North Cornwall is blessed with a rugged and dramatic coastline, with towering cliffs interspersed with sandy beaches and deserted coves. The large tidal range means that beaches can have a dramatically different character at low and high tide.

At low tide many beaches are an expanse of golden sand, but when the tide comes in the sand is sometimes covered, perhaps leaving just a narrow pebbly strip at the head of the beach. Here is a description of all the beaches close to the Camelot. All these beaches have lifeguard cover during the holiday season (May to September).

Polzeath

Polzeath is about 40 minutes drive from the Camelot, but it is one of the most popular beaches in Cornwall. It is wide and Sandy, and sheltered by low cliffs on both sides. The sand is firm and most of the car parking is actually on the beach itself. The surf here is very mellow and great for learner surfers and children. With all the amenities close to the beach, a good surf shop, and easy parking, this is a great family beach.

Trebarwith Strand

Although a little off the beaten track this is a very picturesque beach. At high tide the beach disappears completely and all you will see is a bay surrounded by high cliffs. This is the time to retire to the Port William pub which overlooks the bay. There is not much parking close to the beach but there is a large car park five minute’s walk away. Access to the beach is by a short but rough track. Although plenty of families with very young children come here it is perhaps better suited to those with slightly older kids who will enjoy exploring the rock pools.

Crackington Haven

Crackington is dominated by the very high cliffs on both sides which gives it a slightly closed-in feel. It is quite rocky and there is often not that much sand, but it is never really busy and it does have a car park, toilets and cafe very close to the beach, not to mention the Coombe Barton pub which overlooks the beach.

Widemouth Bay

Just five minutes south of Bude, Widemouth is a very popular beach. It is wide and sandy with ample car parking just feet from the beach. It is a great place to learn to surf. For those wishing to explore, a few minute’s walk up the beach in either direction leads to a more secluded and sheltered part of the bay, with plenty of rock pools for the kids. A cafe, toilets, and surfboard hire are all available at both ends of the beach. In fact sometimes at high tide the beach is briefly separated into two by a low promontory, and at times like this it seems there are two different beaches, each with its own character and facilities.

Summerleaze

Situated in the heart of Bude, this beach has it all. Except at low tide, the beach is sheltered from the heaviest of the surf by the breakwater. There is ample car parking, excellent facilities and easy access to the beach. And there is plenty of additional interest close at hand. To one side of the beach is Bude's sea pool - naturally filled with seawater at high tide, it gives the experience of being in the sea but in a sheltered environment. On the other side of the beach is Bude’s small harbour and the lock gates where the canal enters the sea. Overlooking the beach is an excellent cafe and bistro: Life’s a Beach. At low tide acres of sand are uncovered and the beach merges with the neighbouring beach, Crooklets.

Crooklets

Just a few minute’s walk from the Camelot Hotel in Bude, Crooklets beach is the home of the country's first Surf Lifesaving Club: you will always see very good surfers in the water here. There is parking, toilets and a cafe just yards from the beach. On the lowest of low tides it is possible to walk northwards along the water's edge for miles, perhaps with a little rock hopping, to the next two beaches.

Northcott

Just a few minute’s drive from the Camelot Hotel, or a mile’s walk along the cliff tops, is Northcott beach. There is limited parking and no facilities but It is a lovely spot and quieter than the busy beaches of Bude. At high tide there is often very little sand, but there is no shortage of rock pools to explore!

Sandymouth

Owned by the National Trust, Sandymouth is a stunningly beautiful stretch of coast. At low tide the sand extends north and south for about a mile, interspersed with fingers of rock. At high tide there is often not much more than a narrow pebbly beach with cliffs behind. If walking on the beach towards high tide take care not to be cut off. The sandbanks here make it a popular place for experienced surfers, but there can also be dangerous currents and you would be well advised not to swim in the sea here unless in the lifeguard supervised area. The car park and cafe are quite close to the beach, but access to the beach is down a short but fairly steep rough track.

Own a dog?  Read our blog post on which of these beaches are dog friendly for your holiday here.

To make sure you get the most out of your stay with us at the Camelot Hotel, whether it’s one night bed and breakfast or a week long holiday, we strive to find out what’s going on in the area. If you’d like to know more about any of these events just get in touch.

Beauty and The Beast – Open air theatre 30/07/10
Performed in the Castle grounds, Bude, by Chapterhouse Theatre Company. Come along to watch this heart-warming story of fun and friendship in fancy dress and join Louisa and her friends in a fairytale parade during the interval . Grounds open for picnics from 5pm. Refreshments available. Bring your own rug or seating.

Bridgerule Carnival 31/07/10
The carnival kicks off with the procession starting at 7.30 pm. This small village really pushes the boat out each year for their carnival with rows of stalls along the roadside, open BBQ and processions. The village also is home to the famous Bideford Pipe and Drum Band and hosts a selection of vintage cars and motor bikes. The procession itself has many tableaux, some walking fancy dress and an equestrian section.

Leopallooza 31/07/10
Bude's very own rock festival is now in its fifth year with many great and varied acts in the line up. Leopallooza V kicks off from 9AM on Saturday 31st July through to 4PM on Sunday 1st August at The Wyldes just south of Bude. 

Clovelly Lifeboat weekend 31/07 – 01/08/10
A great day out for all the family, packed full of fun and action down at the harbour. Lots of stall and activities in this beautiful and unique village.

Sorry! That's Life by Footsbarn Theatre 31/07/10 for 2 weeks
After a 2 year break Footsbarn return with their Big Top at Carruan Farm near Polzeath. Clowns and undertakers. Actors and tractors. Corpses and horses. Theatre and circus. Footsbarn have joined forces with Pierre Byland and Cirque Werdyn, a gypsy horse circus to bring you an evening of burlesque and anarchy with our big top in Victoria Park.

Hevva Hevva Ceili 07/08/10
Never been to a Cornish Ceili? Worried you won’t know the steps? Don’t be, traditional Cornish dance and music group, Hevva Hevva will set your feet-tapping and before you know it you’ll be dancing with the best of them. Hevva Hevva have a caller and all you do is follow what they call. Venue is Bude’s Parkhouse Centre (8.00pm - 10.00pm).There is a bar on site and tickets include an authentic Cornish pasty.

Bude Canal Guided Walk 15/08/10
Bude has one of the few canals in Cornwall. It has some of the most extraordinary engineering features of any canal in the county. Meeting at the newly renovated sea locks at 2pm, this walk will take us along the canal towpath to the Barge Workshop at Helebridge, Nr Marhamchurch, a distance of about 2 miles. The walk takes about an hour allowing for some explanations of features en route. The walk will terminate at Helebridge Basin.

Bude Carnival 21/08/10
Starting at 2PM, the Bude Carnival is a highly anticipated event throughout the area. This year’s fancy dress theme is Disney and will involve several walking parades throughout the day and a motor parade in the evening. With several events proceeding throughout the day such as karaoke, competitions and various tableaux, Bude’s annual carnival is fun for young and old alike.

Jazz Festival 29/08/10 for a week
Each year during the August Bank Holiday week the Camelot Hotel bustles as Bude’s streets dance to the sound of jazz as people come far and wide to listen to a diverse selection of music as the annual jazz festival kicks off. Held annually the Bude Jazz Festival is a riot of sound, colour and excitement. With more than 140 items on the programme each year, you'll be spoilt for choice when it comes to jazz. All the venues are played by the finest jazz musicians from the UK and overseas and also feature many talented young artists. The musicians come from all backgrounds and their styles range from blues and ragtime to mainstream and bop, with an especially rich choice of old-style New Orleans and classic jazz. Starting on the 28th of August and reaching its show stopping finale on the night of the 3rd of September, The Bude Jazz Festival is a landmark in the Jazz landscape!

Surfing is great fun
Whether standing up, or lying down, surfing all the way to the beach for the first time is an amazing experience. And there is nowhere better to learn to surf than North Cornwall. The wide, sandy beaches and consistent surf here make Bude a favourite destination for people wanting to learn to surf. So, book in to the Camelot Hotel and get wet!

Surfing equipment
All you need to learn to surf is a surf board! But it also helps if you have a wetsuit, and in the winter at least, wetsuit boots and gloves. Surfing is not nearly so much fun if you are cold. Boogie boards are cheap and readily available at many different shops in Bude. But if you want to stand up you will need a proper surfboard. And whether you hire one or buy one, there is one golden rule - make sure it is big enough. The bigger the board the easier it is to catch waves and the more stable it is, making it far easier to get your feet. Whether buying or hiring make sure you get the advice of the staff in the surf shops, who will all be experienced surfers.

Surf schools
If you are serious about learning to surf, by far the best way is to have a proper lesson. There are a number of surf schools in and around Bude. All of them have trained coaches and provide everything you need. Whoever you choose, make sure they are affiliated to the British Surfing Association who insist that coaches are also trained lifesavers. A typical lesson will last 2 1/2 hours, and in it you will learn everything you need to know about surfing. After that it is simply a case of practice, practice, practice.

Surfing beaches
The best beaches for learning to surf are wide, sandy and flat. Here the waves will be gentler and you'll have plenty of room. And flatter beaches generally have fewer currents. Avoid surfing near rocks, and take care that there are no rocks hidden below the surface. The best beaches to learn to surf on are Widemouth to the south of Bude, and Summerleaze in Bude itself. Crooklets in Bude is also excellent, as is Sandymouth a few miles to the north.

Surf safely
All the main beaches in North Cornwall have lifeguard cover throughout the summer. They are normally on duty from 10am to 6pm. If at any time you get into trouble in the surf simply hold on to your surfboard and raise your arm: this is this signal that you need help and the lifeguards will be with you very quickly. If there are dangerous currents the lifeguards will put up the red flag, and although you will see experienced surfers out in the surf you would be well advised to stay on the beach. If there are no lifeguards on duty avoid surfing at low tide when the currents are usually at their worst. In fact as a learner surfer your biggest risk is not from the sea but from being hit by your own, or someone else's, surfboard. When you wipe out (all part of the fun!) cover your face with your arms as you come to the surface to protect yourself from your board. Try to avoid getting in other people's way, and try not to crash into anyone yourself!

Surf schools in the Bude area
Oudoor Adventure
Raven Surf
Atlantic Pursuits
Big Blue
BSX

Blanchminster - the oldest charitable trust in the world
Bude houses what is believed to be the oldest ongoing charitable trust in the world. The Blanchminster Trust originated in 1421 and since that date has been actively engaged in providing assistance to persons originally in Stratton and Poughill and later in Bude.

In its early years the Charity had religious objectives as well as providing help for needy people. Since 1893 the Charity Commission has regulated the activities of the Trust. and its 'Area of Benefit' comprises the Parishes of Bude, Stratton and Poughill. The Board of Trustees is made up of thirteen local people. They receive no payment or allowances and give their time freely in the service of the Trust.

The Trust has two principal Objects
Firstly - to promote Education by the provision of assistance to those in need of help. Education is widely defined and not limited to formal school or university activities. It includes involvement of people in sporting activities, community service and further training after the end of their formal education.

Many of the young staff at the Camelot Hotel have been given generous financial assistance when, on leaving school, they move on to further education. Everybody in the community is aware of what the Trust has to offer, and many apply successfully for financial help.

Secondly - 'The Relief of Need'. Anybody who can provide proof of financial need and who is resident in the 'Area of Need' can apply. Help may be in the form of a cash grant, equipment for the disabled, travel costs to visit the sick, and the like. Again the local community, when suffering hardship, know that requests for help will be sympathetically listened to.

Additionally - Also the Trustees may, in certain circumstances make grants to local organisations of a charitable nature where the help is for the benefit of the community. For example, the Trust funded the building of a Crèche alongside the local Junior School.

May The Blanchminster Trust continue to help the citizens of Bude and Stratton for another five hundred years!!!!

Play golf at Oake Manor on the way to the Camelot
Oake Manor, only a few minutes’ drive from junction 26 of the M5 motorway, is a popular stop for golfers wishing to play a round on their way down to the Camelot Hotel.

Nestling between the Quantock, Brendon and Blackdown Hills, Oake Manor is delightfully situated; surrounded by some of Somerset’s most breathtaking countryside, offering spectacular views and a superb golf course.

The well-established 6105-yard par 70 course is a firm favourite with golfers far and wide. Designed in 1992 by Adrian Stiff, who also built the Kendleshire & Players Club, Oake Manor offers a challenging and memorable round for all standards of player. The layout of the course takes the golfer on a varied journey, taking in breathtaking views of local hills and countryside. No two holes are alike and the entire course overflows with spectacular interest.

Water hazards on 10 of the 18 holes
A series of lakes, cascades and a natural trout stream run through the course, creating water hazards on ten of the 18 holes. You are never far away from the sound of running water and quite likely to spot a Kingfisher, heron, swan or buzzard during your round. The course is easy walking with no severe climbs.

In the clubhouse golfers can choose from the extensive range of homemade bar meals or select from the excellent a la carte menu. The lounge is perfectly located to take in panoramic views while watching golfers drive from the 1st tee. Adjacent to the clubhouse the 11 bay covered driving range offers the perfect facility to warm up before play, or use the two splendid 175 yd hole par 3 academy holes. A short game area with bunkers, chipping, and putting facilities is located near the clubhouse.

And then on to the Camelot
Although the 19th hole is an attractive place to pass the time at the end of a round, make sure you allow time to get to the Camelot Hotel for a drink or two before enjoying a great evening meal in Hawkers Restaurant.

The second Camelot Golf Cup competition was held on the weekend of Friday 23rd & Saturday 24th April 2010. The competition, played on a beautiful Saturday morning over the Bude links, was made slightly more difficult with a gentle breeze which tested all of those who competed.

All eight competitors were keen to win but golf is difficult enough without trying to win! As the organiser, I joined the last group with Pauline Pullin and Owen Polden. Whilst I have played shots from most places on the course, I did spot one or two players in front who were attempting the most audacious shots from places I didn't realise existed.

With honours fairly even at the turn the more difficult back nine produced some exciting golf and a close run result. The winner, Peter Wilkie won the event with a total of 31 points, just one point ahead of last year's winner Jeff Pullin, and proudly took home a voucher for £350 to use in conjunction with his group's next visit to the hotel. Well done Peter and everyone else who competed and we are all looking forward to next year's event. If you did not send a team this year, make sure to ask about the event on your next visit.

Martin (part-time chef & golfer)

How Hawkers Restaurant was named

In 1999 when the Naylor family purchased The Camelot Hotel they decided to carry out a complete refurbishment including the creation of a new restaurant. A competition was held amongst the Bude craftsmen working on the job as to what the restaurant should be called. The winner was our plumber, Terry Bale, who is a Cornish patriot with a great knowledge of Cornish history who was born in a house at the end of the hotel car park.

His recommendation was the restaurant should be named after Parson Robert Hawker

Hawker was born in Plymouth in 1803 and as an undergraduate at Pembroke College, Oxford, aged 19 he married his godmother, Charlotte, aged 41. She had money of her own and the marriage, along with a legacy, helped to finance his studies at university. He graduated in 1827 and won the prestigious Newdigate Prize for poetry. He took Anglican orders in 1831, and became  in 1834 vicar of the church at Morwenstow, a scattered and isolated community some 5 miles from Bude. There he remained as Parson Hawker until he died in 1875.

The early years in Morwenstow

When Hawker arrived at Morwenstow there had not been a vicar in residence for over a century and he found his isolated church half in  ruins and the vicarage used for contraband storage. Using his wife’s money he repaired the church. He also built himself a remarkable vicarage, with chimneys modelled on the towers of the churches in his life: those where he had been curate, plus that of Magdalen College, Oxford. The vicarage’s kitchen chimney is a replica of Hawker’s mother’s tomb. The tiny hut he built out of driftwood, where he wrote his poetry, still stands on the cliff edge and is now renowned as the National Trust’s smallest property.

The compassionate Parson Hawker

Along the Bude west facing coast line, fierce winter gales drove many a sailing ship onto the rocks below the church. Prior to Hawker’s arrival the bodies and remains of shipwrecked sailors were buried on the beach where they were found or left to the sea. Hawker, however, insisted that  his parishioners help him carry the remains of drowned sailors up the steep cliffs and to bury them in designated ground at the entrance to the churchyard. It was a job that only the strong of nerve and stomach could handle. There still stands the figurehead of the ship ‘The Caledonia’ which foundered in September 1842. Nearby stands a granite cross marking the grave of 30 or more seafarers of the ‘Alonzo’, also wrecked in 1842.

The eccentric Parson Hawker

There are many stories of Hawker’s eccentricities and it is difficult to judge which are true and which are false. He is famed as being dressed in a claret coloured coat, blue fisherman’s jersey, long sea boots, a pink brim less hat and a poncho made from a yellow horse blanket, which he claimed was the ancient habit of St Padarn. The only black things he wore were his socks! Other eccentricities included dressing up as a mermaid and excommunicating one of his cats for mousing on Sundays. He talked to the birds, invited his nine cats into church and kept a huge pig as a pet.

Hawkers Restaurant

For more than forty years Parson Hawker admonished and ministered to his flock and waged war against the establishment  and the social injustices of the day. The stories about him abound and today he is revered as a great and colourful Cornish personality. Who better to give his name to our restaurant?

Today’s featured golf course is St Enodoc, a first rate course which is always a favourite amongst Golfing parties at the Camelot.

Finest links course in the South West?

Ranked 55th in the World for 2009 by Golf Digest for courses outside the United States, St Enodoc has one of the finest links golf courses in the South West of England with everything you would expect from a James Braid design; undulating fairways, firm greens, some blind shots and all with the added bonus of some of the greatest sea and estuary views on any course in the world. With its hilly terrain no two holes are the same; it may not be long by today's standards but it is tight with punishing rough and so requires courage and accuracy to cope with some of the problems posed.

The Church course

St Enodoc's Church course enjoys a justified reputation as one of the West Country's finest links layouts. It may not look it but the par 5 1st is one of the easier holes even if you have to thread your way carefully between the sand dunes. Pars are harder to come by on the long par 4 2nd and 3rd holes.

The 6th really sticks in the mind - a 378-yarder that kinks left at driving distance then climbs up to the green. A hidden fairway bunker may catch out longer players seeking a view of the green but laying up short and right leaves a blind shot over the cavernous "Himalaya" bunker you simply don't want to be in.

The 10th hole is often described as the course's signature hole as it winds its way towards 11th Century St Enodoc Church where John Betjeman lies buried beside his favourite course. It is Stroke Index 1 for good reason! A good drive needs to be followed by an even better second to avoid the lateral hazard which runs the length of the hole which creeps ever close to the left side of the green.

Over the memorable final stretch it is hard to find the right club on the downhill par 3 15th, while the par 5 16th boasts a roller-coaster fairway and potentially distracting sea views all the way down the right. The hole has been lengthened to 560 yards with a two-tier green surrounded by deep bunkers and has now become a stern test particularly into wind and sets the tone for the closing three holes.

You'll need to conjure up your best strikes to make par on the long par 3 17th and tough 446 yard 18th. As you putt out in full view of the clubhouse, you'll probably have total recall of all the magnificent holes you've just enjoyed - a sign of a truly great course. Any visitor who plays to their handicap here can leave feeling that they have done really well.

The Holywell course

The 4082 yard Par 63 Holywell course is also maintained to a very high standard and while it may be less demanding on stamina, it still provides a real test of skill for golfers of any handicap.

 

Bude is proud of: the Cornwall Air Ambulance

A familiar sight in the skies above Bude is our own distinctive red and yellow helicopter, the Cornwall Air Ambulance.

First introduced as an integral part of Cornwall’s ambulance service in April 1987, the Air Ambulance is charitably funded by the Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust and it is the fantastic support given by the people of Cornwall and local businesses that keeps the Air Ambulance flying.

 

The Air Ambulance can reach any part of Cornwall in 20 minutes

The County of Cornwall has a widely scattered population with remote communities and many narrow lanes, often making the use of conventional ambulances more difficult. Our beaches, cliff tops, moorland and the sea attract many people who participate in water sports and extreme sports which also increase the incidence and severity of accidents. Bude is an hour's drive from the nearest major hospital so having the Air Ambulance on call is a great benefit to the town. And although no-one from the Camelot Hotel has ever required the Air Ambulance's services it's a comfort to now it's only a few minutes away.

From its base at Newquay Airport, Cornwall’s Air Ambulance can reach any part of the county within 20 minutes, and the Isles of Scilly in 28 minutes. This purpose-built aircraft flies at 140mph, and on average arrives on scene within 12 minutes of a 999 call so although it is expensive, its use can significantly reduce the time taken to convey seriously ill and injured people to hospital. In very many cases over the last 23 years, this has simply been the difference between life and death.

 

The Air Ambulance attends about 1000 incidents a year

In its 21st year, the helicopter attended its 20,000th 999 emergency call, and statistics for recent years show that the service is attending around 1000 incidents each year. This is one of the busiest helicopters in the UK, and is tasked several times every day, giving Cornwall a hardworking value for money service.

Space inside the Cornwall Air Ambulance is limited but it is fully equipped like a road ambulance. Equipment carried on board includes a range of monitors, which give the paramedics and the emergency teams in the hospitals important information about the patient.

There are many other carefully stowed bags and containers, each containing equipment, dressings and drugs used to save lives and manage the patient’s condition at the scene, and during the journey into hospital.

 

The Cornwall Air Ambulance was the first

The Cornish people are extremely proud of the air ambulance, and especially of the fact that it was the first of its kind in the UK, a successful model that has been envied and copied across the majority of the country, where there are now 26 air ambulance helicopters, the majority funded by charitable donations just like ours in Cornwall. The helicopter bears the wording “Funded by the People of Cornwall” along the fuselage, because whether through donations, legacies, the lottery or the collection jars, it is the people of this county that have remained steadfastly supportive and passionate about their air ambulance.