Efford Down Campsite

View prices & book 9.1 75 reviews
Visitor image of the site
Visitor image of the site
Visitor image of the sunset over the site
Spectacular cornish coastline
Bude
Surfing in the bude area
By night
Arrival
View of bude as it was getting dark
1/55
Visitor image of the sunset over the site
Spectacular cornish coastline
Bude

  • Pick your own pitches at this back to basics camping field in Cornwall
  • A five-minute walk from Bude and the South West Coast Path
  • Spacious hillside pitches; barbecues and dogs permitted
No frills but in a splendid hillside setting on the north Cornwall coast… pitches at Efford Down Campsite are in a sloping farm field that's great for family breaks. Located five minutes' walk from Bude and its independent shops, cafés and pubs, it's also within easy strolling distance of supermarkets for picking up self-catering supplies. There’s plenty to do outdoors too: a five-minute walk will see you surfing off Summerleaze beach, or you can potter down to Bude Sea Pool for a swim in less than 10 minutes. There’s also direct access to the South West Coast Path from the campsite, for action-packed days hiking headlands, or gentler ambles along Bude Canal and around the fishing harbour. But that’s not all – there are canoe and mountain bike rentals, pony trekking and golf courses all within a few minutes' drive, and you can try your hand at coasteering, sea kayaking and surf kayaking from local activity centres too. There are no designated pitches here, so you'll be able to choose your own camping spot from what’s available when you arrive in the gently sloping field. Simple facilities at the site include running water, toilets, showers and plenty of space to park cars by your pitch.

Site type

Tent pitches 10
Motorhome pitches 10
Rent a tent 2
Open now
Opens 1 May
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • Group bookings of 4 or more units (e.g. tent, touring caravan, motorhome or accommodation hire) travelling together are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Group bookings of 6 or more adults are not permitted (couples and immediate family members excepted).
  • Single-sex bookings of 4 or more people (couples and immediate family members excepted) are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • No hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Twin axle vehicles are not permitted on site.
  • Minimum spacing of 2 metres between pitches.
  • If making a fire, the fuel, logs and coal have to be purchased on site.
  • Guests are advised to bring a good quality torch with them as parts of the site are unlit.
  • Bookings must not consist of more than 4 different households.
  • Toilet rolls are not provided, please bring your own. Please note: your booking confirmation email should be printed and displayed on the driver's side of your vehicle's dashboard.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Thu, 1 May 2025 to

Pitch types & availability

Accommodation

Tent pitchesTouring caravan pitchesMotorhome pitchesLodges, cabins, pods or hutsCaravans for hireRent a tent
Choose your dates
2 adults
0 children

Reviews

9.1

Overall rating from 75 Pitchup.com customers

  • 61%
    10
  • 8%
    9
  • 21%
    8
  • 2%
    7
  • 4%
    6
  • 0%
    5
  • 2%
    4
  • 0%
    3
  • 0%
    2
  • 0%
    1
Location
 10
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 4
Peaceful

92% would recommend this site to a friend

93% would stay here again

What customers say

This campsite is praised for its excellent location, just a short walk from Bude town centre and beaches. Visitors consistently highlight the cleanliness of the facilities, including showers and toilets, and appreciate the peaceful, relaxed atmosphere. While described as basic, many found the amenities perfectly adequate and good value. Some noted the site can be sloped, recommending levelling blocks. Overall, a highly recommended spot for its convenience and tranquil setting.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 8
Arrival date (latest first)

Location just three minutes’ walk from Bude is a huge plus. The…

Overall

7 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 7
Accommodation
 5
Facilities / Activities
 4
Customer service
 4
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 4
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Non-electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Location just three minutes’ walk from Bude is a huge plus. The hilly field affords a pleasant view across the town. Half of the field is given over to wilding giving it a country feel.
At night the way marking lights are rather magical.

Disliked The field is on a significant slope, apart from two pitches by the entrance.
The facilities are minimal but even so are not kept in the best repair (broken light in the men’s toilets, broken lock in men’s toilets), no plugs in the dishwashing sinks).
Quite a lot of queuing for toilets and showers.

Recommend to friends Visit again

On a hill, blustery but clean and good distance to beach, town

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 6
Accommodation
 6
Facilities / Activities
 5
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 No rating
Melanie S.

Non-electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Great site, short walking distance to town

Disliked Would be good to have some more hooks in the shower rooms please

Recommend to friends Visit again

Very convenient and walkable distance from town and beach as well. As…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 No rating
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Venkat G.

Bell tent

Liked Very convenient and walkable distance from town and beach as well. As this was our first camping trip, we were bit worried about the facilities and cleanliness. We are very happy with the cleanliness and comfort of facilities. Overall we felt it worth what we spent. Definitely recommend for camping and glamping.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Fantastic position to town and beaches, not a bad view nice quiet…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 No rating
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Andrew K.

Non-electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Fantastic position to town and beaches, not a bad view nice quiet site will be back 😀 👍 bit of a slope remember your wheel ramp levelers

Disliked All good 👍

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great central campsite.

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 8
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 1
Child friendliness
 8
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 1
Anonymous

Non-electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Really close to the town centre and beach only a few minutes walk. Showers, toilets and washing up area were great. Literally a field to park in so facilities basic but absolutely fine. Great site would go back.

Disliked E mailed to change the booking before the final Payment was due and no one got back to me. So currently have paid for a night we didn’t use despite contacting to amend as per website and being within the time allowed to amend the booking. I’ve not scored wifi as there wasn’t any which is fine.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Chilled site, clean showers and toilets

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 7
Accommodation
 8
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 8
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
May W.

Non-electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Stayed for two nights with my teenage son, nice chilled, quiet site. Basic facilities but I liked it that way, toilets were clean, showers were warm. Had a lovely atmosphere. Really nice couple of days. Thank you!

Disliked A bit slopey but not really complaining, we still managed to get a decent nights sleep

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent site with clean facilities and mostly level pitched.

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 7
Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 7
Child friendliness
 7
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Non-electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked The campsite was easy to find and it was nice that you could park up where you wanted. Toilets and showers were nice and clean.

Disliked Bins could do with emptying as very full.

Recommend to friends Visit again

So close to Bude centre and the beach. You can hear the…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Sarah W.

Non-electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked So close to Bude centre and the beach.
You can hear the waves.
Facilities, although basic - as described before we arrived - were lovely and clean and perfect for our stay.
It was so close to the costal path.

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Had a great few days. Loved the bell tent! Nice peaceful site…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 No rating
Child friendliness
 8
Cleanliness
 No rating
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Bell tent

Liked Had a great few days. Loved the bell tent! Nice peaceful site and close to town and beach. Would definitely recommend!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great campsite, good facilities although basic. Charlie the owner is sound-…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Arny A.

Non-electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Great campsite, good facilities although basic. Charlie the owner is sound- will defo return

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Dogs allowed

Campfires allowed

Leisure on site

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Games room Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Play area TV room Take away Tennis Watersports

Amenities on site

Bath available Car parking by pitch/unit Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Launderette Parent & baby washroom Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Public telephone Shower available Toilet block Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

D. of E. welcome Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Rallies welcome Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Budget/backpacker Peaceful Walkers' paradise Wild camping

Utilities

Charging facilities Chemical disposal Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby Nearby farmers' market Public transport nearby Shop nearby

Type

Farm Tiny (1-10 pitches)

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Climbing nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horse riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Leisure/theme park nearby Mountain biking nearby Outdoor pool nearby Restaurant nearby Surf school nearby Tennis nearby Watersports nearby

Location

Efford Down Campsite

Vicarage Road

Bude

Cornwall

England

EX23 8LJ

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London BST (GMT+01:00)

GPS

50.82588°N
4.54941°W

Route directions

As you travel from Bude towards Widemouth Bay, you will pass the Brendon Pub on your right-hand side. Immediately after the row of houses that are to the left of the Bendon Pub, there is a secret entrance lane. While driving down the leafy entrance lane, please drive very carefully and slowly. Please do not drive through the stone pillar driveway next to the property.

Nearest transport

Coach
0.3 mi The Strand
20 mi Nelson Road
20.1 mi Bideford Quay
Rail
25.1 mi Okehampton Rail Station
25.9 mi Gunnislake Rail Station
26.4 mi Coombe Junction Halt (Rail Station)
Ferry
20.1 mi Bideford Ferry Landing
22.2 mi Appledore Ferry Landing
22.4 mi Instow Ferry Landing

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

Around Bude, there are plenty of things to keep you busy. This pleasant resort has half a dozen different beaches to explore, with sandy spots, secluded coves, rockpools and the saltwater Bude Sea Pool to try out. Just out of town, you can escape the hustle and bustle at Widemouth Bay (five minutes' drive), or for a peaceful few hours of sport you could make a day of it at Bude and North Cornwall Golf Club (five minutes), where visitors are welcome. The South West Coast Path (five minutes' walk from base) has ample hiking opportunities for serious walkers (and less serious ones who fancy a shorter jaunt to some of north Cornwall's less accessible beaches). Good public transport services run along much of the route, making it possible to loop back to base in Bude by bus rather than walking the long way home. For families, this part of Cornwall has Tintagel Castle (35 minutes) with its connections to King Arthur; the village of Tintagel also has caves and a toy museum to keep the kids occupied. Alternatively, take them for a go on the rides, slides and flumes at Camel Creek Family Theme Park (50 minutes).

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Summerleaze 0.4 mi Sea N/AExcellentGoodGood
Crooklets 0.7 mi Sea N/AExcellentGoodGood
Northcott Mouth 1.6 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentN/A
Widemouth Sand 2.3 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Sandymouth 2.4 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Tintagel Castle 14.3 mi

RHS Garden Rosemoor 19.7 mi

Rock Beach 25.2 mi

Cornwall's Crealy Great Adventure Park 28.6 mi

National Trust

Tintagel Old Post Office 14.3 mi

Lawrence House 15.3 mi

Lydford Gorge 23.1 mi

Lundy 23.9 mi

Cotehele 26.9 mi

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

Bude - Canal and Nature Reserve 0.1 mi

Bude - Canal and Coast 0.1 mi

Bude to Sandymouth 0.4 mi

Poughill - Bude - Northcott Mouth 1.5 mi

Battle of Stratton, 1643 1.5 mi

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Nearest sites

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable sites.

Want to know more about camping in Cornwall?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Efford Down Campsite have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Efford Down Campsite dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Efford Down Campsite? Around Bude, there are plenty of things to keep you busy. This pleasant resort has half a dozen different beaches to explore, with sandy spots, secluded coves, rockpools and the saltwater Bude … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Efford Down Campsite?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  2 p.m. –  9 p.m.
    Depart by:  12 p.m.
    On-site accommodation
    Arrive:  4 p.m. –  9 p.m.
    Depart by:  12 p.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Efford Down Campsite? From £27 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.