Between Wadebridge and Newquay, is the large village St Columb Major. Providing shops and other amenities to the local area, the village has some fine old houses and its pub, the Ring O’Bells, offers a range of ales as well as food in its restaurant. The church of St Colomba is large and built of Pentewan and Caen stone with an impressive tower. Inside there is a 17th century letter of thanks to the Cornish people from King Charles I.

Each year this is one of only two remaining places which practise Hurling the Silver Ball, an ancient game which was once common throughout the county and played on Shrove Tuesday, the other being St Ives. Local shops board up windows as a scrum forms mid-afternoon between the “countrymen” and the “townsmen” and the teams pass the silver ball between member hurlers until they reach their respective goal, set two miles apart at opposite parish boundaries. The winners share beer which has been ‘blessed’ by the ball.

Nearby is one of the best-preserved Iron Age hill forts in the county, Castle-an-Dinas.

Only 8 miles from the coast, it’s the perfect base from which to enjoy Cornwall’s stunning beaches while also having the town’s many independent shops and delicious places to eat on your doorstep.

The river Camel is the hub for activity in the town and is a popular rest-stop roughly half-way along the Camel Trail – 17 miles of off-road track between Padstow and Bodmin, popular with cyclists, runners and walkers of all ages who enjoy the sights and sounds of the peaceful riverside route. It conversely boasts Cornwall’s highest number of independent shops and boutiques!

Often included in the Sunday Times’ Best Places to Live list, it won’t take you long to realise why the locals love it.

As implied by the name, the town is situated on the River Camel. This name was believed to have been a contraction of Camalanford, from cam, meaning crooked, alan, meaning beautiful, and ford. The symbol of the camel, as seen on the Town Hall weather vane, has often been used in connection with the town, but the name has nothing whatsoever to do with camels.

The town lies on the edge of Bodmin Moor and is about six miles inland from the rugged North Cornwall coast, with the delightful villages of Boscastle and Tintagel within easy reach.

Legend has it that King Arthur and his Knights are a part of North Cornwall history, and that Camelford was the Camelot, of legend. The truth will never be known, although there was a warrior king who died in a bloody battle at Slaughter Bridge, just outside Camelford. This real king’s name was never known, so could it have been Arthur?

The name of Tintagel immediately conjures images of King Arthur and the legends associated with him. The ruins of Tintagel Castle brood over the coast, but no-one can say for sure whether this was really the place where Uther Pendragon seduced the Queen of Cornwall. The remains of the 13th-century castle are much more recent than the times of the legend, although there are signs of much earlier settlements.

Tintagel Village was originally called Trevena (“village on a mountain”), with the (probably) French name Tintagel reserved for the castle. However, with the rise in popularity of the old Arthurian legends in the 19th century, the once-sleepy village became a Victorian tourism hotspot. It was renamed after its famous castle, and began its new life as a visitor destination.

Probably the best reason to visit Tintagel today is for the glorious coastal scenery. However, there are one or two potteries and galleries in the village in addition to the many gift new-age shops, cafés and restaurants.

A sheltered natural inlet with an unspoilt harbour village. There’s more to Boscastle than a picturesque natural harbour and village.

The Elizabethan quay sits in an impressive amphitheatre of steep cliffs and is home to quaint stone-built cottages, shops and tea-rooms.

Much of the land in and around Boscastle is owned by the Trust. Venture beyond the picture-postcard harbour and a cliff path takes you to the Willapark headland and an intriguing ex-folly, now used as a Coastwatch lookout.

Nearby walks around Forrabury Stitches offer a rare glimpse at a surviving farmed landscape showing ancient celtic strip fields. If you wander further afield, you’ll discover the half-forgotten churches of Minster and St Juliots – once made famous by Thomas Hardy.

Widemouth Bay is a very long open bay, popular with families and surfers alike and at low tide there are hundreds of rock pools to explore.

Situated just 3 miles south of Bude and accessible along the South West coast path, Widemouth Bay offers fantastic conditions to learn surfing or body-boarding, which is why many of the local surf schools are based there.

Viewing areas are located at both the north and south end of the bay so you can enjoy the fantastic panorama without getting your feet sandy! Surfers will experience a variety of peaks from the north to the south end of the beach. You’ll also spot the Black Rock landmark.

There’s a lot to love about Bude. With a laid back allure all of its own, and so much to see and do, we have something for everyone. From romantic whiskaways to fun-fuelled family holidays, it’s all here, where Cornwall begins and everyday cares melt away. Bude is repeatedly named (via public vote) as the Best UK Coastal Town winning a series of Silver and Gold awards in the British Travel Awards.

With thrills, spills and pure escapism on the menu, Bude is a little town with big possibilities. Ramblers, riders, surfers and swimmers flock to our sunny, spotlessly clean beaches (all rated as Excellent under new European standards) and wild coastline. However, a little-known secret is that Bude’s also fabulous for secluded golf courses and brilliant sea and coarse fishing.