Village Guide

Special Villages & Towns

The best way to explore the area and get to know a little more about the people, their habits and their history is by visiting the many little villages and towns in the area. They offer a wonderfully varied and often amazingly cheap day out! 

As this part of Cornwall is steeped in history, you’ll be pleased to find quaint villages dotted all around Bude. Many of them have buildings of special interest and architecture as well as ancient churches well worth a visit! Perfect examples of such lovely ‘oldy worldy’ places are Stratton, Poughill, Morwenstow, Kilkhampton, Marhamchurch, Week St. Mary, Poundstock and St.Gennys.

A little further afield, to the south of  Bude, you will find Boscastle and Tintagel, which can easily be combined in a day trip. Boscastle, now famous because of the devastating floods of the16th of August 2004, is a delightful fishing village full of character. The Cornish cottages, built of the typical grey local stone, are huddled around the narrow harbour, with imposing cliffs towering above. Tintagel, said to be the legendary birthplace of King Arthur, is one of the best-known villages in Cornwall. The dramatic castle ruins, dating back to the 12th/13th century, perched high on a rugged cliff head, certainly evoke the feeling of legends and mystery. The fairly recent discovery of a 1400-year-old slate tablet has certainly re-kindled the interest and speculations about the true past of Tintagel. A visit to Tintagel Castle, as well as the Old Post Office and King Arthur’s Halls make an impressive day out!

A little north of  Bude, you will find the delightful Hartland Peninsula and village of Clovelly. The wild beauty of Hartland, with its quay and lighthouse, is fascinating. Docton Mill Gardens, Hartland Abbey and Cheristow Lavender Farm are well worth visiting too. Clovelly delights its visitors with its rather spectacular setting, quaint fishermen’s cottages and fantastic hanging basket displays. Literally clinging to a steep cliff side, it is only accessible by foot, although visitors can be taken down into the harbour by a Land Rover service.

Inland of Bude, you will find the historical market town's of Launceston and Holsworthy.