats and coffees. Bude is also home to the award winning Tasty Pasties, situated at the top of the high street this shop is baking some of the best pasties in the county and offers a deliciously varied choice of these Cornish classics.
In short at Court Farm Holidays we think that Bude is the best local town we could hope for. It’s just a short drive from any of our beautiful self-catered accommodation options and some of its beautiful beaches are even closer. If you have any more questions or need some more recommendations feel free to speak to our staff anytime before or during your stay with us. So when you’re booking your holiday with Court Farm Holidays, make sure you have a day spare to explore the brilliant Bude!