Efford Down Campsite

View prices & book 8.8 172 reviews
Visitor image of the site
Visitor image of the site
Visitor image of the sunset over the site
Bell tent exterior
Both of the bell tents
Exterior
Visitor image of the views
Outside eco toilets
Sinks for teeth brushing and hand washing
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Visitor image of the sunset over the site
Bell tent exterior
Both of the bell tents

  • 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 21
Rent a tent 2
Motorhome pitches 21
Open now
Opens 1 May
Please note

Admission

  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.

Occupancy

  • Bookings must not consist of more than 4 different households.
  • Group bookings of 4 or more units travelling together are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Group bookings of 6 or more adults are not permitted (couples and immediate family members excepted).
  • No hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Single-sex bookings of 4 or more people (couples and immediate family members excepted) are not permitted via Pitchup.com.

Safety

  • If making a fire, the fuel, logs and coal have to be purchased on site.
  • 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 Fri 1 May to

No availability here for your search criteria

Pitch types & availability

Accommodation

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

Reviews

8.8

Overall rating from 172 Pitchup.com customers

  • 50%
    10
  • 13%
    9
  • 18%
    8
  • 6%
    7
  • 5%
    6
  • 2%
    5
  • 0%
    4
  • 0%
    3
  • 0%
    2
  • 0%
    1
Location
 10
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 4
Peaceful

93% would recommend this site to a friend

91% would stay here again

What customers say

This campsite boasts an excellent location, just a short walk from Bude town centre and the beach, offering stunning views. Guests consistently praise the peaceful atmosphere, cleanliness of facilities, and friendly staff. While generally basic, the amenities, including showers, are often described as clean and functional, though some reviews mention them being dated or having intermittent hot water. The hilly terrain is frequently noted, with levelling ramps recommended. Overall, visitors highlight the great value and convenient access to local attractions, with many expressing a desire to return.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 25/08/2026

Filter by topic

Reviews page 1 of 18
Arrival date (latest first)

Has so much potential, yet close to wild camping.

Overall

6 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 6
Facilities / Activities
 4
Customer service
 2
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 5
Wifi
 1
Anonymous

Non-electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked The location was a positive.

Disliked Very limited services.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great site if you like a basic site and don’t mind a slope.

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 No rating
Customer service
 No rating
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 No rating
Wifi
 No rating
Melisa J. 3 reviews

Non-electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Location
Cleanliness of facilities

Disliked Mens toilets lacking in cleanliness

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great location, good facilities, clean toilet/shower…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Jessica H. 1 review

Non-electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Great location, good facilities, clean toilet/shower block

Recommend to friends Visit again

A little sloped but lots of…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 7
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 No rating
Dani M. 2 reviews

Non-electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked A little sloped but lots of space to camp. Plenty of toilets so never crowded. Showers really nice and a good wetsuit washing area. Really close to Bude you can just walk down into the town.

Disliked Noone on reception so a little confused when we got there about what to do and no answer on the phone ( he did call back but by then we had already decided to just pitch up anyway ). No set plots so you had to just hope everyone hasn't decided to spread out too much.

Recommend to friends Visit again

great location for Bude

Overall

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

Non-electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked love this place. right in the centre of Bude, everything within walking distance. nice hot shower, toilets clean. chilled vibe. friendly welcome. stayed before and will be back. great value for money and dog friendly.

Disliked nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Brilliant for the location , lovely…

Overall

5 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 8
Facilities / Activities
 2
Customer service
 4
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 4
Wifi
 1
 Hilary W. 1 review

Electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Brilliant for the location , lovely and quiet

Disliked Toilets and showers

Recommend to friends Visit again

For access to Bude and Summerleaze…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 7
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 7
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 No rating
Brendan H. 3 reviews

Electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked For access to Bude and Summerleaze beach the location is fantastic.
Lovely chilled and quiet site, happily chatted with other campers.
We already want to return

Disliked The hot water is hit and miss in the shower block. Over 3 days had 1 warm shower and 2 cold. Not the end of the world.
The toilets are looking a bit tired but functional...though the locks could do with adjusting as the kids found them a little challenging to lock.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Fab place to stay in Bude, will be back!

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Amanda T. 4 reviews

Non-electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Excellent low-key site in perfect location, so close to beach yet felt like we were in the middle of nowhere!

Disliked Shower head wouldn't stay in higher position.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Good site close to the town

Overall

7 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 6
Facilities / Activities
 No rating
Customer service
 No rating
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 7
Wifi
 No rating
David H. 12 reviews

Non-electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Nice big pitches just choose your place. Great location near the town.

Disliked I thought £5 per night for my tiny jack Russell dog that barely got out of the van was extremely over priced. Just 2 mens toilets for the amount of guests was a little short of requirements.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Well, thank’ee kindly for the review! 😂

Lovely to hear you enjoyed the big pitches and the location — can’t argue with that one. You can certainly pick your own spot, although I do sometimes wonder why Roderick keeps putting his tent up in the caravan!

Now then… the £5-a-night for the tiny Jack Russell. I’m afraid you’ve caught us out here. We do charge for dogs, yes — but I’ll be having a serious word with the pricing department about whether a Jack Russell that “barely got out of the van” should be paying the same as a Great Dane doing laps of the site! 🐕 Mind you, knowing Jack Russells, yours was probably running the campsite from inside the van anyway!

As for the two gents' toilets… well, they are perfectly capable of handling the numbers, provided everyone remembers they’re not auditioning for the Cornish Olympic Long-Distance Toilet Experience. We ave the alfresco loos as well you know....

We’re a fairly basic campsite, but we do our best to keep things clean and functional. We’re always looking at ways to improve the facilities as the site grows.

Anyway, glad you enjoyed the pitch and location — and please tell the little fella Rodderick says he owes him a fiver! 😂

All the best,

Farmer Rob

Would definitely recommend and would return!

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Emily W. 2 reviews

Non-electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Simple but perfect. Quiet and away from the road.

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 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 Small (11-25 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).

Food and drink

  • The Brendon Arms Pub 0.09 mi
  • Brendon Arms Pub 0.09 mi
  • Olive Tree Restaurant 0.2 mi
  • The Castle Restaurant 0.2 mi
  • Bencoolen Inn Pub 0.3 mi
  • La Bocca Restaurant 0.3 mi
  • Silver River Chinese takeaway Restaurant 0.3 mi
  • Tian Di Restaurant 0.3 mi
  • The Carriers Inn Pub 0.3 mi
  • The Globe Pub 0.3 mi

Groceries

  • North Coast Wine Off-licence 0.3 mi
  • Landsdowne Supermarket 0.4 mi
  • Sainsbury's Supermarket 0.4 mi
  • The Co-operative Food Supermarket 0.4 mi
  • Lidl Supermarket 0.9 mi
  • Morrisons Supermarket 1 mi

Parks and play

  • The Triangle 0.3 mi
  • Berries Avenue Field 0.7 mi
  • Kings Hill Woods 0.8 mi
  • Goldsworthy Field 1 mi

Family days out

  • The Old Forge 0.2 mi
  • Bude Tunnel 0.4 mi
  • The Venue 0.9 mi

Public transport

  • Valley View 0.2 mi
  • The Strand 0.3 mi
  • Barclays Bank 0.3 mi
  • Bencoolen Road 0.3 mi
  • Berries Avenue 0.4 mi
  • Killerton Road 0.4 mi
  • The Garage 0.4 mi
  • Co Operative 0.4 mi
  • Post Office 0.4 mi
  • Co-op 0.4 mi

Beaches

  • Summerleaze Beach 0.3 mi
  • Compass Cove 0.4 mi
  • Middle Beach 0.6 mi
  • Crooklets Beach 0.7 mi
  • First Cove 0.8 mi
  • Maer Low Cliff beach 0.9 mi
  • Maer High Cliff Beach 1.1 mi
  • Furzy Cove 1.2 mi
  • Pearce's Cove 1.3 mi
  • Vinegar Cove 1.3 mi

What’s nearby

  • The Strand Shopping Centre 0.3 mi
  • Bude Pitch & Putt Golf course 0.5 mi
  • Bude & North Cornwall Golf Course 0.6 mi
  • Ivyleaf Golf Course 2.5 mi

Local services

  • Neetside Doctors 0.3 mi
  • Shell Fuel station 0.4 mi
  • Boots Pharmacy 0.4 mi
  • J Hyman Pharmacy 0.4 mi
  • Stratton Hospital 1.4 mi
  • Stratton Medical Centre Doctors 1.4 mi

© OpenStreetMap contributors

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.

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.