Bude |
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Bude is situated on the Atlantic Heritage Coast and has been attracting visitors since the Victorian times. Perfectly placed on the South West Coastal Path, and approximately 8 miles from the North Cornwall/Devon border it is an ideal location with which to explore the surrounding unspoilt coastline and superb sandy beaches. It was notorious for the wreckers in the 19th Century when many shipwrecks came to ground off the rugged coast. Bude Bay and nearby beaches provide some of the finest surfing in the county. With a choice of 6 great family beaches nearby you will be spoilt for choice. At low tide you can walk for miles along the shore and visit most of them! The town’s main beach is Summerleaze, protected by the breakwater it offers extensive flat sands, perfect for beach lovers of all kinds, plus with its outdoor seawater swimming pool it is also safe for families. The main beaches have lifeguard cover during the season from May – Sept. All year dog friendly beaches are: Summerleaze, Widemouth Bay (south), Northcott and Sandymouth Bay. Good selection of character tea rooms, pubs and restaurants to suit all tastes; from family pubs and wine bars to real ales houses and bars with music and local bands. Restaurants in superb locations overlooking the sea in Bude and Widemouth Bay plus evening bistro’s within walking distance in the town centre. A variety of Chinese or Indian restaurants & takeaways are also available in Bude. The town has an excellent array of shops to browse with small craft shops, galleries, surf shops and traditional seaside gift shops. Superb facilities and recreational activities such as an indoor leisure pool, ten pin bowling, grass & all weather tennis courts, squash courts, bowling, fishing and a 18 hole links golf course all within walking distance. Many outdoor adventure pursuits are available from surfing, kayaking, canoeing, climbing, abseiling with fully trained instructors and schools. The Bude cinema is about 5 miles from Bude town centre. Brocklands Adventure Park, a local attraction in the village of Kilkhampton, offers all weather fun, inside and out, with ten pin bowling, paddle boats, assault courses, pony rides, ball pools and soft play areas. Great fun for all the family. Each August the town taps its toes to the rhythms of the Bude Jazz Festival, with its international artists and New Orleans-style street parades. Each year the Battle of Stamford Hill is re-enacted locally by members of the Sealed Knot Society. This is a charitable society devoted to keeping the traditions of the English Civil War alive. The date for the re-enactment is the nearest weekend to the sixteenth of May. A focal point of the town is the unique working sea locks and canal, which was used to transport sand to farms in adjacent villages. Bude’s local museum is housed in what was once the Bude Canal’s blacksmith shop, and it tells the story of the canal, the men who built it and the ships that used it. A superb collection of photos and paintings illustrate the daily life in Bude & nearby Stratton, a small neighbouring market town where the infamous 7’4’’ Cornish giant, Anthony Payne lived and died. |
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