Stratton is a traditional village of attractive white washed cottages, with bars, courtyards and restaurants. It is a 17th century village and the adjoining beach resort of Bude grew up during the 19th century as a holiday resort. Indeed, go up the hill and down the other side and you will find yourself in Bude.
There are lovely footpaths from the old village, particularly into Bude where the walks extend along the old Bude Canal and along the beaches and coastal footpaths. Stratton is well known as the place where the Battle of Stratton was fought, in 1643, when the royalists won, thus forestalling the roundheads invasion of Devon.
Bude town has excellent facilities with an interesting selection of shops, a large supermarket, and recreational activities, including a modern indoor heated swimming pool. A few minutes walk from the town centre and you can be exploring the dramatic scenery of the South West Coastal Path, or discovering the famous Bude Canal, an engineering feat of the early 19th century, or walking in some of the most unspoilt rural areas to be found in the South West.
North Cornwall has a wealth of beautiful beaches, each boasting the unique opportunity to do a number of different activities. One of the most popular of these is surfing. On a good surfing day, the sea from Bude to Porthcothan is teeming with people riding the exhilarating North Coast waves. There are many beaches to choose from, each producing conditions suitable for all standards of surfing. So grab a board, squeeze into a wetsuit and, using the next few pages as your guide, find the perfect surfing spot for you.
