Maurice’s guidebook
Beaches
A Good Beach Guide Recommended 2015 destination, Widemouth Bay is a large, open beach that’s popular with surfers and families alike. With parking at both ends of the beach along with rock pools, toilets and café – it offers oodles of convenience along with a heady dose of dramatic seascapes.
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Widemouth Bay
A Good Beach Guide Recommended 2015 destination, Widemouth Bay is a large, open beach that’s popular with surfers and families alike. With parking at both ends of the beach along with rock pools, toilets and café – it offers oodles of convenience along with a heady dose of dramatic seascapes.
Visit the part man-made, part natural sea pool which nestles under the cliffs at Summerleaze beach in Bude. Built with the aim to provide a safe swimming haven, it is topped up twice a day by the waves of the Atlantic Ocean creating a unique environment for locals and visitors alike. Bude Sea Pool has become a popular tourist attraction for Bude, offering a unique experience for the entire family to enjoy. Let your little ones get their toes wet, watch the sporty ones take a plunge or simply soak up the sunshine beside the fresh salty water.
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Bude Sea Pool
Visit the part man-made, part natural sea pool which nestles under the cliffs at Summerleaze beach in Bude. Built with the aim to provide a safe swimming haven, it is topped up twice a day by the waves of the Atlantic Ocean creating a unique environment for locals and visitors alike. Bude Sea Pool has become a popular tourist attraction for Bude, offering a unique experience for the entire family to enjoy. Let your little ones get their toes wet, watch the sporty ones take a plunge or simply soak up the sunshine beside the fresh salty water.
Part of a larger stretch at low tide, the Good Beach Guide Recommended 2015, Crooklets is a popular surfing destination; and with a host of facilities such as beach hut-hire, parking, play area, skate park, café, showers and level access – is a superb family-friendly beach.
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Crooklets Strand
South West Coast PathPart of a larger stretch at low tide, the Good Beach Guide Recommended 2015, Crooklets is a popular surfing destination; and with a host of facilities such as beach hut-hire, parking, play area, skate park, café, showers and level access – is a superb family-friendly beach.
Bude’s main beach that’s set within walking distance of the town centre, Summerleaze offers expansive sands, toilets, showers, beach huts for hire, café and shops. It’s also dog-friendly all year round, and provides disabled access along with sand chair hire. What’s more, with the canal lock gates and open-air sea pool, there are a variety of scenes, sights and things to do.
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Summerleaze Beach
Summerleaze CrescentBude’s main beach that’s set within walking distance of the town centre, Summerleaze offers expansive sands, toilets, showers, beach huts for hire, café and shops. It’s also dog-friendly all year round, and provides disabled access along with sand chair hire. What’s more, with the canal lock gates and open-air sea pool, there are a variety of scenes, sights and things to do.
With two kilometres of golden sands (at low tide), Sandymouth certainly lives up to its name. The stretch of National Trust sands allows dogs all year and is the ideal choice for families, boasting a café, parking and toilets alongside stunning natural features such as a waterfall and plethora of rock pools.
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Sandymouth Bay Beach
With two kilometres of golden sands (at low tide), Sandymouth certainly lives up to its name. The stretch of National Trust sands allows dogs all year and is the ideal choice for families, boasting a café, parking and toilets alongside stunning natural features such as a waterfall and plethora of rock pools.
Sightseeing
With a pretty route to stroll and plenty to do, a walk or paddle along the historic Bude Canal is a must for any visitor. Several features along its length are unique in British canal history, as you will discover. A unique waterway, it was originally created for transporting lime rich sand to local farms. Today it is a place for fun rather than industry. Canoes, kayaks, pedaloes and bikes can all be hired easily, while it is also a fantastic coarse fishery with some large and unusual species to catch. A level towpath also makes the canal an ideal place for wheelchair users or families with pushchairs. Follow the canal out of town and you have the chance to see all sorts of wildlife, especially as you approach Bude Marshes. Bude’s own unique “cut” is England’s most Westerly major canal. Just a short stretch remains of the ninety-five mile long project proposed in 1774.
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Bude Canal
With a pretty route to stroll and plenty to do, a walk or paddle along the historic Bude Canal is a must for any visitor. Several features along its length are unique in British canal history, as you will discover. A unique waterway, it was originally created for transporting lime rich sand to local farms. Today it is a place for fun rather than industry. Canoes, kayaks, pedaloes and bikes can all be hired easily, while it is also a fantastic coarse fishery with some large and unusual species to catch. A level towpath also makes the canal an ideal place for wheelchair users or families with pushchairs. Follow the canal out of town and you have the chance to see all sorts of wildlife, especially as you approach Bude Marshes. Bude’s own unique “cut” is England’s most Westerly major canal. Just a short stretch remains of the ninety-five mile long project proposed in 1774.
Cornwall boasts a 300 mile section of The South West Coast Path and the sheer variety of the Coast Path means that there are plenty of gentle stretches as well as dramatic headlands, steep coastal valleys, sheltered estuaries, busy harbours, intimate coves, moorlands and sandy beaches. The South West Coast Path ranks alongside New Zealand’s Milford Track, Chile’s Torres del Paine trek and Alaska’s Chilkoot Trail as one of the world’s most awe-inspiring hikes, according to the new Great Adventures book published in October 2012 by Lonely Planet. Described as “walking at its most diverse, most spectacular and most delicious,” the South West Coast Path is the only hike in the UK to make it into the highly respected guide book and one of 12 hikes identified across the globe. The SW Coastal Path around Cornwall offers short and accessible walks that you can do with all the family, that can take anywhere between an hour to a full day, or for those seeking adventure a continuous coastal challenge. The perfect backdrop for walkers taking stunning holiday snaps, seeking solitude, or enjoying the fun with friends.
South West Coast Path
South West Coast PathCornwall boasts a 300 mile section of The South West Coast Path and the sheer variety of the Coast Path means that there are plenty of gentle stretches as well as dramatic headlands, steep coastal valleys, sheltered estuaries, busy harbours, intimate coves, moorlands and sandy beaches. The South West Coast Path ranks alongside New Zealand’s Milford Track, Chile’s Torres del Paine trek and Alaska’s Chilkoot Trail as one of the world’s most awe-inspiring hikes, according to the new Great Adventures book published in October 2012 by Lonely Planet. Described as “walking at its most diverse, most spectacular and most delicious,” the South West Coast Path is the only hike in the UK to make it into the highly respected guide book and one of 12 hikes identified across the globe. The SW Coastal Path around Cornwall offers short and accessible walks that you can do with all the family, that can take anywhere between an hour to a full day, or for those seeking adventure a continuous coastal challenge. The perfect backdrop for walkers taking stunning holiday snaps, seeking solitude, or enjoying the fun with friends.
New Mills Farm is an all-weather family fun park based just outside Launceston. It's range of indoor and outdoor rides and attractions are mostly suited to young children but the whole family will certainly find something here to enjoy. Inside the barn you'll find a Pets Corner, Ball Pools, a host of games, a museum and air ambulance display. The fun continues outdoors with lots of great activities, including trampolines, swings, slides, sandpits and sports. Not to mention the go kart circuit, with karts for both children and adults. If all that fun leaves you hungry then The Hungry Farmers Cafe offers great value food. New Mills is also the only park where visitors can arrive by steam train! Dogs are welcome but must be kept on leads.
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New Mills Farm Park
New Mills Farm is an all-weather family fun park based just outside Launceston. It's range of indoor and outdoor rides and attractions are mostly suited to young children but the whole family will certainly find something here to enjoy. Inside the barn you'll find a Pets Corner, Ball Pools, a host of games, a museum and air ambulance display. The fun continues outdoors with lots of great activities, including trampolines, swings, slides, sandpits and sports. Not to mention the go kart circuit, with karts for both children and adults. If all that fun leaves you hungry then The Hungry Farmers Cafe offers great value food. New Mills is also the only park where visitors can arrive by steam train! Dogs are welcome but must be kept on leads.
Trethorne Leisure Park near Launceston is a fantastic family day out and an all-weather family tourist attraction. In the farm park we guarantee you hours of family fun, adventure and entertainment. We have over an acre of outside play areas and over 45,000 sq ft of indoor play areas and adults can join in too! In the animal barn our friendly animals include ponies, goats, lambs and pigs. Why not try our animal activities, bottle feeding the lambs and holding the guinea pigs and rabbits in our ‘In touch with animals’ session. Separately we also have 8 lanes of Ten Pin Bowling, Dodgems Rink, Games Arcade, Restaurant, Gift Shop and Conference Facilities. We feel we offer so many activities on one site, so whatever the weather you can be sure of a fun filled family day out in Cornwall.
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Trethorne Leisure Park
Trethorne Leisure Park near Launceston is a fantastic family day out and an all-weather family tourist attraction. In the farm park we guarantee you hours of family fun, adventure and entertainment. We have over an acre of outside play areas and over 45,000 sq ft of indoor play areas and adults can join in too! In the animal barn our friendly animals include ponies, goats, lambs and pigs. Why not try our animal activities, bottle feeding the lambs and holding the guinea pigs and rabbits in our ‘In touch with animals’ session. Separately we also have 8 lanes of Ten Pin Bowling, Dodgems Rink, Games Arcade, Restaurant, Gift Shop and Conference Facilities. We feel we offer so many activities on one site, so whatever the weather you can be sure of a fun filled family day out in Cornwall.
Launceston Steam Railway is a narrow-gauge line that runs from Launceston to Newmills, through the Kensey Valley. 5 mile round trip in all. At Launceston Station there are railway workshops and an engineering museum to visit. There’s also the remains of the Augustine priory that used to be at the location. A buffet is available, including cream teas! Newmills station is at the other end of the line. Trains wait here for about 10 minutes before making the return trip. By the Newmills station is the New Mills Farm Park (separate admission) with indoor and outdoor games for children, so you could take the train, play, and take the train back again.
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Launceston Steam Railway
Saint Thomas RoadLaunceston Steam Railway is a narrow-gauge line that runs from Launceston to Newmills, through the Kensey Valley. 5 mile round trip in all. At Launceston Station there are railway workshops and an engineering museum to visit. There’s also the remains of the Augustine priory that used to be at the location. A buffet is available, including cream teas! Newmills station is at the other end of the line. Trains wait here for about 10 minutes before making the return trip. By the Newmills station is the New Mills Farm Park (separate admission) with indoor and outdoor games for children, so you could take the train, play, and take the train back again.
Set on a large natural mound, Launceston Castle dominates the surrounding landscape. Begun soon after the Norman Conquest, its focus is an unusual keep consisting of a 13th century round tower built by Richard, Earl of Cornwall, inside an earlier circular shell-keep. The tower top is now reached via a dark internal staircase. The castle long remained a prison and George Fox, founder of the Quakers, suffered harsh confinement here in 1656. A display traces 1,000 years of history, with finds from site excavations. Don’t miss climbing to the battlements for impressive views.
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Launceston Castle
Castle DykeSet on a large natural mound, Launceston Castle dominates the surrounding landscape. Begun soon after the Norman Conquest, its focus is an unusual keep consisting of a 13th century round tower built by Richard, Earl of Cornwall, inside an earlier circular shell-keep. The tower top is now reached via a dark internal staircase. The castle long remained a prison and George Fox, founder of the Quakers, suffered harsh confinement here in 1656. A display traces 1,000 years of history, with finds from site excavations. Don’t miss climbing to the battlements for impressive views.
Housed in a fine Georgian building dating from 1753, in a street John Betjeman described as “having the most perfect collection of 18th century townhouses in Cornwall”, Lawrence House Museum is a real find for visitors to Cornwall. It welcomes many school and other groups during the course of its season, which runs from April to October. Entry is free to all, though donations are always welcome. There is something for everyone at the museum. The collections are housed in themed rooms featuring local history, toys to play with as well as to admire, Launceston’s famous men including John Couch Adams the discoverer of the planet Neptune, a forerunner of the juke box: a working polyphon, powered by clockwork, a rare herbarium: six volumes of over 1,000 pressed plants gathered from the Launceston area between 1881 and the 1920s. and a meticulously crafted 3mm scale model of the Launceston Southern Railway Station. The former drawing room has stunning views over the lovely garden and is used by the town mayor from time to time as his ‘parlour’.
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Lawrence House Museum
9 Castle StHoused in a fine Georgian building dating from 1753, in a street John Betjeman described as “having the most perfect collection of 18th century townhouses in Cornwall”, Lawrence House Museum is a real find for visitors to Cornwall. It welcomes many school and other groups during the course of its season, which runs from April to October. Entry is free to all, though donations are always welcome. There is something for everyone at the museum. The collections are housed in themed rooms featuring local history, toys to play with as well as to admire, Launceston’s famous men including John Couch Adams the discoverer of the planet Neptune, a forerunner of the juke box: a working polyphon, powered by clockwork, a rare herbarium: six volumes of over 1,000 pressed plants gathered from the Launceston area between 1881 and the 1920s. and a meticulously crafted 3mm scale model of the Launceston Southern Railway Station. The former drawing room has stunning views over the lovely garden and is used by the town mayor from time to time as his ‘parlour’.