Photo: Scott14 at English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Things to do in Bude
Wondering what to do in Bude? This guide lists the area's attractions — zoos, museums, theme parks and more — with distances, so you can plan every day of your trip.
Museums & Galleries
0.2 mi from Bude
The Castle Heritage Centre
The Castle Heritage Centre is a museum in Bude-Stratton, Cornwall, set across the ground and first floor of The Castle, built in 1830 by Sir Goldsworthy Gurney. Inside, themed area...
✓
8.4 mi from Bude
Holsworthy Museum
Holsworthy Museum sits at the heart of this historic North Devon market town, housed in part of a 17th-century former manor house that was once used as a parsonage. Inside, five ro...
✓
11.7 mi from Bude
Museum of Witchcraft and Magic
The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic in Bude, Cornwall, explores the history and folklore of witchcraft through its collections, archive and library, including displays such as Prote...
✓
13.2 mi from Bude
RAF Davidstow Moor Memorial Museum
This small museum at Davidstow Moor, North Cornwall, is housed in the former sergeants' shower block and tells the wartime story of the RAF airfield through authentic memorabilia a...
✓
✓
✓
13.2 mi from Bude
Fisherman's Cottage
Fisherman's Cottage sits just along the path from the New Inn, next to the Kingsley Museum, and gives a glimpse of how a Clovelly fishing family lived in the 1930s. Inside you'll f...
✓
✓
14.6 mi from Bude
King Arthur's Great Halls
King Arthur's Great Halls is a Grade II* listed building in Fore Street, Tintagel, Cornwall, England, UK. Built in the early 1930s by Frederick Thomas Glasscock, it originally serv... — Wikipedia
✓
✓
18.5 mi from Bude
Jamaica Inn's Daphne du Maurier & Smuggling Museum
This is Jamaica Inn's own Smuggling Museum and Daphne du Maurier collection, set within the historic coaching inn on Bodmin Moor. You'll see The History of Jamaica Inn film, exhibi...
✓
✓
✓
19.8 mi from Bude
Burton at Bideford
The Burton at Bideford is a gallery and museum set in a historic port on the north Devon coast, combining art galleries, a permanent collection, a shop and a French bistro café. Yo...
✓
✓
21.6 mi from Bude
North Devon Maritime Museum
North Devon Maritime Museum sits in Appledore, in Northam, Torridge, Devon, and tells the story of the area's seafaring past. Inside you can turn a ship's wheel, tie knots, see how...
21.9 mi from Bude
War Horse Valley Country Farm Park
War Horse Valley Country Farm Park is a working Devon farm near Iddesleigh, on the ground around which the book War Horse by Michael Morpurgo was set. You can explore the animals,...
✓
22 mi from Bude
Minions Heritage Centre
Converted Mine Engine House contains maps and historical information about the area
24.4 mi from Bude
Museum Of Dartmoor Life
The Museum of Dartmoor Life (MDL) is a local museum in Okehampton, Devon, southwest England. It covers life in the Dartmoor area. — Wikipedia
✓
✓
✓
24.9 mi from Bude
The Arthur Westlake Museum
The Arthur Westlake Museum occupies two rooms at the end of Platform 2 at Okehampton station, and is run by Dartmoor Railway Association volunteers. It is dedicated to former railw...
✓
25.4 mi from Bude
Museum of British Surfing
The Museum of British Surfing is a Museum based in Braunton, Devon; the museum contains exhibits relating to the history of surfing in the United Kingdom. — Wikipedia
Theme Parks
12.5 mi from Bude
The Milky Way Adventure Park
The Milky Way Adventure Park is a family theme park near Bideford, close to the North Cornwall border, combining rides, indoor play and live shows across more than 110,000 sq ft of...
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
18.3 mi from Bude
The BIG Sheep
The BIG Sheep is a family theme park and farm attraction in Woolacombe, Devon, offering live shows such as the World-Famous Sheep Race and Duck Trials, an animal barn to meet pigs,...
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
19.9 mi from Bude
Pebble Ridge Adventure Golf and Go Karts
Pebble Ridge Adventure Golf and Go Karts is a theme park attraction in Woolacombe, Devon, set right by Westward Ho! beach, just 0.1 miles away. You can play the only 18-hole Advent...
✓
✓
✓
✓
28.4 mi from Bude
Adrenalin Quarry
Adrenalin Quarry is a family-owned visitor attraction and adventure park in Menheniot, Cornwall, United Kingdom. It opened in Easter 2009, on the site of an old flooded quarry and... — Wikipedia
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
29 mi from Bude
Camel Creek Adventure Park
Camel Creek Adventure Park is a family theme park in St. Issey, Cornwall, offering thrilling rides, energetic outdoor fun, all-weather indoor play and animal zones to explore. Ther...
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Water Parks
Zoos & Wildlife
29.4 mi from Bude
Porfell Wildlife Park & Sanctuary
Porfell Wildlife Park & Sanctuary is a family-run rescue centre near Looe in South East Cornwall, founded in 1989, where neglected or injured animals are given a permanent home. Yo...
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Where to stay near Bude
Places to stay within easy reach of these days out.
More around Bude
Itineraries
- A weekend in Bude: an accessible itinerary · 2 days
- A weekend in Bude with the kids · 2 days
- A weekend in Bude · 2 days
Haunted Britain
From the blog
Bude makes a good base for a few days out because it gives you two very different options within easy reach: big outdoor space and water on one side, and a surprising number of small, specific museums on the other. That mix matters when the weather turns, which it does. Here's how the main attractions sort themselves out, and how to string them together without spending the whole day in the car.
Family days out
The obvious anchor is The Milky Way Adventure Park, which is the region's best-known theme park and the sort of place that happily swallows a full day with younger children. It's the one to build a day around rather than squeeze in alongside something else.
For smaller children, or for a gentler morning, the animal attractions work well. The Tamar Valley Donkey Park over at Looe and the Screech Owl Sanctuary are both calm, close-up sorts of visits, and Spingfields Fun Park and Pony Centre combines play with pony contact for the under-tens. Teenagers tend to want something with more edge, and Adrenalin Quarry near Looe is the one they'll ask for.
Rainy day ideas
Bude and the surrounding coast are unusually well supplied with small museums, which is useful when the rain sets in properly.
- Cornwall at War Museum and the RAF Davidstow Moor Memorial Museum — both near Bude, and both worth pairing if you have a military history enthusiast in the group.
- Davidstow Creamery Museum — a neat, self-contained visit that suits a half day.
- Museum of British Surfing at Woolacombe — a good fit for this coast, and more interesting than non-surfers expect.
- The National Lobster Hatchery at Padstow — small, hands-on and popular with children who've run out of patience for walking.
If you're happy to range a little wider, North Devon Maritime Museum and Braunton and District Museum are both at Woolacombe, Combe Martin Museum sits at Ilfracombe, and Saltash Heritage Museum and the Cotehele Quay Discovery Centre are both reachable from Looe.
Getting outdoors and on the water
Water is the thing here. Upper Tamar Water Sports Centre is the flat-water option in Bude itself, which suits mixed-ability groups and anyone nervous about surf. North Devon Wake Park, also in Bude, is the more energetic choice and a reliable way to tire out older children and adults alike. Both reward booking ahead in school holidays, and both are more enjoyable if you bring a full change of clothes and a towel per person rather than sharing one.
Heritage worth the detour
Tintagel Old Post Office, listed at Padstow, is the standout heritage stop and pairs neatly with The National Lobster Hatchery if you're heading that way for the day. Closer to home, the RAF Davidstow Moor Memorial Museum has a quiet, moorland setting that's a different experience from the coast entirely.
How to group them into a sensible day
A few combinations that work without too much driving:
- Water and food day: morning at Upper Tamar Water Sports Centre, late lunch at Widemouth Bay Cafe, then a slow afternoon on the coast.
- Rainy history day: Cornwall at War Museum, then Davidstow Creamery Museum or the RAF Davidstow Moor Memorial Museum, finishing with a pub dinner.
- Full family day: The Milky Way Adventure Park from opening, and nothing else planned.
- Looe day: Adrenalin Quarry for the thrill-seekers or The Tamar Valley Donkey Park for the little ones, plus Cotehele Quay Discovery Centre.
Where to eat
Four places with five-star hygiene ratings to keep in mind: Widemouth Bay Cafe for tea and something warm after a windy morning; the Brendon Arms and The Rydon Inn for proper pub meals at the end of an active day; and The Mermaid when nothing but fish and chips will do. Pubs fill quickly on wet evenings in high season, so ring ahead if you're a group of more than four.
Turning it into a short break
Three nights is about right. Give one full day to The Milky Way Adventure Park or the water centres, one to museums and heritage, and keep the third loose so you can react to the forecast. There are around 370 places to stay in the Bude area on BritStays, so a base in town keeps the pubs walkable and the drives short.
Practical notes: book watersports and theme park entry in advance during school holidays, check opening days for the smaller museums before setting off as several are seasonal, carry cash for parking, and keep waterproofs in the boot even on a promising morning.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best rainy-day things to do in Bude?
Bude has a good cluster of indoor museums. Cornwall at War Museum, the RAF Davidstow Moor Memorial Museum and Davidstow Creamery Museum are all near Bude. If you're willing to travel a little further, the Museum of British Surfing, Braunton and District Museum and North Devon Maritime Museum are at Woolacombe, and The National Lobster Hatchery is at Padstow.
Where can we try watersports near Bude?
There are two water parks in Bude itself. Upper Tamar Water Sports Centre is the flat-water option and suits mixed-ability groups or nervous beginners, while North Devon Wake Park is the more energetic choice. Book ahead in school holidays and bring a full change of clothes for each person.
What's best for young children?
The Tamar Valley Donkey Park at Looe, the Screech Owl Sanctuary and Spingfields Fun Park and Pony Centre are all gentle, close-up visits that suit under-tens. The Milky Way Adventure Park is the big theme park option and is best treated as a full day on its own.
Is there anything for older children and teenagers?
Adrenalin Quarry near Looe is the one teenagers usually ask for, and North Devon Wake Park in Bude is a good way to burn off energy. The Museum of British Surfing at Woolacombe tends to go down better with that age group than you might expect.
Where should we eat around Bude?
Four places with five-star hygiene ratings: Widemouth Bay Cafe for tea rooms fare, the Brendon Arms and The Rydon Inn for pub meals, and The Mermaid for fish and chips. Pubs get busy on wet evenings in high season, so ring ahead for groups.
How long should we stay, and how easy is it to find accommodation?
Three nights works well: one day for The Milky Way Adventure Park or the water centres, one for museums and heritage such as Tintagel Old Post Office, and a third kept flexible for the weather. There are around 370 places to stay in the Bude region listed on BritStays.
More ways to explore
Not booked yet? See the best places to stay in Bude.