Gentle / beginner routes

A key route is the off-road cycleway leading south beside the Bude Canal from Bude's Tourist Information Centre in the Crescent car park.
This has a tarmac surface and is almost entirely level ground apart from two small rises.   It is signed as NCN3.

The cycleway runs on a broad multi-use path parallel to the canal towpath for a short distance, then veers left over the river Neet on the old railway bridge, goes round the front of the new cycle hire centre and cafe at Pethericks Mill and then crosses the flood defence bank into Bude Marshes.
It then winds through the marsh area (watch out for a heron or egret beside the water or, very occasionally, the electric blue flash of a kingfisher), round the end of the rugby field past the Millennium cycleway post, then ascends slightly back onto the railway embankment.

After a further half mile it crosses a rural lane and then runs further south to join the access road to the water treatment works.   This access road leads to the A39.   Cross using the traffic island (it is hoped to re-route the cycleway to go under the A39 - discussions on this are proceding).   Once on the east of the A39 the cycleway runs on a tarmac path on the grass verge until it passes through a gate onto the old, now cul-de-sac, road at Helebridge.

From here NCN3 is on minor roads and continues over two old humped bridges and then goes up the hill to Marhamchurch, where it splits - one route going south via Week St Mary and Hallworthy and across Bodmin Moor to join the Camel Trail at Wenfordbridge, the other going east to Holsworthy and thence north via Sheepwash to join the Tarka Trail near Petrocstowe.


Those not wanting to carry on along the on-road NCN3 route can either return to Bude on the cycleway they have just travelled, or go under the A39 to visit the nearby Weir Coffee-house/Bistro/Nature-centre and explore the permissive bridleway across Whalesborough farm.

The route under the A39 is a path off to the right just after the second humped bridge.   This is a footpath so cyclists should dismount and push their bikes through the riverside underpass.   Once back on the west side of the A39, this footpath crosses two small wooden footbridges to reach the canal towpath.   From this point, turn left through a small gate onto a path that leads to the concrete access lane to 'The Weir' and Whalesborough farm.   The Weir Coffee-house/Bistro/Nature-centre is on the right about 200m along this access lane.   The access lane is`also a permissive bridleway and a Sustrans link route providing a route to the coast road 2 miles south of Bude.

The concrete access lane climbs towards the farmhouse and the Whalesborough holiday cottages; before it reaches these buildings a spur goes left.   20m up this spur, a gravel track goes off on the left, initially steeply but then levels off.   Both these left turns are signed for walkers and cyclists.   After about 150m, the gravel track rejoins a concrete farm access lane leading 1 mile west to the coast road.

Coast road south of Bude

Note: This coast road is actually also NCN3 - a coastal southbound alternative to the inland southbound NCN3 that goes through Marhamchurch and Week St Mary.   The coast road is busy in peak holiday, commuting and school-run times so not then very suitable for nervous or unsupervised young cyclists.   At other times it affords a wonderful scenic ride.

From the exit from the Whalesborough permissive bridleway, either turn left onto the coast road to ride down to the surfing beaches, shop, surf hire centre, cafés and pub at Widemouth Bay (downhill all the way so a bit of a slog on the way back!) or turn right (carefully *) to ride back towards Bude  
* This exit is just over the brow of a hill and, despite red triangle 'cyclist' warning signs beside the road on either side, some cars approach it rather fast.

If you turn right at this exit, the coast road leads directly back to the Crescent car park in Bude;   however, a quieter and more scenic alternative is to take it for 1 mile, then take the first right as you reach the hamlet of Upton Cross.   This quiet rural lane leads down to a bridge over the canal at Rodds Bridge, then over the river and then back to the cycleway.   Turn left onto the cycleway and cycle back to Bude.

Bude Bike Hire routes

Bude Bike Hire have maps and descriptions of some short local routes.

These are available when hiring bikes from the hire centre but also can be freely downloaded from their website:
(www.budebikehire.co.uk)

Currently there are 3 routes:

  -   one is the circular route documented above (along the Bude cycleway to Helebridge
      and the Weir coffee-house/bistro, on over the permissive bridleway to the coast road
      and back to theBude cycleway via a minor lane through Upton.

  -   another is a route round Bude, over Nanny Moores Bridge,
      past Summerleaze and Crooklets beaches, to the northern
      beach at Northcott Mouth
      (with an option to return to Crooklets via the coastal bridlway)

  -   the third strings together three inter-village links (between Bude & Stratton,
      Stratton & Marhamchurch and Marhamchurch & Bude as documented below)
      to create a slightly longer loop.

Tamar Lakes ride (& lakeside circuit)

South West Lakes Trust, in conjunction with 1SW, have constructed a family-friendly green cycle track at Upper Tamar Lake.   This is a loop of 4.7km, encircling the whole lake from the café back to the café.

It provides a wonderful route round the upper lake for both cyclists and walkers, and particularly for young families who wish to stay totally off-road.

There is ample parking near the cafe so those just wanting the lakeside circuit can take their bikes there by car - Bude Bike Hire can hire car bike racks as well as bikes.

Fancy riding to the lake?   There is an attractive quiet road circular ride from Bude or Stratton to Tamar Lakes - so, for families/groups with a mix of nervous and more competent cyclists, some can cycle to the lake while others meet them at the lake to cycle or walk the new track.

(Caution: The loop does have a brief section on the A39 near Kilkhampton, this can be avoided by going to the lake via Stratton and returning the same way.)

The circular ride from Bude to Tamar Lakes and back to Bude can be done as either a clockwise or anti-clockwise loop.   A brief description of the clockwise route is available.   (see brief route description)  Alternatively, a more detailed desription of the loop in both directions is available.   (see detailed route description)

Bude - Week St Mary loop

This ride was documented to help cyclists visit the Week St Mary Scarecrow Festival in late August 2011. Many who rode it found it a very attractive loop so it has been added to the rides published on this website.

The whole outward route to Week St Mary is on National Cycle Network route 3 (marked with blue NCN cycle signs and a red 3).   The 15 mile loop is very scenic but does involve several hills.

It starts at the Tourist Information Centre in Bude's canal-side Crescent car park, and runs south on the Bude cycleway, goes past Bude Bike Hire and on to join minor roads at Helebridge.   From there it goes up the hill to Marhamchurch and on south on the same road for 7.5km to Week St Mary.

Week St Mary is a charming Cornish settlement with village shop (by the village green), nearby church, public toilets, and a pub. (village website: www.weekstmaryvillage.co.uk)

You can return to Bude either via your outbound NCN3 route or take a very scenic (equally hilly) alternative route back to Marhamchurch on very minor roads via the hamlets of Titson and Harlake.   (see detailed loop description)



  Quiet road circular rides

  There are a multitude of other quiet
  lane/road circular rides that can be
  taken from Bude.   These will be
  documented and put up here.


In the meantime, one way to access them is to join up with the groups of cyclists who go out on a weekly basis.   These are not organised rides, just small groups of friendly cyclists who meet up to ride together and newcomers/visitors are welcome to join them.

One group starts from the new Bude Bike Hire Centre* at 10am** each Tuesday.   Many are retired and they ride at a leisurely pace, doing 10-15 miles.   Some take tea/coffee materials for the whole group, others take biscuits, and they stop for a coffee break midway.   The group cycles at the pace of the person who is feeling least fit on the day and some push their bikes up the the hills (no ride around Bude is without hills).
    ( * the cycle centre is at Pethericks Mill, about 400m along the cycleway
          that starts from near the Tourist Information Centre in the Crescent car park)
    ( ** was 10.30am in 2011 but is now 10am)

Another group goes a bit faster and a bit further but is still very much a social ride on minor country roads/lanes.   They meet by the entrance to Morrisons (off Stratton Road) at 10am each Sunday and tend to ride for 2 to 3 hours doing 20+ miles (very occasionally up to 30 miles but only if everyone is happy and has time to do that).

There are other groups riding each week, including some main-road rides. Brief details of those will be published here in due course.

There is also a predominantly off-road mountain bike club = Bude Mountain Bike Riders - also called Dept. 26.
Each Wednesday evening there is a social off road mountain bike ride usually a couple of hours long, starting at 7.00pm all year round, rain or shine - reasonable lights required for the winter months.
On Saturday mornimgs there is an early birds mountain bike ride, meeting at 7.30am for an early morning blast around the local trails. All abilities welcome ride normally lasts approx 2hrs.
Both rides start from Bude Bike Hire.
The contact number for Dept. 26 is 07832 654221   or email dept26@hotmail.co.uk
The website is www.budecyclingclub.co.uk

Links between local villages

This section lists some off-road or quiet-road links between Bude and nearby settlements.
These are documented on a separate Local Links page.

Long distance cyclists

Bude is a convenient overnight staging post for cyclists taking the scenic route up (or down) the west coast of Cornwall and Devon.

Many are doing the 'End-to-End' (Lands End to John o'Groats).   Some are cycle-touring in the South West and many are from Europe.   Indeed, this year many have been Dutch cyclists following the new dutch 'Hart van Engeland Route' illustrated cycle guide that takes them from the Hook of Holland, via Harwich, London, Stonehenge, Bristol and Bude, to Lands End.

Either way, Bude's plentiful supply of accommodation (hotels, guest houses and campsites), shops and restaurants gives plenty of choice to relax after a day of spinning the pedals.

The next morning there are several choices of route onward.   NCN3 (National Cycle Network route 3) is one - but there are alternatives, especially going north.

      Going North

One route north, taken by many end-to-enders, with a John o'Groats deadline, is to head straight up the A39 (known and signed locally as 'The Atlantic Highway').
The advantage is no map reading as it is the main road all the way.   The disadvantage is the fast traffic pushed close to cyclists on several stretches of narrow, double-white-lined road with blind bends.   At c26 miles from Bude town centre, it is not even the shortest route.

The National Cycle Network signed route 3 is quieter but much longer (c45 miles).   This goes eastwards on quiet roads via the villages of Marhamchurch and Bridgerule, the town of Holsworthy and the village of Sheepwash before running north to join the Tarka Trail near Petrockstowe, 12 miles from Bideford.   NCN3 is shown on Ordinance Survey maps and is not detailed here.

An alternative is a significantly shorter route (c31 miles) on equally quiet (or even quieter) roads going east via Stratton, Holsworthy Beacon, Thornbury and Shebbear and then northeast to join the Tarka Trail c8.5 miles from Bideford.   This is an extremely scenic route.   (see detailed route description)

The shortest (and least energy intensive) route is to go north from Bude to Kilkhampton (taking a minor road via Poughill & Stibb that avoids using the A39), then through speed-limited Kilkhampton on the A39, then eastwards on very minor roads to join the Bradworthy to Landcross road 9 miles south of Landcross.   Thence down to Landcross (the last 8 miles is gently downhill) and then 1.5 miles to Bideford on the Tarka Trail.   (see detailed route description)

      Going South

National Cycle Network route 3 south from Bude (towards the Camel Trail) has two options (both NCN-signed).   One is to take the coast road south from the Crescent car park.   This option has some stunning coastal views before it cuts inland to cross the A39 at Wainhouse corner.   It also gives views of some astounding cliff geology at Millook (geology students visit on field trips).   However, it also has some quite steep and long hills (notably the one up from Millook - you need low gears for this!) and is exposed to crosswinds in westerly gales.

The alternative, especially in wet windy weather, is to take the inland NCN3 route. This starts from the Tourist Information Centre along the canalside cycleway, passing Bude Bike Hire, and on to Helebridge and Marhamchurch.   Beside the Bullers Arms pub in Marhamchurch NCN3 splits; turning left here takes you on NCN3 to Holsworthy and then northwards to the Tarka Trail and Bideford; going straight on takes you on the inland southbound NCN3 option towards the Camel Trail and Bodmin via Week St Mary.   This inland alternative possibly involves just as much uphill as the coastal route, but the hills come at you in gentler, more manageable chunks!   The two alternatives join up about 2 miles north of Hallworthy.

After Hallworthy, NCN3 uses narrow quiet roads/lanes up to the disused wartime Davidstow airfield, past Crowdy reservoir and over some wonderful moorland terrain before splitting again into two alternatives just before St Breward.   The eastern split continues on the moorland (taking in an ancient clapper bridge) to the village of Blisland and then down to join the Camel Trail at Merry Meeting. The other route descends via St Breward to the northmost point of the Camel Trail at Wenfordbridge.   Take your pick!

For cyclists who are up for a 60 mile excursion, there is a documented ride which uses the more inland splits of NCN3 to ride down to the Camel Trail and then returns via minor roads that are closer to the coast.   This return does involve a couple of miles on the A39 (to avoid following the coastal NCN3 up the famed northbound Millook ascent!).   (see detailed route description)