Bude lies on the rugged north coast of Cornwall, close to the border with Devon. Our holiday cottage ‘Mallards’ is about half a mile from the beach and town centre, at the end of a private driveway off the road to Widemouth in an idyllic and sheltered spot on the banks of Bude Canal.

The A39 ‘Atlantic Highway’ runs a mile or so inland from the coast which makes it very easy to reach many well-known towns and villages and beaches. Minor roads close to the coast are often quite narrow, steep and winding, but will enable you to reach many other remote and idyllic spots.

Along the coast to the south of Bude there is a series of interesting villages, beaches and coastal scenery within an hour’s drive including Crackington Haven, Boscastle, Tintagel, Trebarwith Strand, Port Issac, Polzeath, and Rock from where there is a ferry across the estuary to Padstow.

To the north of Bude the coast is more rugged and has no sheltered harbours, but there are some lovely small bays, idyllic little valleys and many quite remote villages set deep in hilly and wooded countryside. Wild and windswept Hartland Point and its lighthouse mark where the coast turns to the east, and just beyond this is the idyllic old fishing village of Clovelly. Further on there are some big beaches such as Westward Ho! at the end of the estuary of the Rivers Taw and Torridge, close to the large towns of Bideford and Barnstaple. On the north side of the estuary about 8 miles beyond Barnstaple are more superb surfing beaches including Croyde Bay.

It is quite a way from Bude to another town of similar size. The nearest is inland at Launceston, 19 miles away. Bideford is 28 miles to the north, and the well-known ‘Atlantic Village’ shopping centre is here. Barnstaple is 8 miles further on. Okehampton on the edge of Dartmoor is also 28 miles, and Wadebridge on the Camel estuary is 30 miles to the south . The picturesque but very busy fishing village of Padstow is 8 miles beyond Wadebridge by car, but you can also reach it by passenger ferry from Rock if you want to combine a visit with a trip down the coast.