Living in Bude

Bude is beaches first. Summerleaze, Crooklets and the cliffs north and south are the reason the town exists as a resort. The canal comes in from the countryside and ends by the sea lock, which gives the centre a shape most cliff towns lack.

It sits in the north of Cornwall. Exeter and the Devon border are more relevant here than Truro is. That changes hospitals, days out and who your visitors are. The town is breezy, surf-minded and more spread out than Fowey or St Ives.

It suits a move that wants the Atlantic without the far-west journey. It is the wrong base if your life is in Falmouth or at Land's End.

Who it suits. People coming from the south-west of England who want a beach town with a bit more room.

The catch. You are a long way from the far west. Summer traffic on the Atlantic Highway is the tax.