Efford Down Campsite

View prices & book 9 94 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
1/60
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 sites 10
RV sites 10
Rent a tent 2
Open now
Opens May 1
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • Group bookings of 4 or more units (e.g. tent, caravan, RV or accommodation hire) traveling 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 bachelor/bachelorette parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • If making a fire, the fuel, logs and coal have to be purchased on site.
  • 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, May 1 2025 to

No availability here for your search criteria

Pitch types & availability

Accommodation

Tent sitesTravel trailer sitesRV sitesLodges, cabins, pods or hutsMobile homes for rentRent a tent
Choose your dates
2 adults
0 children

Reviews

9

Overall rating from 94 Pitchup.com customers

  • 58%
    10
  • 9%
    9
  • 20%
    8
  • 4%
    7
  • 5%
    6
  • 0%
    5
  • 2%
    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

94% would stay here again

What customers say

This site's praised for its great location, close to Bude town and beaches. Guests love the clean facilities, peaceful vibe, and good value, though it's basic. Some mention slopes, suggesting levelling blocks. Highly recommended for convenience and a quiet stay.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 10
Arrival date (latest first)

Can't recommend enough. Lovely field and wonderful showers.

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 7
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 6
Wifi
 No rating
Marcella D.

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Wonderful hot shower. So pleasantly surprised as it said the campsite was basic but the shower was fab, lovely unit and hot. Perfect.

The positioning of this campsite is ACE. Short walk into town and beach which in the summer months is insane as it's a faff to park and drive around Bude. You save lots on parking.

Recommend to friends Visit again

The location was perfect Quiet Decent quality showers…

Overall

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

Powered grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked The location was perfect
Quiet
Decent quality showers

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent highly recommend

Overall

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

Powered grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Friendly welcome, not too big, dogs welcome. Fire pits available to hire. Lights out 11pm policy.
Fantastic location for access to town and coast path. Recommend The Electric bakery and The Bank tapas bar.
Good showers and toilet block kept clean every day but lets face it only as good as the current campers treat it.

Disliked Nothing. Its camping with no extra frills .

Recommend to friends Visit again

Robyn was super helpful, checking in with everyone daily.

Overall

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

Bell tent

Liked Perfect campsite, 5 mins walk from Bude town. The bell tent was fab and I’d like to book it was next year!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Really nice little site and only…

Overall

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

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Really nice little site and only walking distance into town and beach. Well recommend.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Loved the view and the field…

Overall

6 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 6
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 1
Customer service
 6
Child friendliness
 7
Cleanliness
 4
Wifi
 No rating
JAMES H.

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Loved the view and the field was tidy.also has the best location to bude. Old school camping with no thrills and fire pits.

Disliked Disliked the toilets and showers. Only has hot water in the morning and everything is tired. This site is definitely more suitable for vans.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nice spot Walking distance into Bude…

Overall

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

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Nice spot
Walking distance into Bude
Would definitely recommend and return 10/10

Recommend to friends Visit again

Small sight, good facilities but steep hill

Overall

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

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Simple but great facilities. The showers & toilets were good & there was hot water for washing up. And as it’s a small site overall nice easy quick walk regardless of where you pitch up. Also very good location right next to Summerleaze beach & town centre

Disliked Very steep hill. So I don’t recommend this site for tents, but perfect for a van if you have a way to level out once there

Recommend to friends Visit again

Plenty of room to pitch. The…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 No rating
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 1
Dean C.

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Plenty of room to pitch. The site is less than 5 minutes walk away from the centre of Bude which has plenty of shops and places to eat. The beach is only a short distance from the town so everything you might need is on your doorstep. The site has toilets and showers which were very adequate for our stay.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent item with clean facilities and friendly staff.

Overall

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

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Lovely little camp site with amazing views on the surrounding countryside.

Probably the best toilet/shower facilities I've ever seen on a camp site, very clean.

The owner of the site came to greet us and gave us some info on the local area, really nice bloke.

All in all a really nice site!

Disliked Pitch 5 is a little on the sloped side, but there's plenty of room on the pitch to find a good spot for a tent.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Dogs allowed

Campfires allowed

Leisure on park

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Playground Recreation room/arcade TV room Takeout Tennis Watersports

Amenities on park

Bath available Car parking by site/unit Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Free wifi Grocery store Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundromat Parent & baby washroom Payphone Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Restrooms Shower available Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Rallies welcome Scouts welcome Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

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

Themes

Budget/backpacker Hikers’ paradise Peaceful Wild camping

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump station Electric car charging point(s) Propane/gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

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

Type

Farm Tiny (1-10 sites)

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Climbing nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horseback 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?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  2 p.m. –  9 p.m.
    Depart by:  noon
    On-park 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 $50.25 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.