Holiday Cottage North Cornwall Burridge and Beyond

Text Box: Morwenstow You will see plenty of signposts to Morwenstow but will never see a sign to tell you when you have arrived. This is because Morwenstow is a Parish made up of several villages and hamlets spread over a fairly large area. It is the most northerly parish in Cornwall—cross the stream in Gooseham and you are in Devon. Burridge House is on the southern edge. Put ‘Morwenstow’ in your sat-nav. and you will probably end up at the Norman church of St Morwenna and St John the Baptist about three miles from Burridge House. Morwenstow is most famous for the quintessentially English eccentric, vicar Robert Stephen Hawker who introduced the Harvest Festival as we know it today. He built a hut out on the top of the cliff and sat there to write his sermons and poems, reputedly often under the influence of opiates. You can still visit the hut and look out on the same view that he did from 1834 until his death in 1875. The church is well worth a visit, not least for its location, architecture, ancient font and interesting tombstones. The tea rooms at Rectory Farm next door to the church are well known for their cream teas. Beaches The nearest beach, Duckpool*, is a favourite with the locals. It has no facilities, except a loo, and no lifeguard cover so you need to be sensible about when to swim. Sandymouth, just to the south, has a shop, cafe and lifeguard. Continuing south are the beaches of Northcott Mouth and in Bude, Summerleaze (with tidal swimming pool) and Crooklets. Widemouth Bay is a wide sandy beach popular with surfers. The descent to Stanbury, just north of Duckpool, can be tricky and exhausting but the beach at low tide is worth the effort. Surfing There are several surf schools to choose from in and around Bude and Widemouth, and plenty of shops selling designer surfwear. We have found the best place to go for advice and hire and sale of equipment and clothing is Zuma Jay in the middle of Bude. For complete beginners or to improve your skill we suggest contacting Mike Raven of Ravensurf. We find him an excellent surf coach who teaches small groups or individuals from the beach at Widemouth. Walking Apart from the stunning coast and hinterland with cliff paths and wooded valley walks in the immediate area, you are also near the North Devon coast, Exmoor, Dartmoor and Bodmin Moor. There are maps and lots of guide books in the house to help you plan a walk, whether it be an easy two miles, or a more strenuous day trip. Remember to take your binoculars as the bird life can be pretty impressive. The cliffs and woodlands can be a riot of colour at certain times of the year; there is a guide in the house to help you identify the flora. Leisure There is a leisure centre and swimming pool complex and a golf course in Bude. Nearby riding stables in Gooseham cater for beginners and experienced riders. For the younsters, Brocklands adventure park is just a mile away. The nearby Tamar Lakes offer watersports. The National Trust has many glorious properties in Cornwall and Devon. Nowhere in Cornwall is far away and the Eden Project and the Lost Gardens of Heligan are well within a day trip, as is the less wild south coast. Eating Out The New Inn and the London Inn in Kilkhampton are only a mile away, whilst there is the Bush Inn at Crosstown in the heart of Morwenstow and the Tree in Stratton. All serve food. There is a Chinese Takeaway (mediocre but handy) and a chip shop (not tried but varied reports) in Kilkhampton. The recently opened internet café at Penshell Bakery (www.thepizzaape.co.uk) near the post office is small but does have wireless internet connection as well as two computers, so I take my own lap top. They serve a good selection of pizzas, jacket potatoes, paninis etc. either to eat in or to take away. They also run a delivery service. In Bude a very good young chef has opened a restaurant in Bude Castle, a large house overlooking the sea. This is open lunchtime and evenings and is well worth the trip into Bude (only five miles on the back roads). Elements in Widemouth Bay is a little pricey but good for that special occasion. Shopping Kilkhampton has two general stores, Post Office, butcher, internet café and several other interesting shops. Killock Farm shop, one mile south of the village on the A39, sells local and home-grown vegetables, meat and fish, and the bakery makes bread and wonderful cakes, pasties, flans and pies. Bude is a bustling seaside town with a full range of shops and supermarkets to cater for all your needs. The best pasties by far come from a shop in Bude—whose name escapes me, but is something like Pengellan — just above the little walled park next to the florist. You can see them being made by hand. If the weather is good you will find plenty to keep you occupied within five miles of Burridge, thus making it a relaxing break without having to battle on the main roads. There are plenty of walking guides, maps and brochures in the house. *Stop Press 18 July 08: For those of you following the saga of the missing sand at Duckpool over the past year I have to report that on 14th July the sand is still not back although there is a little more than last time I went down. In fact the amount of sand increased over the two weeks I was there but it is still well short of the usual amount, making it difficult to swim except at low tide. These shifting sands seem to be the preserve of Duckpool as other beaches are fine. So at the moment Sandymouth (almost as close as Duckpool by car) with its acres of sand is the nearest sandy beach. But that could all change......watch this space! Anyone able to update this please email me.

Burridge and Beyond

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