THOSE walking towards Bude from Morwenstow on the South West Coast Path in North Cornwall find some relief from the steep climbs and descents once they reach the beach at Sandymouth.

Up until this point, the path on the wild and dramatic coast has been very demanding but afterwards, for a few miles, the route is comparatively easy with no enormous ups and downs.

Sandymouth, as the name implies, is a sandy beach when the tide is out. There is a pebble ridge at the top of the beach which also has amazing cliffs featuring twisted rock formations, part of the Bude Foundation, caused by enormous geological movements millions of years ago.

There are some amazing rock formations at Sandymouth, near Bude. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)
There are some amazing rock formations at Sandymouth, near Bude. (Picture: Andrew Townsend) (Picture: Andrew Townsend)

The beach, popular with surfers and reached by a country lane, has a cafe and a National Trust car park. Wildlife to look out for includes dolphins, basking sharks, buzzards and peregrine falcons. On a smaller scale, colourful creatures can be spotted in the many rockpools as the tide recedes.

A winter waterfall at Sandymouth on the north coast of Cornwall. Video: Andrew Townsend

A mile further south, around Menachurch Point, Northcott Mouth is another beach offering rockpools and an expanse of sand at low tide, as well as more twisted rock formations, a cafe, a car park and wartime anti-tank “dragon’s teeth” remnants.

A winter waterfall at the entrance to the beach at Sandymouth in North Cornwall. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)
A winter waterfall at the entrance to the beach at Sandymouth in North Cornwall. (Picture: Andrew Townsend) (Picture: Andrew Townsend)

As at Sandymouth, nearby clifftops are looked after by the National Trust. Here, Maer Cliff has Bronze Age burial mounds and provides views to distant Lundy Island when conditions are clear. Six-spot burnet moths and meadow brown butterflies can be seen on the cliff in the summer.

The beaches and coast at Sandymouth and Northcott Mouth, near Bude. Video: Andrew Townsend

The Portuguese steamship, Belem, ran aground in thick fog at Menachurch Point, in 1917, during the First World War. The crew survived but the vessel was lost and today rusting debris may still be seen in the sand at the lowest of tides.

The beach at Northcott Mouth to the north of Bude in Cornwall. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)
The beach at Northcott Mouth to the north of Bude in Cornwall. (Picture: Andrew Townsend) (Picture: Andrew Townsend)

*Andrew Townsend is a journalist and writer. He further explores the county in the travel book, Cornwall Favourites For One And All!: A Quick Guide To Good Places To Visit Across The County, which is available in print and as an ebook. More details on Andrew’s books and ebooks can be found via this link to his author page on Amazon - https://bit.ly/AndrewTownsendAuthor

Cornwall Favourites For One And All! is available as an ebook on Amazon
Cornwall Favourites For One And All! is available as a book and an ebook on Amazon. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)