Page 47 - (DK Eyewitness) Back Roads Travel Guide - Great Britain

DRIVE 2: Headlands and Coves 45

coastguard’s hut, erected in Grecian
style as a symbol of Bude’s ambitions.
Look back past the Haven over
twin sandy beaches Summerleaze
and Crooklets; in Victorian times
Crooklets was for women’s use only.
The path along the clifftop crosses
Efford Down 6. Here in 1643
Cornishmen in the Royalist Army
camped on the eve of the English Civil
War battle of Stamford Hill, where they
defeated the Parliamentarians. Above left Bude’s grassy clifftops Above
At Upton, turn left inland and are the 14th-century Old Post Office right Life’s a Beach café at Summerleaze
follow the lane down to the canal at (open Mar–Oct daily) and King Arthur’s
Rodd’s Bridge 7. Turn left along the Great Halls (open Easter–Oct daily),
towpath, noting the stone mile-post telling the legend of the king. On the EAT AND DRINK
8 beside it, dating from 1820, and rugged clifftop you can see the
carry on along the towpath that 12th-century church of St Materiana. BUDE
flanks Bude Marshes Nature Reserve ª Return to B3263 in direction of Pengenna Pasties inexpensive
9, where a variety of birds and Camelford, turning right at sign to Beef, lamb, cheese & onion, vegetable
flowers flourish, back at the start. Delabole on B3314. Delabole Slate or vegan is the choice of traditional
ª Turn left out of car park and leave quarry is signed to the left in the Cornish pasties at this small bakery.
Bude on small clifftop road signposted village. Park in the quarry car park. Arundell House, Belle Vue, EX23 8JL;
to Widemouth Bay to rejoin A39 in 01288 355 169; www.pengenna
pasties.co.uk
direction of Camelford. Turn right 8 Delabole Slate
onto B3263 to Boscastle and then Cornwall; PL33 9AZ Cafe Limelight moderate
Smart café with sea-facing terrace in
Tintagel, where several car parks are The largest man-made hole in Britain, the Castle Heritage Centre; strong
signposted in village and near castle. at Delabole Slate, has been quarried emphasis on local produce.
for more than 600 years. Over 1 km The Wharf, EX23 8LG; 01288 357 300;
7 Tintagel (half a mile) across and nearly 1,500 m www.thecastlebude.org.uk
Cornwall; PL34 0HE (500 ft) deep, the hole is Europe’s AROUND BUDE
Was this clifftop castle the birthplace oldest continuously worked quarry, Life’s A Beach daytime: inexpensive;
of the legendary King Arthur? Did producing 120 tons of slate a day. evening: expensive
the medieval kings of Cornwall live (tours of surface works May–Aug, Mon–Fri). By day this is a popular beachside café;
there? Mystery surrounds the ruins ª Leaving Delabole Slate, turn left at 7pm it turns into a sophisticated
perched on a rocky headland onto B3314 and left at Westdowns onto restaurant, specializing in fish.
Follow signs from Bude to Summerleaze
beyond the village’s single main B3267 to join A39 towards Wadebridge. Beach (1 mile), EX23 8HN; 01288 355
street. The castle’s ruined battlements After Wadebridge, turn right at St 222; www.lifesabeach.info
(open daily) date back to the 13th Breock onto A389 to Padstow. Prideaux
century and are well worth the steep Place is on the edge of Padstow, off TINTAGEL
climb for exhilarating views of the B3276 towards Newquay. Park on the Cornishman Inn inexpensive
dramatic coastline. In the village itself quay or in Prideaux Place car park. Atmospheric, beamed pub with a
restaurant noted for its steaks; 11 rooms.
Fore Street, PL34 0DA; 01840 770 238;
Below left The rocky headlands of Tintagel Below right Medieval battlements at Tintagel Castle www.cornishmaninn.com

Eat and Drink: inexpensive, under £25; moderate, £25–£50; expensive, over £50

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