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This 6 to 8 mile walk (depending on how many detours you make) takes in a spectacular stretch of the South West Coast Path, Bude beach and the Bude Canal. It passes by or through three nature reserves.
Follow the coast road north out of Widemouth Bay and park in the first coast path car park you come to on the left (grid ref: SS 199 032, https://w3w.co/presumes.snored.shampoos)
1.
From the car park, turn right onto the Coast Path, heading away from Widemouth Bay towards Bude.
2.
The cliffs here are soft and constantly eroding. This means the path has to be diverted when stretches fall into the sea -take care. Phillip's Point is a thin stretch of the cliff path owned by the Cornwall Wildlife Trust. Watch out for a small sign denoting this as you proceed along the first stretch of the path.
3.
There are two footpaths before you reach The Storm Tower overlooking Bude Beach and perched precariously on the cliff top. If you take the second of these paths, you can avoid Bude and shorten the route.
Follow the path to the right down to Bude Beach and the town. The route marked on my map includes a detour to explore the beach and take refreshments at the "Life's A Beach" café.
4.
To the right of the Tourist Information Office, pick up the tow path along the Bude Canal. Constructed on the early 19th Century to carry sand inland to fertilise the land, the first stretch was a full sized "wide" canal with several locks.
5.
A little way along the path, you can turn left and deviate into the second nature reserve.
6.
Further along, the towpath crosses to the other side of the canal and there is a little path on the right leading into another nature reserve, where you can again deviate and return, or continue back to the cliff path.
At Helebridge the "wide" canal comes to an end. This is where the canal narrowed and inclined planes were used for the rest of the canal network instead of locks.
Continue straight on along the cycle path, through the Whalesborough car park and onto the footpath to the right back across the fields to the coast road. Cross the road and follow the Coast Path to the right back to the car park.
2030-10-29 Bude canal.pdfPage updated
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