The Bude Canal was built primarily to transport sea sand, rich in lime, to farms in North Cornwall & West Devon, where the soil was poor. Sea-going vessels using the sea locks with a depth of 15 feet on an average spring tide brought coastal cargoes of limestone coal and general merchandise. The storms of 1997 severely damaged the unique sea locks but extensive funding ensured that the locks have now been reinstated. English Heritage had marked the locks as a Listed Structure and insisted they be replaced by green oak. A supplier was found in the Netherlands but initially the new locks commissioned did not fit and an additional section had to be attached to each gate. The work to replace them was completed in October 2000 at a cost of around £1/2 million and the locks were first used for vessels early in May 2001 with an official opening in June of the same year.

On the higher wharf, grain and cargo were stored in Pethericks Building, which has sadly since been demolished, although one building still remains which has been converted into flats. At the far end of the wharf, lime kilns functioned, the remains of one being visible to this day, also a foundry and a timber mill which later became a steam laundry and has now been converted into four houses. In the same vicinity, boat building and repairs took place, with boats travelling to and from the sea via the sea locks, and up the canal past Falcon Bridge, then a swing bridge, being replaced with a static bridge. There is considerable support though to reinstate a swing bridge on this site. Some original Wharf buildings survive - the Brasserie, the Bark House and the Museum (which used to be the blacksmith's shop).

HELEBRIDGE

The first part of the Bude Canal, from the sea locks to Helebridge, is a traditional barge lock canal, and is still navigable, although the lock gates at Rodds Bridge and Whalesborough have long since been replaced with concrete spillways. A level canalside walk, either to Helebridge and back, or travelling via Upton or Widemouth Bay, back to Bude, takes in not only the canal, but also the nature reserve, and a wide variety of differing wildlife habitat. At Helebridge itself, after crossing the A39, one can see the old wharf area, and the restored barge workshop, where the local council have set up a pleasant picnic area.

INLAND

At Helebridge the canal changes, and instead of locks, the canal traverses its first hill up an inclined plane. Unfortunately little remains to be seen of the incline plain but a model at the museum shows just how effective this was. The canal tub boats, with wheels fitted to their undersides, were pulled up this first plane for a distance of 836ft - a rise of 120ft. The canal then travelled through Marhamchurch, to the much larger inclined plane at Hobbacott Down, between Red Post and Stratton. Continuing on to Red Post the canal branches off towards Launceston, following the Tamar Valley, with the other branch heading towards the "port" town of Holsworthy. The Holsworthy leg of the canal also has a branch off towards Tamar Lake, which was originally built to feed the canal with water, and some parts of this are well worth a visit, particularly the old "Bude Aqueduct" where there is an interpretation centre at Virworthy Wharf. The Launceston branch nearly reached the navigable upper reaches of the Tamar and it can be imagined that this could have been seen either as a short cut for shipping from Wales to the English Channel or an attempt to set Cornwall adrift into the Atlantic!

The Canal is an important part of the heritage of the area and recently dredging work has been completed on the Middle and Upper Pounds of the Barge Section of the Bude Canal between Rodds Bridge Lock and Whalesborough Farm Bridge.

You can find out more about the Canal and the plans to rejuvenate sections and enhance your opportunities to explore and enjoy by visiting the site of the Bude Canal and Harbour Society

www.bude-canal.co.uk