Bude – where coast meets countryside
Cole Porter may love Paris in the Springtime but for me you can not beat Bude in the Springtime when the whole place seems to be waking up and bursting into life!
The abundant wildlife springs to mind immediately (pardon the pun!) and you don’t have to go far from the centre of town to find some real natural treasures.
Along the Neet valley, behind the Tourist Information Centre, where the canal and river wind their way, you will find all sorts of flora and fauna.
The Warmest Welcome in the West Serving good food, well-kept beers and fine wines
Traditional Sunday roasts and homemade specials. New ‘Saddle Room’ - ideal for your celebrations, functions or meetings. Comfortable B&B accommodation and canal-side self-catering apartments, 4* luxury cottage, available all year round.
www.brendonarms.co.uk •
enquiries@brendonarms.co.uk Falcon Terrace, Bude, EX23 8SD • Tel: 01288 354542
Bude’s Premier Seafood Restaurant
Spring sees the appearance of ducklings on the canal and river, and we are delighted that Bude is home to a mother and fledgling swan. The swallows and martins will return along with sedge warblers and the Sand martins, which breed in the cliffs at Widemouth Bay, just along the coast south of Bude.
The Canada Geese, such a familiar sight and sound in Bude during the autumn and winter months with their perfect flying formations and distinctive ‘honk’, make their way back north to their breeding grounds. At any of the beaches along our beautiful stretch of coast you may see Oystercatchers.
Aside from bird-life, the waters of the canal and river are also brimming with life.
Summerleaze Beach Bude, Cornwall
01288 355222
The closed season for fishing on the Bude canal is between April 1 and May 31, giving the stocks of carp, roach, rudd, perch, tench, bream and other freshwater fish time to replenish. The river is still open for fishing.
Coastal fishing is popular from the Breakwater in Bude and the cliffs at Northcott Mouth and Sandymouth Bay are popular places to cast your rod.
www.lifesabeach.info
Or why not try a spot of sea-fishing? Bookings for half or full-day fishing trips from Bude Harbour can be made via Bude Tourist Information Centre (01288 354240) from Easter.
Bude Canal
As the weather warms up, the woods at Whalesborough and Milook will become carpeted with bluebells and the primroses will appear, heralding the beginning of summer.
Hartland Abbey, just a short drive north of Bude on the unspoilt Hartland Peninsula, hosts two Bluebell Sundays on the 21 and 28 of April, which are always popular with visitors and locals.
As the season gets into full swing and the town begins to buzz again with holiday makers and day trippers there are plenty of events going on to entertain young and old.
The 11 and 12 of May sees the re-enactment of the Battle of Stamford Hill at Stratton.
Bude Folk Festival takes place 24 - 27 May and promises lots of sea shanties, sing around sessions, concerts, dancing and festival tickets are amazing value at £30 per person. See
www.budefolk.com for details.
The Shoreline Triathalon Sunday, June 30 encompasses a 500m sea swim, 11 mile cycle and three mile run. There is also a junior triathlon held on Saturday, June 8.
Throughout the summer Bude has scores of special events from village ‘revels’ (fetes) to lifeboat displays and craft fairs so make sure you check out the events page at
www.visitbude.info for whats going on.
Penny Carrington Bude Tourist Information Centre Tel: 01288 354240 -
www.visitbude.info
The Caslte Bude has so much to offer
The Castle, once home to Victorian inventor Sir Goldsworthy Gurney, is now home to Bude’s heritage centre.
The Heritage Centre contains a range of permanent and temporary exhibitions including the story of Sir Goldsworthy Gurney, information about shipwrecks and wreckers, the unique geology of the Cornish coast and new for 2013, an exhibition on the US Rangers who trained in Bude before the D-Day landings.
Alongside the Heritage Centre there are two art galleries with free entry featuring local artists using a variety mediums, a gift shop and a restaurant.
The Castle Lawn makes for an excellent place to have a picnic and then to explore the area.
The Castle is situated next to the historic wharf with sea lock and canal that leads to Bude’s nature reserve.
40 Cornish Visitor Guide - spring / summer 2013
www.cornish-visitor.co.uk
Throughout the year The Castle hosts a number of events including the Battle of Stratton commemoration (11/12 May), outdoor theatre (Waiting for Godot 20 July) and Heritage Day (28 July) as well as being a venue during Jazz Week, RNLI day and The Poldark Fair.
The Castle has all the facilities you would expect such as toilets, baby changing facilities and a lift.
Opening hours are 10 - 4 Sunday to Friday until the November 1 then 10 – 4 Monday to Friday until Easter.
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