Bude-Stratton Town Council maintain several public conveniences in Bude.  The accessible toilets require a Radar Key to unlock the door – but you’ll certainly have one of these already.

The toilets at Summerleaze Beach are classed as a ‘Changing Places WC‘, so they have an electric hoist.

Accessible toilet facilities can be found at:

• Bude Tourist Information Centre (The Crescent)
• Summerleaze Beach (Changing Places facility)
• Crooklets Beach
• Widemouth Bay Beach

Cornwall Council offer a scheme which allows those who have a Blue Badge to park for free in their Pay and Display and Pay on Exit car parks for a year.

The registration fee is £10 per year, and you must register before arriving in Cornwall.  To be eligible for the scheme you must have a vehicle registered for NIL/Disabled tax.

If you have not registered for the scheme, your Blue Badge will give an extra hour for free when purchasing a Pay and Display ticket.

There are two large Beach Huts at Summerleaze Beach, just a few metres from the car park and the accessible/Changing Places toilet.

Many other Beach Huts are accessible, depending on individual needs.

Widemouth Bay

• A ramp and railing provide wheelchair access onto the beach
• Accessible cafe
• Accessible toilets

Summerleaze Beach

• Accessible beach huts
• Special Beach Sand Chair (a special wheel chair for use on sand), which can be hired at Summerleaze beach
• Changing Places toilet facility at with an electric hoist
• Accessible cafe/restaurant

Crooklets Beach

• Accessible beach huts
• Level access to the promenade from the car park
• Accessible toilets
• Accessible cafes

The scenery in and around Bude is fantastic, but it can be difficult for the less able to enjoy. There are several view points from which you can enjoy the landscape from your car.

Bude Canal

• Wharf car park, good view of the Canal with level access to shops and cafes.

Widemouth Bay

• Several free parking areas along the coast road with far-reaching views. The beach car parks offer a good view of the beach and sea with level access to the cafe.

Penhalt

• Turn right before the Widemouth Manor, follow the narrow road to the view point – you’ll have amazing views of Bude looking north.

Duckpool Beach

• A wild and remote beach where you can see the sea from your car.

• There is a great route along Bude Canal and the River Neet which is suitable for wheelchair users.
• The stretch of South West Coast Path from Summerleaze Beach to Crooklets Beach is perfect.
• At Upton, between Widemouth Bay and Bude, there is also a level all weather surface track which runs from the free car park to the cliff edge, and gives great views of Devon and south to Pentire.
• The Lower Wharf area from the Bude Tourist Information Centre (Crescent Car Park), across to the harbour is level and perfect for wheelchair users.
• The path (although gravel) around the Tamar Lakes is good and level and there is a Tramper Buggy for hire.
• The entrire path along the Bude Canal inland from the Bude Tourist Information Centre to Helebridge and the cafe at Whalesborough is level and has occasional slopes. It’s perfect for wheelchair users.
• The entrire off-road cycle path through the Bude Marshes from the Bude Tourist Information Centre to Helebridge and the cafe at Whalesborough is level and has occasional slopes. It’s perfect for wheelchair users.

• Well laid out and the grass kept short enough to use your electric chair to chase and play with your children
• A wheelchair accessible roundabout that is flush to the ground so you can get on as a child wheelchair user but also it can be pushed from a chair
• A nett swing which means even a child with little mobility can enjoy a swing when transferred from their chair.  A disabled adult can push it easily, too
• Two spinners that are easy to use and even a smaller disabled child with poor mobility could be able to enjoy
• The smaller area for toddlers is not very accessible, but you can still move around well enough
• Two picnic benches
• Plenty of space to lay a blanket out and have a picnic on the grass

There is absolutely no doubt that Bude captivates new generations of visitors year upon year. Located in North Cornwall to the backdrop of spectacular coastal scenery, beautiful beaches and an exciting range of possible activities for all the family, Bude is a historic and welcoming town that creates lasting memories for its visitors.

Bude doesn’t discriminate, it captivates everyone, often leaving visitors with a pang of envy that a community gets to enjoy such tranquillity the whole year through. However, this blog wishes to answer the following three questions about our beautiful town:

Can Bude really be enjoyed by everyone?

• Just how accessible is Bude?
• Where should those managing with disabilities or prams visit to ensure they have the best possible stay?

There are a smorgasbord of different activities, eateries and bars to visit in Bude, each with their own unique atmosphere and selling points, making each truly well worth a look. It would be remiss to blankly exclude venues and sections of the town which are not mentioned in this blog. There are far more accessible venues and activities available than even I realised in addition to a willing community of business owners who would be happy to help in any way they can. The venues mentioned in this report however, represent the most accessible in the town, a town which you shouldn’t be afraid to explore, a town which creates memories.

As a wheelchair user who lives in Bude and self-propels everywhere, the following are recommendations based on my experiences within the town. Every disability and indeed individual is different however and the most wonderful thing about Bude as a community is that people will help you in any way they can, to partake in whichever activities you choose. Having spoken to surf schools, the town’s activity centre (Adventure International) and restaurant staff, all of whom said that they would do everything possible to ensure that everyone can enjoy their venue and activities. What follows however, is a guide aimed at making your stay in Bude as enjoyable and independent as possible.

The town is attracting more and more disabled visitors year on year which is wonderful but if you have any sort of physical impairment at all it would certainly be worth bringing a wheelchair. The hills are steep but manageable. If you’re in a self-propelling wheelchair or pushing a pram then the left hand side of the pavement from the bottom of the main street (Belle Vue) is far more even. On either side of Belle Vue there are only actually a couple of shops that are inaccessible without assistance, these shops have single step access. A number of shops on the left hand side of the road have steep slopes, defined by the incline of the hill. In addition shops in Bude are often narrow which can make manoeuvrability difficult. However, shop owners are always on hand to assist. The two other streets in the town are Queen Street and Lansdown Road. Queen Street has rather more shops with single steps or steep slopes and Lansdown Road is the steepest incline in the town – one which I really struggle with and one which is definitely best handled with assistance.

Sand generally doesn’t mix with wheelchairs but the beaches in Bude are actually very accessible. You can borrow beach wheelchairs on a first come first served basis from the Summerleaze Beach Office during school summer holidays. The chairs have specialist wheels designed for sand allowing you experience the beach from the beach. Both beaches have radar accessible disabled toilets within a manageable distance. Summerleaze’s Disabled WC also has an electronic hoist to assist with transferring. Both beaches are adjacent to Cornwall Council managed car parks. If you have a blue badge and your vehicle is registered for the disabled you can apply for free parking in these and other council managed car parks.

Both main beaches also have fantastically accessible vantage points. You can stroll along the canal until you reach the end of the lock gates (harbour) and become spellbound by views of Summerleaze, the breakwater, intelligence satellites and of course the town itself. The only part of this route which offers difficulty is along the canal front, where the walkway has been finished with a cobble brick which is rather uncomfortable to travel across in any type of wheelchair.

Summerleaze beach has a seafront which overlooks some spectacular views, with accessible cafés in close residence. There is also a coastal route which runs between the two beaches, the initial part of this route from Crooklets, is hard work, with a steep and angled incline. If you can negotiate this however, then the rest of the route is both manageable and rewarding taking in views of the beaches and Bude’s famous Seapool.

If you would like to take a more relaxed approach to appreciating Bude’s spectacular views then you can hire a disability accessible beach hut. The huts, situated on the sea front at Summerleaze, have ramp access and double width doors.

AdSurf, established in 2022, is a charity committed to inclusive surfing experiences for all. Their mission is to ensure that everyone, regardless of ability or background, can enjoy the benefits of the sea and surfing.  They provide accessible and adaptive surfing opportunities for individuals with disabilities, mental health conditions, and neurodiversity.  Through their programmes and initiatives, they strive to create a supportive and inclusive environment where everyone feels empowered to participate and thrive in the exhilarating world of surfing.