Bude canal is unusual in that it starts from the harbour in Bude, with the first lock opening to the sea. The recent renovation of the lock gates means that once again ocean-going boats can be seen tied up in the bude canal basin.

How it all began

The coastal area at Bude has sand that is unusually rich in minerals, and the poor agricultural land of the locality was found to benefit considerably from application of the sand. However transporting sand was exceptionally difficult even to land relatively close to the coast.

Several schemes were put forward to construct a canal to bring the sand to the countryside. In 1817 a new route was surveyed and work commenced in July 1819. By 1823 the canal was operational, involving three locks and six incline planes over the length of 35.5 miles.

The canal system

The main line of the canal ran south east from Bude to a wharf near Launceston, with an easterly branch to Blagdonmoor, beyond Holsworthy. There was a northerly feeder arm from a new reservoir called the Tamar Lake. There were two conventional locks in the short broad canal section which terminated at Helebridge, about two miles from Bude, and ordinary coastal barges travelled this far up the canal.

Tub boats were designed to use the main part of the system, and they made the transit from the harbour at Bude, or from Helebridge if trans-shipping from coastal vessels there. After Helebridge there were inclined planes and the whole of the central part of the system was 433ft above sea level. Having no intermediate locks on the tub boat sections, the canal had to follow the contours exactly between the inclined planes. The tub boats were hauled up and down the inclined planes by chains which were operated by waterwheels.

An unhappy history

On completion of the canal, the owning company was constantly short of cash. The income was less than expected and there were many technical problems in operating the system. When the London and South Western Railway reached Holsworthy this initially  boosted traffic. The canal carried large volumes for onward conveyance by rail. However the arrival of the railway soon spelt the ultimate doom of the canal: manufactured fertilisers had become commonplace and cheap, and they could be brought in by rail, and so the demand for the local sand was diminished considerably.

Finally the tub boat operation ceased in November 1891. The canal was bought by the Urban District Council in 1902 and this enabled them to supply domestic water to local communities from the canal's Tamar reservoir.

The canal today

In recent years the state of the canal between the sea lock gates and Helebridge had steadily deteriorated, but in 2005 ambitious plans to redevelop the canal were approved. Funding of £5.5 million was obtained from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Objective One and the South West Development Agency, and the Spring of 2009 saw the completion of the massive regeneration project.

The two locks between the harbour and Helebridge have been rebuilt, the canal has been dredged and the tow paths recreated. The Bude canal and its surroundings are once again a source of pride to the residents of Bude and Stratton.

Recent guests of The Camelot Hotel included the cast of BBC’s Coast, shooting for their series along Bude’s coastline and inspecting local monuments such as Hawker’s Hut, the smallest National Trust Property in the country.

For those who haven’t heard of BBC’s Coast it is a documentary series that first aired in 2005 and is still going strong today, it covers various subjects relating to both the natural and social history of the British coastline and is presented by the prominent geographer Nicholas Crane.

Hawker’s Hut

The Hut is mainly of timber construction and is partially built into the hillside (earth sheltered) with a turf roof. It was originally built from driftwood and timber retrieved from shipwrecks by the eccentric vicar and poet.

Parson Hawker spent many hours in the Hut writing poems and smoking opium, no doubt inspired by the spectacular views over the Atlantic Ocean. Visitors to the Hut during Hawker's time there included Alfred Tennyson in 1848 (with whom Hawker toured Tintagel) and Charles Kingsley. Today the Hut is accessible on foot from the coastal footpath via a short set of steps.

The coast and beaches of Bude

The coastal scenery surrounding the beaches in Bude is stunning.  There is plenty of bird life for the dedicated twitcher and many interesting and scenic walks along the cliff tops.  The cliff faces themselves are used by rock climbers and the coastal paths around here can be quite a challenging walk.

Further along this coast is Sandy Mouth, an ideal family spot with rock pools and clean sands.  Keep going towards Devon to come to Morwenstow which is just south of Henna Cliff, the cliff is a sheer drop down to the sea and is the highest in Cornwall which gives spectacular views all the way to South Wales.

Heritage Breaks

For those of you who enjoy spectacular coastal walks and discovering Cornish heritage, The Camelot specialises in walking holidays and heritage breaks for all ages.  Click here to explore our activities and holiday information.