Efford Down Campsite

View prices & book 9.1 86 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
1/59
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
Other options

Reviews

9.1

Overall rating from 86 Pitchup.com customers

  • 59%
    10
  • 9%
    9
  • 20%
    8
  • 4%
    7
  • 3%
    6
  • 0%
    5
  • 2%
    4
  • 0%
    3
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    2
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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
 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 9
Arrival date (latest first)

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

Clean, well kept, perfect location

Overall

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

Powered grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Easy check in, great location, good price

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely site, not very busy or…

Overall

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

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Lovely site, not very busy or over packed. Toilets, showers and washing up facilities very clean and nice to use. Very close to the main high street, shops and food places. A very enjoyable first stay and will certainly visit again.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Brilliant location, very short walk into…

Overall

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

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Brilliant location, very short walk into Bude and the beach. Site had a lovely relaxed feel to it. Toilets and shower facilities were good. Would highlight recommend and would definitely come back!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Quiet, clean and a great location.…

Overall

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

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Quiet, clean and a great location.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Location just three minutes’ walk from…

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

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

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

Great value for money and excellent location for Bude

Overall

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

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Excellent position to explore Bude, pitching on a steep hill but no problem when using levellers. Quite site, Excellent value for money

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.

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

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…

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

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 $50.32 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.