Bude is where the long Atlantic Highway comes to a stop against the sea. The town sits at the top of north Cornwall, on a coast of black, folded cliffs and long sandy beaches, with big Atlantic swells rolling in and surfers in the water at almost every hour of daylight. It is not a pretty harbour town in the manner of south Cornwall; it is a windy, bright, slightly salty place, with a canal, a sea pool and a handful of old streets behind the beach.
The sea pool at Summerleaze beach is a good example of the town's character. It is a large tidal pool built in the 1930s into the rocks and filled by the sea at high tide, giving a place for safe swimming in clear water, and it is free. The old Bude Canal, which was built in the early nineteenth century to carry sea sand inland for farmers, ends at the sea lock beside the beach, and it is a handsome piece of industrial heritage. Beyond the town, the cliffs hold the dishes of a military communications station, which stands out strangely against the coast.
The ride in along the A39 is a moderate affair, with some fast open sections, plenty of roundabouts and a good chance of holiday traffic, particularly in July and August. The finest riding is on the lanes to the south and north, where the coastal roads wind through hedge-lined valleys to tiny harbours and clifftop viewpoints. Be careful on those lanes: they are narrow, with high Cornish hedges and blind bends, and sand and gravel often lie on the surface after a storm.
Bude has about seven thousand people and every service you might need, with fuel on the approach roads, a supermarket and plenty of cafés, pasty shops and fish-and-chip bars. Parking near the beach can be tight in summer, but the town has pay car parks within a short walk. The weather changes fast on this coast, with fog, wind and sudden showers, so carry waterproofs, and enjoy the end of the road with a cup of tea facing the waves.