About Beaches

Crackington Haven

Whichever direction you approach Crackington Haven, the views are really spectacular with the dominant Penkenna Point on the right hand side, definitely worth the walk to the top to get a fantastic view of the beach and on a clear day many miles up and down the coast.


Crackington Haven is an ideal spot for families, with a gently shelving beach in an enclosed bay with life guard service during the main summer weeks. The upper parts of the beach is mainly pebbles, but a large expanse of sand and countless rock pools for exploring are exposed as the tide retreats. Only the road separates the sea from a couple of beach shops/cafe open all. day serving a good selection of hot and cold snacks, icecreams, coffees etc.. and the Coombe Barton Inn serves meals at lunchtime and in the evening, the bar is open all day with good local ales. Public toilets are adjacent to the beach.

The parish of St. Gennys prides itself on the excellence of its public paths and this is due in no small way to the help of the Heritage Coast Service and the National Trust - the latter owning and controlling most of the cliff and adjacent farm land.

About Golfing

Sailing

Tamar Lakes (01288 321712) are conveniently located just inland from the coastal resort of Bude. The fun, relaxed atmosphere makes it a great location to learn a new sport or hire a range of equipment from pedaloes and rowing boats to windsurfers and dinghies.

The Camel Estuary at high water provides an excellent sailing area, you can hire boats and do sailing courses at Camel Sailing - phone 01208 862881

About Sailing

Sailing

Tamar Lakes (01288 321712) are conveniently located just inland from the coastal resort of Bude. The fun, relaxed atmosphere makes it a great location to learn a new sport or hire a range of equipment from pedaloes and rowing boats to windsurfers and dinghies.

The Camel Estuary at high water provides an excellent sailing area, you can hire boats and do sailing courses at Camel Sailing - phone 01208 862881

About Fishing

Fishing
Coarse Fishing

Hele Barton Fishery, Week St Mary (10 mins south of Bude) 01288 341622. The 1.5 acre lake up to 6 metres deep is stocked with tench and carp up to 15lbs. Day tickets (7am – dusk) and Evening deal (4pm – dusk). Payment to be made in the car park upon arrival.

Lower Lynstone Lakes, Bude 01288 352726. Two coarse lakes set less than a mile from Bude beaches, in a tranquil setting close to the canal. Well stocked with green tench, mirror, crucian, leather and common carp. Permits available on site only.

Lower Tamar Lake & Upper Tamar Lake Permit from the Permit Hut on site 01288 321712. The Upper Lake offers 81 acres stocked with rudd, carp, tench, bream and dace. It is open 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. Day and night tickets available on site. Ring 01566 771930
Fly Fishing

Bude Anglers Association 01288 353986
Roadford Lake between Launceston and Okehampton 01409 211507
Crowdy Lake Nr Camelford 01409 211514
Mill Leat Thornbury Holsworthy 01409 261426
Westcountry Trout Orchard Lake Nr Boscastle 01840 250070 or 07969 699572
Beach and Sea Fishing


Beach Fishing – All year round fishing from the local beaches and rocks is popular and catches of bass, codling, flat fish, mackerel, whiting and dogfish are possible. In summer the beaches are very popular with bathers and holidaymakers so beach and times should be chosen with care.
Fishing Trips


Team Shed is a new (Leeward 18) boat, available for half and full day trips for fishing or sightseeing within a 20 mile radius of Bude. Fully equipped, insured and fishing equipment is provided. Skippered by Dean, an experienced shore and boat angler. The trip starts from the Lock Gates on Summerleaze Beach. You are taken out to sea to catch Mackerel which is then uses as bait when you are taken a few miles out. You can expect to catch Cod, Ling, Bream, Pollack and many others! Trips available twice daily, and all bookings via Bude Tourist Information Centre, 01288 354240. Payment via credit/debit card is required at the time of booking. Cash payment is available for bookings made in the TIC office.

Sea Fishing and scenic boat trips from Boscastle. 2 hour Mackerel Fishing trips. For bookings please telephone 01840 250527 between 11am and 5pm, or in person at Boscastle Rock Shop.

About Family Activities

National Lobster Hatchery - Padstow PL28 8BL. Tel: 01841 533877
The Eden Project - Bodelva, Cornwall PL24 cSG. Tel: 01726 811911
The Barbican Theatre, Castle St, Plymouth, Devon, PL1 2NJ. Tel: 01752 267 131.
Theatre Royal Ltd., Royal Parade, Plymouth. Tel: 01752 267 222.
Rebel Cinema, Treskinnick Cross, Poundstock, nr Bude. Tel: 01288 361442.
The Hall for Cornwall, Back Quay, Truro, TR1 2LL. Tel: 01872 262466.
The National Marine Aquarium - located near the Barbican, Plymouth. Tel: 01752 600 301.

About Local Restaurants

Eating Out in Crackington:

The Coombe Barton Inn - excellent location, with a good Sunday lunch carvery and fantastic fish and chips (also available as a Take Away). Tel 01840 230345.
Trevigue Restaurant - located on the coast road from Crackington to Boscastle, open Thurs, Fri and Sat evenings serving delicious 2 and 3 course meals. Licensed or BYO. Tel :.

Eating Out Locally:

The Bay View Inn at Widemouth at Widemouth
The Rising Sun at Altarnun - superb food just off Bodmin Moor (our favourite). Tel: 01566 86636
St. Kew Inn Tel: 01208 841259
The Old Inn at St Breward Tel: 01208 850711
The Eliot Arms at Tregadillet Tel: 01566 772051
The Port William at Trebarwith Tel: 01840 770230

Village pubs:

The Coombe Barton at Crackingon Haven (see above)
The Cobweb at Boscastle (5 miles)
The Wellington at Boscastle (5 miles)
The Napolean at Boscastle (5 miles)

About Walking

Walking

The coastal path from Crackington is beautiful in both directions. You are in the perfect place for exploring a section of one of Britains most beloved National Trails the "South West Coast Path". If you follow it north, it takes you past Millook with stunning views to the glorious stretch of sand & surf at Widemouth. Heading south to Boscastle takes you to the Cobweb Inn which makes an ideal refreshment stop.

Heading north will take you to Bude, Morwenstow and Hartland Point . Heading south will take you to Boscastle and beyond to Port Isaac and the Rock estuary. You are free to pick any section and we guarantee some stunning (if strenuous) walking.

Click here to download a SWCP map - entire route
Click here to download an interactive map, created by our friends of the sections to Crackington Haven from the South
Click here to download an interactive map of the sections North of Crackington Haven.

Please note - some of these downloads are very large files (25Mb!) and will take some time.

About History

Trelissick Garden, Feock, nr Truro, Cornwall TR3 6QL (01872 862090)

This modern garden was created within shelter belts planted 200 years ago. It is constantly evolving, with new planting and fresh ideas. Trelissick has seen trees grow to maturity, the tide ebbing and flowing, but has become a dynamic, forward-looking estate. The iconic Water Tower was built for irrigation and fire-control; now the lavatories are flushed with rainwater stored underground in modern reservoirs. Heat is extracted from kitchen appliances and the Sun to provide hot water and heating. The River Fal is now more than just a beautiful setting for Trelissick; many visitors arrive by boat each year.

Trerice, Kestle Mill, near Newquay, Cornwall TR8 4PG (01637 875404)

An intimate Elizabethan manor and a Cornish gem, Trerice remains little changed by the advances in building fashions over the centuries, thanks to long periods under absentee owners. Today the renowned stillness and tranquillity of Trerice, much prized by visitors, is occasionally pierced by the curious lilts of Tudor music or shouts of excitement from the Bowling Green (surely you will want to try a game of kayling or slapcock?), bringing back some of the bustle and noise that must have typified its time as a busy manor house.

Cotehele, St Dominick, near Saltash, Cornwall (01579 351346)

A Tudor house with many stories and legends, festooned with tapestries and adorned with textiles, arms and armour, pewter, brass and old oak furniture; a magical experience where little has changed over the years. Outside, explore the formally planted terraces, or lose yourself in the Valley Garden, which includes a medieval stewpond and dovecote. Seek tranquillity in the Upper Garden or visit the two orchards planted with local apples and cherries. Cotehele Quay is the home of the restored Tamar sailing barge Shamrock and gateway to a wider estate. The Discovery Centre tells the story of the Tamar Valley.

Lanhydrock, Bodmin, Cornwall PL30 5AD (01208 265950)

Lanhydrock is the perfect country house and estate, with the feel of a wealthy but unpretentious family home. Follow in the footsteps of generations of the Robartes family, walking in the 17th-century Long Gallery among the rare book collection under the remarkable plasterwork ceiling. After a devastating fire in 1881 the house was refurbished in the high-Victorian style, with the latest mod cons. Boasting the best in country-house design and planning, the kitchens, nurseries and servants' quarters offer a thrilling glimpse into life 'below stairs', while the spacious dining room and bedrooms are truly and deeply elegant.

St Michael's Mount, Marazion, Cornwall TR17 0HT (01736 710507)

Still home to the St Aubyn family (which runs and maintains it in partnership with the Trust) as well as to a small community, this iconic rocky island is crowned by a medieval church and castle – the oldest buildings dating from the 12th century. Immerse yourself in history, wonder at the architecture and discover the legend of Jack the Giant Killer. Look down on the subtropical terraced garden and enjoy breathtaking views of spectacular Mount's Bay. If the weather is favourable, take a short evocative boat trip to the island, or at low tide enjoy the walk across the causeway. Note: steep climb to the castle up an uneven, cobbled pathway. Narrow passageways in castle.

Mount Edgcumbe House (see above) (01752 822236)

Mount Edgcumbe Country Park is one of four designated Country Parks in Cornwall. It is 885 acres overlooking Plymouth Sound and the River Tamar. The Park has been famous since the 18th Century, when the Edgcumbe family created formal gardens, temples, follies and woodlands around the Tudor House. Specimen trees such as Californian Redwood, stand against copses which shelter a herd of wild fallow deer. The South West Coast Path runs through the Park for nine miles along the coastline.
The Formal Gardens are grouped in the lower park near Cremyll. Originally a 17th Century 'wilderness' garden, the present scheme was laid out by the Mount Edgcumbe family in the 18th Century. The Formal Gardens include an Orangery, an Italian Garden, a French Garden, an English Garden and a Jubilee Garden, opened in 2002, to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee.
The Park and Formal Gardens are open all year round and admission is free. The Park and Gardens are jointly managed by Cornwall County Council and Plymouth City Council. Although the park covers a large area, there is little formal maintenance, ensuring it has a rough and ready rural feel in all but the formal gardens.

National Trust Anthony House and Gardens (01752 812191)

Still the home of the Carew Pole family after hundreds of years. This beautiful early 18th-century mansion contains fine collections of paintings, furniture and textiles. The grounds, landscaped by Repton, sweep down towards the Lynher estuary and include formal gardens with topiary, a knot garden, modern sculptures and the National Collection of Daylilies. The Woodland Garden has outstanding rhododendrons, azaleas, magnolias and camellias. The magic of Antony was recognised by Walt Disney when it was chosen recently as the set for the film Alice in Wonderland, directed by Tim Burton. Note: members free to Woodland Garden (not National Trust) only when house is open.

Lost Gardens of Heligan in St Austell (01726 845100)

Heligan, seat of the Tremayne family for more than 400 years, is one of the most mysterious estates in England. It is one of the most popular botanical gardens in the UK. Has a primeval jungle feel and is a 30m drive away.