"Coastal heathland where the cliff edges provide a refuge for wild flowers"
Walk directions
From the seaward end of Crooklets Beach car park (by the cafe), go towards the beach, turn right to cross a bridge and head for some steps. Pass behind some beach huts, then turn left along a stony track between walls. Go up some steps through a kissing gate and onto the coast path. Follow the coast path.
Go through a gate and then walk along a track behind a white building, called Northcott House. Bear off to the left, by a signpost, down a path to reach the sea at Northcott Mouth beach. From here, bear right along a track that will take you back inland, past a group of houses on the left, and continue uphill to pass The Rustic Tea Garden and scattered houses.
Where the track bends round to the right, leave it and keep straight ahead to an open gateway. Keep walking along a banked bridle path (skirt the edge of the field to the left if the path is impassable).
Reach a field gate and follow a track through fields. Take the right fork at a junction with another track, then continue to a T-junction with a public road. Turn left and walk down the road, with care, to Sandy Mouth.
Pass the National Trust information kiosk and descend towards the beach, then go left and uphill and follow the coast path back to Northcott Mouth beach, and a lifeguard hut passed earlier on your route.
Follow the roadside path just past the lifeguard hut and then retrace your steps towards Northcott House, which you passed earlier. Go along the track behind the building and then keep ahead along a broad track with a field hedge on your left.
As buildings come into view ahead, turn left over a stile with a footpath sign in a wall corner. Follow the field-edge ahead into a hedged-in path. Continue walking between trees to a lane by a new house. Continue until you reach the road.
Turn right along the road, with Maer Lake Nature Reserve down to your left. Follow the road to a crossroads and turn right to return to the car park.
The windswept coastal grasslands of north Cornwall seem unlikely havens for plant life but, around the seaside resort of Bude, the cliff edges especially provide a unique refuge for fascinating wild flowers. This walk follows the flat cliff land north of Bude, with an inland section on the return.... Along the way you'll find numerous wild flowers that turn the cliff top into a riot of colour in spring and early summer. Grasslands The walk starts from Flexbury, just north of Bude at Crooklets Beach and within minutes takes you out onto the cropped grasslands of the National Trust's Maer Cliff and Maer Down. In spring the dominant flower here is the spring squill, whose distinctive powder-blue flowers are dotted across the grass. Other early plants which flourish here are the lilac-coloured early scurvy grass, the pink thrift and white sea campion. At Northcott Mouth the cliffs give way to a wide, stony beach. Here the route of the walk turns inland and climbs steadily uphill to eventually follow the line of an old bridleway, often choked with a tangle of grass and brambles, but with typical hedgerow plants such as foxglove and red valerian poking through. To woodland and wetland Soon you reach the road to Sandymouth Beach and the cliff path back to Crooklets. Once more there are many wild flowers here. The grass is laced with the yellow and orange flowers of kidney vetch and the yellow heads of hawkweed and, by July, is scattered with the pink and white florets of the aromatic wild carrot. From Northcott the walk angles inland to a final stroll through an area of typically dense woodland, a dramatic contrast in habitat to the open cliff top. Here primroses and daffodils appear, brightening up the early spring. A mixture of trees such as sycamore, beech, alder, cypress, Scots pine and Corsican pine create a sheltered and moist environment within which plants like the tall yellow flag iris and the lilac-coloured water mint thrive. The last section of the walk leads you past the Maer Lake Nature Reserve, a large area of wetland that is flooded in winter and is in the care of the Cornwall Wildlife Trust and the Cornwall Birdwatching and Preservation Society. There is no public access to the area from the roadside but you can get an excellent view of the many birds through binoculars.
Cornwall has just about everything – wild moorland landscapes, glorious river valley scenery, picturesque villages and miles of breathtaking coastline. Known for its popular surfing spots, the region provides ample opportunities for water sport enthusiasts, and for those who prefer to stay on land, visitor attractions like the Eden Project and the Lost Gardens of Heligan offer a lovely day out.
"Coastal heathland where the cliff edges provide a refuge for wild flowers"
Walk details
2hrs 30min
Difficulty:
Easy
Gradient:
Gentle
Distance:
5 miles (8kms)
Ascent:
262ft (80m)
Walk directions
From the seaward end of Crooklets Beach car park (by the cafe), go towards the beach, turn right to cross a bridge and head for some steps. Pass behind some beach huts, then turn left along a stony track between walls. Go up some steps through a kissing gate and onto the coast path. Follow the coast path.
1 of 8
Go through a gate and then walk along a track behind a white building, called Northcott House. Bear off to the left, by a signpost, down a path to reach the sea at Northcott Mouth beach. From here, bear right along a track that will take you back inland, past a group of houses on the left, and continue uphill to pass The Rustic Tea Garden and scattered houses.
2 of 8
Where the track bends round to the right, leave it and keep straight ahead to an open gateway. Keep walking along a banked bridle path (skirt the edge of the field to the left if the path is impassable).
3 of 8
Reach a field gate and follow a track through fields. Take the right fork at a junction with another track, then continue to a T-junction with a public road. Turn left and walk down the road, with care, to Sandy Mouth.
4 of 8
Pass the National Trust information kiosk and descend towards the beach, then go left and uphill and follow the coast path back to Northcott Mouth beach, and a lifeguard hut passed earlier on your route.
5 of 8
Follow the roadside path just past the lifeguard hut and then retrace your steps towards Northcott House, which you passed earlier. Go along the track behind the building and then keep ahead along a broad track with a field hedge on your left.
6 of 8
As buildings come into view ahead, turn left over a stile with a footpath sign in a wall corner. Follow the field-edge ahead into a hedged-in path. Continue walking between trees to a lane by a new house. Continue until you reach the road.
7 of 8
Turn right along the road, with Maer Lake Nature Reserve down to your left. Follow the road to a crossroads and turn right to return to the car park.
The windswept coastal grasslands of north Cornwall seem unlikely havens for plant life but, around the seaside resort of Bude, the cliff edges especially provide a unique refuge for fascinating wild flowers. This walk follows the flat cliff land north of Bude, with an inland section on the return.... Along the way you'll find numerous wild flowers that turn the cliff top into a riot of colour in spring and early summer. Grasslands The walk starts from Flexbury, just north of Bude at Crooklets Beach and within minutes takes you out onto the cropped grasslands of the National Trust's Maer Cliff and Maer Down. In spring the dominant flower here is the spring squill, whose distinctive powder-blue flowers are dotted across the grass. Other early plants which flourish here are the lilac-coloured early scurvy grass, the pink thrift and white sea campion. At Northcott Mouth the cliffs give way to a wide, stony beach. Here the route of the walk turns inland and climbs steadily uphill to eventually follow the line of an old bridleway, often choked with a tangle of grass and brambles, but with typical hedgerow plants such as foxglove and red valerian poking through. To woodland and wetland Soon you reach the road to Sandymouth Beach and the cliff path back to Crooklets. Once more there are many wild flowers here. The grass is laced with the yellow and orange flowers of kidney vetch and the yellow heads of hawkweed and, by July, is scattered with the pink and white florets of the aromatic wild carrot. From Northcott the walk angles inland to a final stroll through an area of typically dense woodland, a dramatic contrast in habitat to the open cliff top. Here primroses and daffodils appear, brightening up the early spring. A mixture of trees such as sycamore, beech, alder, cypress, Scots pine and Corsican pine create a sheltered and moist environment within which plants like the tall yellow flag iris and the lilac-coloured water mint thrive. The last section of the walk leads you past the Maer Lake Nature Reserve, a large area of wetland that is flooded in winter and is in the care of the Cornwall Wildlife Trust and the Cornwall Birdwatching and Preservation Society. There is no public access to the area from the roadside but you can get an excellent view of the many birds through binoculars.
Cornwall has just about everything – wild moorland landscapes, glorious river valley scenery, picturesque villages and miles of breathtaking coastline. Known for its popular surfing spots, the region provides ample opportunities for water sport enthusiasts, and for those who prefer to stay on land, visitor attractions like the Eden Project and the Lost Gardens of Heligan offer a lovely day out.
