National Trust - Duckpool

The coastal path at Duckpool, just south of Bude, drops you onto a proper wild stretch of North Cornwall coast that feels miles from the holiday parks clustered inland. The beach itself is small - a cove of dark sand squeezed between dramatic slate cliffs - but it's the walking that makes this National Trust spot worth the effort. The path is well-maintained and takes about twenty minutes from the car park, descending through bracken and gorse with the sea getting closer the whole way down. Once you're there, the cove rewards you. It's a brilliant spot for families to potter about for a couple of hours - rock pools are decent, and the beach has enough space that you won't feel crowded even in summer. Walkers will enjoy the continuation of the coastal path in both directions; the views back towards Bude are genuinely good, and the cliffs here are the real deal - proper Cornish geology on show. The beach itself gets a bit rough and isn't supervised, so young kids need watching, but that's part of the appeal really - it feels less manicured than many spots along this coast. Access is free, though parking can get tight in peak season. Allow a couple of hours minimum if you're walking the paths as well as the beach. It works perfectly as a morning or afternoon break from Wooda Farm Holiday Park or Atlantic Horizons, both just a few miles away up the coast.