Great Beaches and Dramatic Coastlines
Discover the diversity of the Atlantic Coast
All around Bideford you will find a wide range of coastal landscapes - from the family friendly sandy beaches at Westward Ho!, Instow and Croyde Bay to the more dramatic cliffs and pebble beaches as you head toward Hartland Point.
Hartland Point is a 325 ft high rocky outcrop of land on the northwestern tip of the Devon coast in England. It is three miles north-west of the village of Hartland. The point marks the western limit (on the English side) of the Bristol Channel with the Atlantic Ocean continuing to the west. This location was known to the Romans as the "promontory of Hercules".
If you fancy a day out in North Cornwall - Bude and the surrounding area has impressive coastal scenery. Many ships have been wrecked on the jagged reefs which fringe their base. The figure-head of one of these, the "Bencoolen" lost in 1862, is preserved in the churchyard.
There also many beautiful beaches in the Bude area, many of which offer good surfing conditions. Bude was the founder club in British Surf Life Saving. Here are a few of the beaches you could visit.
Summerleaze and Crooklets beaches are both within the town while Widemouth Bay is a few miles south of the town and offers a long, wide sandy beach. Sandymouth Beach is owned by the National Trust, and has spectacular cliffs and rock formations with shingle below the cliffs and a large expanse of sand at low tide. Northcott Mouth Beach is situated north of Bude.