Efford Down Campsite

View prices & book 8.9 159 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
1/55
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.

Campground type

Tent sites 21
Rent a tent 2
RV & Motorhome sites 21
Open now
Opens 1 May
Please note

Occupancy

  • Bookings must not consist of more than 4 different households.
  • Group bookings of 4 or more units (e.g. tent, 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).
  • 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.

Admission

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

Site types & availability

Accommodation

Tent sitesCaravan sitesRV & Motorhome sitesLodges, cabins, pods or hutsCaravans for hireRent a tent
Choose your dates
2 adults
0 children
0 dogs

Reviews

8.9

Overall rating from 159 Pitchup.com customers

  • 52%
    10
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    9
  • 16%
    8
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    7
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    6
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    5
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    1
Location
 10
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 5
Peaceful

94% would recommend this campground to a friend

92% would stay here again

What customers say

Great spot near Bude town and beaches, with awesome views. Facilities are decent but showers can be a bit temperamental with temp/pressure when busy. Sites are sloped, so bring levellers. Chill vibe and ripper staff are big pluses.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 11/08/2026

Filter by topic

Reviews page 1 of 16
Arrival date (latest first)

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

Unpowered grass campervan, tent or trailer tent site

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

Recommend to friends Visit again

Location…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Shaun S. 1 review

Unpowered grass campervan, tent or trailer tent site

Liked Location

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely site with toilets and showers.…

Overall

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

Unpowered grass campervan, tent or trailer tent site

Liked Lovely site with toilets and showers. Close to the town and surrounding area. Nice and quiet site.

Disliked No hot water this time but normally fine.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Surprising peaceful and budget site so close to the town centre

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 9
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 No rating
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
jennifer M. 4 reviews

Powered grass campervan, tent or trailer tent site

Liked Ease of setting up a pitch, closeness to the town centre but really peaceful, very family orientated and respectful of nature & neighbours

Recommend to friends Visit again

Location was great, right in the…

Overall

6 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 5
Facilities / Activities
 5
Customer service
 5
Child friendliness
 6
Cleanliness
 6
Wifi
 6
Anonymous

Unpowered grass campervan, tent or trailer tent site

Liked Location was great, right in the centre and walking distance to the beach. You don't need a car and easy to get a bus to other local places like Boscastle / Tintagel.

Disliked Quite crowded, we had very close neighbours who played constant music that was louder than it needed to be which did ruin our stay unfortunately. They did turn it off about 10.15/10.30pm but the quiet after 9pm rule wasnt really adherred to. I appreciate we were probably just unlucky and/ or others may not have minded the loud music but with young children it was quite annoying.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Can’t knock the location, very well managed campsite would recommend

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 No rating
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Ella F. 1 review

Unpowered grass campervan, tent or trailer tent site

Liked Great location, 2 min walk into town. Lots of space and clean facilities with toilet paper and soap included.

Disliked It is a hilly campsite but we were happy with our pitch. I tried to go for an evening shower but there was no hot water, I think a lot of this got used for washing up at this point.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Very relaxed, and laid back, and…

Overall

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

Unpowered grass campervan, tent or trailer tent site

Liked Very relaxed, and laid back, and interesting mix of campers.

Bit hilly, loos and showers at maximum load. But we were there at peak time.

Fabulous location.

Disliked Nothing really.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Will definitely visit again.

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 9
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 1
 edward.wootton 2 reviews

Powered grass campervan, tent or trailer tent site

Liked Great location, site and feel. Bring your level blocks. Relaxed approach to check in and pitch choice.

Disliked Showers are cold only (be prepared)

Recommend to friends Visit again

Brilliant location, great views, lovely time

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
Kerrie G. 1 review

Powered grass campervan, tent or trailer tent site

Liked Great location, fantastic views, lovely helpful owners when called them, chilled relaxed campsite with the basic facilities you need (water, hot shower), ignore negative reviews from people expecting the Hilton, this is a brilliant campsite for a lovely holiday

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Location, free choice of pitch, warm…

Overall

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

Unpowered grass campervan, tent or trailer tent site

Liked Location, free choice of pitch, warm showers, clean toilets and pan washing area, no wifi
It's basic but does the trick.
Short walk to town and beach

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 Laundry 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 Dump point Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby Nearby farmers' market Public transport nearby

Type

Farm Small (11-25 sites)

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 +0100 (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
0.5 km The Strand
32.2 km Nelson Road
32.4 km Bideford Quay
Rail
40.4 km Okehampton Rail Station
41.6 km Gunnislake Rail Station
42.5 km Coombe Junction Halt (Rail Station)
Ferry
32.4 km Bideford Ferry Landing
35.8 km Appledore Ferry Landing
36 km 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 0.6 km Sea N/AExcellentGoodGood
Crooklets 1.1 km Sea N/AExcellentGoodGood
Northcott Mouth 2.5 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentN/A
Widemouth Sand 3.7 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Sandymouth 3.9 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Tintagel Castle 23 km

RHS Garden Rosemoor 31.7 km

Rock Beach 40.6 km

Cornwall's Crealy Great Adventure Park 46 km

National Trust

Tintagel Old Post Office 23.1 km

Lawrence House 24.7 km

Lydford Gorge 37.1 km

Lundy 38.4 km

Cotehele 43.4 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

Bude - Canal and Nature Reserve 0.2 km

Bude - Canal and Coast 0.2 km

Bude to Sandymouth 0.7 km

Poughill - Bude - Northcott Mouth 2.4 km

Battle of Stratton, 1643 2.4 km

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 caravan
    Arrive:  2 p.m. –  9 p.m.
    Depart by:  noon
    On-site accommodation
    Arrive:  4 p.m. –  9 p.m.
    Depart by:  noon
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Efford Down Campsite? From $51.61 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.