Bude Canal and Coast circular walk

Bude Canal and Coast

The path along the canal is fenced-off outside the Visitor Information Centre whilst the canal is being dredged. You can cut through the car park instead the end of the walk. There's some more parking near the Methodist church (dir 23) if there is no space in the Crescent car park.

A figure-of-8 walk at Bude where the demand for lime-rich sand could not even be met by 4000 horses a day and so a 35-mile canal was built to transport it to the Tamar Valley.

Get the app to guide you around the walk

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Download the (free) app then use it to purchase this walk.
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The app will direct you to the start of the walk via satnav.
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The app guides you around the walk using GPS, removing any worries about getting lost.
Phone showing walk directions page in the iWalk Cornwall app
The walk route is described with detailed, regularly-updated, hand-written directions.
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Each time there is a new direction to follow, the app will beep to remind you, and will warn you if you go off-route.
Phone showing walk map page in the iWalk Cornwall app
A map shows the route, where you are at all times and even which way you are facing.
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Each walk is packed with information about the history and nature along the route, from over a decade of research than spans more than 3,000 topics.
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Once a walk is downloaded, the app doesn't need wifi or a phone signal during the walk.
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The app counts down distance to the next direction and estimates time remaining based on your personal walking speed.
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We keep the directions continually updated for changes to the paths/landmarks - the price for a walk includes ongoing free updates.

either as a GPS-guided walk with our app (£3.29) or a PDF of directions (£2.79) Example of directions

The route can alternatively be done as two separate shorter circular walks. The first loop is along the canal and returns along the cycle track across Bude Marshes. The second loop of the walk is along the coast past the Sea Pool to Crooklets, returning past the Bude Tunnel and through the town.

Highlights

  • Shops and cafés in the seaside resort of Bude
  • Sandy beaches at Summerleaze and Crooklets
  • Wildlife including wading birds such as herons and egrets along the River Neet, Bude Canal and in the marshes
  • Historic tidal Sea Pool and Bude Castle, and not-so-historic Bude Tunnel (8th wonder of the world according to Tripadvisor)
  • Option to split into separate 2 mile and 1.7 mile circular walks

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Vital statistics

  • OS Explorer: 111
  • Distance: 3.9 miles/6.3 km
  • Steepness grade: Easy
  • Recommended footwear: Any comfortable shoes (all paths are surfaced)
  • No stiles: ✓
  • Pub: ✓
  • Café: ✓

OS maps for this walk

Click or tap on map for more info (blue=laminated)

Pubs on or near the route

  • Crooklets Inn
  • The Barrel
  • The Bencoolen Inn
  • The Brendon Arms
  • The Carriers Inn

either as a GPS-guided walk with our app (£3.29) or a PDF of directions (£2.79) Example of directions

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