Sandymouth Beach

Sandymouth lies on the wild, cliff-bound coast between Bude and Morwenstow, cared for by the National Trust and set beneath towering layered cliffs that count among the most dramatic in the South West. The folded and twisted rock strata here are around 300 million years old and so geologically remarkable that the beach forms part of a Site of Special Scientific Interest, with fossilised plant remains preserved in the stone. A pebble ridge at the top gives way to a vast expanse of sand as the tide drops.

At low water the beach opens out for well over a mile, linking up with neighbouring sands and revealing a coastline made for exploring. Rock pools brim with anemones, crabs and small fish, while a slender waterfall spills down the cliff face, catching the light. It is a place that rewards patience and timing, with the character of the day shaped largely by the state of the tide.