Bude-Stratton is home to many open spaces which have been preserved and protected for future generations to come. Blessed with this vast amount of green space Bude-Stratton Facilities team work year round to maintain this land for the community to use and enjoy.
Shalder Hill
Sitting proudly above the river Neet, Shalder Hill is home to Bude’s War memorial, this grade II listed monument looks down across Bude town and is central to the Remembrance Day parade every year in November.
You will often see a large flower cross on the side of the hill, or a sea of poppies made by local community groups covering the Neetside. On Remembrance Sunday people line the streets of The Strand and around The Triangle to watch the procession and laying off wreaths.
Shalder hill is also home to Bude’s Meteorological Station. One of 600 in Britain and being the third oldest since its creation in 1896, when Shalder Hill was built from the sand and mud moved there when The Castle was built.
Stamford Hill
Steeped in history Stamford Hill is probably the most historically important area in Bude-Stratton.
The Battle of Stratton, a battle of the South West campaign of the First English Civil War took place on 16th May 1643. Fought between the Cornish Royalist forces of Sir Ralph Hopton and the Parliamentarian troops of the Earl of Stamford, it resulted in a defeat for the Parliamentarians, despite their greater numbers and ‘defendable’ position, confirming Royalist control of Cornwall whilst destroying the Parliamentarian field army in Devon.
The battle site on Stamford Hill was purchased by Bude-Stratton Town Council in 1997, to not only preserve this important historic site but equally to provide free community access for leisure purposes and an for environment wildlife, flora and fauna to flourish.
An annual commemoration of the battle is marked with a private wreath laying ceremony attended by members of the Town Council and the Sealed Knot kindly hosted by the current owners of Bevill House on Stamford Hill.
Accessible from the A39 or Stamford Hill road this important area is well known for its beautiful bluebells and woodland walks.
Summerleaze Downs
This large expanse of green land sits proudly between Summerleaze and Crooklets beach looking out to sea. With Bude’s historic and very active sea pool just below, this area of land has held a prominent and important place in the community for decades.
Originally owned by George Thynne of Trelana, Poughill. The area now known as The Downs was purchased on 25th May 1921, by the then authority Urban District Council of Stratton and Bude, for the sum of £2600.
100 years later, The Downs remains a recreational area for the community and visitors to use and enjoy. The Downs is also home to Bude Cricket Club, Croquette Lawn, and the Pitch and Putt facility.
The Flagstaff located atop the Downs, sits proudly at the highest point. The mast was recovered from the ketch ‘Elizabeth’ that was wrecked in Bude Bay, in 1912.
Accessible from either Summerleaze or Crooklets, you can walk between the two beaches and take in the magnificent views and beautiful sunsets.
The Triangle, Rattenbury Garden, The Barge Workshop & Maer Gardens
The Triangle, Bude
The Triangle is a community space in a central location at the foot of Belle Vue. Originally known as the Shute Triangle it was, prior to the arrival of the mains water supply, home to a water pump where those residents without wells would collect their water.
Today the area is laid to lawn and fully enclosed by a low height traditional Cornish stone wall. A prime location, the Triangle is a popular spot to relax, picnic and watch the world go by. There is a free-to-use water point installed by Refill Bude to promote the use of refillable drinks bottles.
Maer Gardens, Crooklets
Situated above Crooklets Beach this hilly triangular piece of land takes in views right across Bude bay and Summerleaze Downs.
With benches situated for optimum views, it is often frequented by locals and those enjoying cliff walks along the South West Coast path starting at Crooklets.
Rattenbury Gardens, Stratton
A small area in the heart of Stratton laid with paving and seasonal flowers grown in the Town Council’s very own polytunnel. Rattenbury Garden is the perfect spot to sit and take in the views of this historic and important town. The earliest known references to Stratton are found in King Alfred’s Will of c. 880 and the Domesday survey of 1086.
There is an old local saying “Stratton was a market town when Bude was just a furzy down”, meaning Stratton was long established when Bude was just gorse-covered downland.
The Barge Workshop, Helebridge
BSTC’s hidden gem, The Canal Barge Workshop, is open Sunday afternoons, between 2pm-5pm, during the summer, until the end of September. Its location is absolutely idyllic and it is a fantastic picnic spot after a walk along the tow path.
Tucked away two miles south of Bude at Helebridge, the Workshop was built in 1840 for the Canal Company. It now houses the Bude Canal Tub Boat and other heritage artefacts, including late 19th century items from the Gregory Engineering Workshop in Bude. It is wholly fascinating, and well worth popping in.
