We love Newquay, but it’s supposed to have gone downhill of late, so looking for somewhere else in Cornwall to take the van.

Must be kid and dog friendly and have stuff to do if it rains, so no pretty little villages isolated from anywhere else – of course scenery and a nice beach would be high on the list too.

Cheers

how about exploring Bude, or Barnstaple?

[Clarkson mode]

Over the edge of a cliff, damned white slugs of the road

[/Clarkson mode]

Have horrible memories of Barnstaple – spent a night in a rainy truck park when our bay window VW van died and we got towed back the next day. never want to see the place ever again – I remember it being a miserable hole anyway regardless of our experience.

Barnstaple itself is a bit crap, but NW Devon is great. Woolacombe, Mortehoe, Saunton Sands, Croyde…all lovely sandy beaches. Some lovely smaller towns inland from the coast too.

Mother Ivey’s bay campsite, nr Padstow. – Bit more expensive than other sites but well worth it. Great site – nice spot, nice beach just below it and short stroll to two great beaches (Boobys and Constantine).
http://www.motheriveysbay.com/ – gets booked up fast though.

Cheers Bogg, was about to make a booking enquiry until I checked the tariff – £32 pn for an unserviced pitch up to £52 pn for fully serviced!!!!

I don’t mind paying a decent rate for a nice park, but those prices are taking the piss.

Any more?

Penhalt Farm campsite just south of Bude. Lovely!

+1 for WCA.

The bastard drivers never seem to spot the three miles of traffic behind them and pull over to let them pass.

Stay away from north devon. it’s crap, worst place ever to take a shitty caravan.

*cough*

I do actually pull over on the rare occassion that anyone gets stuck behind me, which isn’t often.

My speedo sits at 55mph (50mph according to GPS) uphill and down dale, where safe anyway. Actually nudges 60 where I can safely.

Have a look at Pentewan Sands, near St Austall. I know it mainly from sailing, but its a great beach for kids, woods/streams nearby for walking, big caravan site, lots to do nearby if it rains and some not bad biking!

Best place in Cornwall to take a caravan?

Barnstaple is in Devon 🙄

+1 for Pentewan, nr St Austell – I grew up in Cornwall and we always went on school camp there. Can’t remember much but there seemed to be lots of activities!

But, if I was camping in Cornwall now, with kids, I’m not really sure where I’d go. A lot of it is quite spread out. If you liked Newquay, then Perranporth is worth a shout – nice big beach and you could pop to Newquay for a day trip if you wanted to.

I’d personally go for the north Devon coast, as someone has previously mentioned (thinking Barnstaple to be in Cornwall – it ain’t :lol:).

Woolacombe is a great beach for kids and adults, and there are so many places to visit in the vicinity. There’s a nice caravan/camping park in Croyde (Croyde is an awesome place) – Ruda Bay. And if you have a car you could venture to Exmoor, Lynmouth, Illfracombe, Westward Ho!, Clovelly – all those kind of places which are really nearby.

[Clarkson mode]

Over the edge of a cliff, damned white slugs of the road

[/Clarkson mode]

The roads aren’t just there for inconsiderate selfish people like you to drive stupidly fast everywhere you know. 🙁

We’ve got to share the roads. And be nice to each other.

I was thinking the same re: Barnstaple, but CBA to mention it – and some wise words from Fred for once 😉

🙂

I dunno about Bude though. It’s ok, but nowt special imo. Southern Cornwall is much nicer I think. North coast is a bit bleak. The south is warmer, calmer and nicer towns and villages.

I do know what I’m talking about so shut up! Got family near Bude, and spent many an unhappy holiday there when I was young. Took a bike once, few years ago, jeeze nowhere to ‘legally’ ride, proper unfriendly locals who hiss and spit at ’emmets’ even though they’re mostly from large towns and cities themselves bloody hypocrites ‘ooh you can’t ride a bike there it’s a footpath’ just no point taking a bike.

And they moan about windfarms; how you gonna get the power for your homes then? Dig up half the countryside to lay cables? Nuclear powerplant? No, din’t think so so be quite moaning gits want to have all nice countryside but still have all mod cons and that.

Whereas when I went to Truro, it was lovely, and I only had to threaten one sanctimnious old fart with violence the whole time I was there. 🙂

DEVON, if you must clutter Cornwall they seem to congregate in the Carn Brea area.

St ives, we go every year, we stay here

http://www.ayrholidaypark.co.uk/touring-park.php

Carn Brea!? It’s a sh1t hole. Just a big hill with a telly aerial on top, and a leisure centre on the side with a family planning clinic and council estate next door.

Bude is a bit odd IMO. There’s not much there, and not much near by. North Cornwall is very bleak. Delabole is proper eerie.

wallop – I have a feeling that’s why timber is directing me there.

@ timber, if you don’t like tourists, then why on earth live in Cornwall? I live in the Derbyshire Dales/edge of the Peaks and and to moan about tourists and caravans (before I even contemplated having one), would be retarded at best.

Still, if you want us all to stay away, good luck supporting your local communities with your thriving industries… 😐

Pretty much sums up why I don’t live there anymore.

Elfin,

We find Bude lovely. Great for the kids, great beaches and lots to do.

Horses for courses….

Cornwall is great, for mtb activities Dartmoor is the place.