WHALESBOROUGH FARM, BUDE
When
Along with the rest of the world, at a time when we weren’t sure if we would go anywhere beyond the garden this year, the chance for a break felt like an impossible dream. Having booked and subsequently cancelled a trip to Majorca, when an email from our favourite Cornish destination arrived to say that they would be open again from 4 July, we made a snap decision to take an available cottage for the last week of the school holidays.
I say snap decision… we’ve stayed there five times now so it was more of a no brainer.
Where
Whalesborough Farm is situated off the Atlantic Highway on the outskirts of Bude in Cornwall. Having not long left Devon, in no time you reach the rugged North Cornish coast with its majestic clifftops, fresh sea breezes and rolling waves.
I remember our first visit back in 2013 - H was nine and Biscuit was an eight month old pup. I don’t think we’ve ever quite fallen for a destination in the way we have for this one.
A family farm that became a holiday hideaway some years ago, arriving at Whalesborough now feels like coming home for us. It’s still a working farm which is a huge part of its appeal and all twenty cottages have been sympathetically developed over a number of years. Most importantly, it hasn’t grown too big - some days, even during peak summer season, you can wander around the farm and barely see anyone else.
Inside
In 2013 we stayed in Longdown which is one of the original barn conversion cottages - it's cosy and full of character. On subsequent stays, we’ve booked into Nettlecombe and its become our firm favourite. It has its own parking space, a recent addition of a private hot tub in the garden, and for H, its proximity to the indoor swimming pool is a major selling point.
This year, the available cottage for our week was Little Main. It turned out to be almost identical to Nettlecombe in terms of layout so whilst we were in a different location, we still had that welcome feeling of familiarity.
Outside
This is where Whalesborough weaves its magic for me. In terms of the facilities you might need for a happy family holiday its all there. There’s an outdoor pool, a health club with an indoor pool and spa, a games barn, dog wash facilities, tractor rides, animal feeding and tennis courts. But it’s all present without being imposingly obvious.
The thing that I love the most is the expanse of rolling fields provided by the farm and the scenic walks straight to the cliff tops. On arrival I’m always itching to walk up the farm track, past the wind turbine (affectionately dubbed My Windmill) and on to the corn field. Down a dip, up a hill and there it is - a breathtaking view of the white horses of the Atlantic Ocean crashing onto the shores of Widemouth Bay. It always has the power to make me shed a happy tear upon seeing it for the first time again.
Why We Love It
If I had to list my top three reasons for our repeated returns, I would narrow it down to the slow pace of life, their sustainable approach to running the business and how easy it is to relax from the minute we arrive.
We feel like we have a genuine connection with this place which means its become a home away from home.
From the perspective of this very weird year and the Covid climate, to return here felt familiar and safe. I honestly didn’t know how I would deal with being away from home and was concerned that my anxiety would ruin the holiday for all of us. All measures and precautions put in place by Whalesborough were excellent. It allowed us the time to create some happy family memories that will hopefully carry us through the winter months.
You Could…
In terms of location, exploration from here is easy. In 2019 we drove to Bedruthan Steps - possibly the most heavenly Cornish beach I’ve ever had the joy of walking barefoot on. The day was made complete when we stopped in at St Eval Candles and then ate an early dinner at The Cornish Arms in St Merryn. I could never ask for more than the chance to buy seaside scents and eat delicious food in a sunny pub garden!
Port Isaac and Boscastle are two of our favourite fishing villages to visit - both of which I would happily return to again. The first time we came here we drove to Rock and caught the ferry across to Padstow. In summer I found it way too crowded and would’ve preferred to explore it out of season in the colder months. We also went to Tintagel which was brilliant - H was captivated by the cliff top castle setting and a clamber down to stand in Merlin’s cave!
This year we stayed fairly local and visited Black Rock beach as we’ve done many times in the past. It’s dog friendly all year round and great for both rock pool exploration and body boarding.
Bude is another favourite stop off for eating a takeout pasty on the green and buying fudge - and that’s about as touristy as I like to get! At nearby Summerleaze beach, there’s an incredible sea pool. After a game of crazy golf and the obligatory ice cream, we walked there to take a look. Not having any beach stuff with us meant we didn’t get to go in but it’s definitely on my list for next time.
On a slightly greyer afternoon, we drove to nearby Crackington Haven beach and it was spectacular. The colours in the rock and huge expanses of sand and pools at low tide was pure Cornish coastal perfection. It reminded me of the times when as kids, we would visit all the lesser known beaches, sometimes in the pouring rain. Because we always knew that the weather made no difference to the enjoyment factor - a sentiment I still hold with today.
Slowing Down
I’d never imagined we’d be a family that returned to a holiday destination time and time again. But if I think about the draw to Whalesborough and Cornwall in particular, each time we’ve been, it’s just suited the life stage that we’ve been in.
When we travel as a family, which is 99.9% of the time, things just need to be as calm, easy and peaceful as possible. I don’t do chaos at home and so try to avoid it on holiday. The familiarity is easy and here, time just seems to fall into a natural, slow paced rhythm of its own.
If we’re up in time to see the sunrise then there’ll be a nap in the afternoon. If it rains, there’s blankets and books to read - three for me this year. Cooking becomes a joy when it's the only necessary task of the day. Here is a place where H is happy and as any parent knows, if your kids are happy then you’re happy.
In ways that I find hard to describe, my heart feels like it belongs in Cornwall. I think it’s down to the memories we’ve made there and the feeling it evokes. The wildness is still there and in most cases, completely unspoilt. The sheer variety of coastline is breathtaking and the top item on my bucket list is to explore as many Cornish beaches as I possibly can.
Even on the drive down, from the moment I see my first wind turbine in a distant field, scooping up the breeze and doing better by the world, I feel better too.
I’m already anticipating our next visit - it’s hard to stay away for too long.
The Details
Take a look at Whalesborough Farm here where you’ll find details of all the accommodation and facilities available. As regular guests, we signed up to their email newsletter which was the clincher that enabled us to stay ahead of the last minute UK holiday rush this summer. They also send out notification of offers on occasion - to visit in winter and be able to make use of the log burner is on our Cornwall Must Do List!
