Refreshed by every high tide and free to all, Bude's big tidal pool was built into the rocks beside Summerleaze beach in 1930
Open accessfree, no booking, open all year; the volunteer pool crew are on duty April to October
Below the cliff at Summerleaze, Bude Sea Pool is part natural rock and part man-made wall, built in 1930 with the local Thynne family paying half the cost. The sea washes over the wall at high tide and refreshes the water, so you can swim in sea water without the surf. At about 88 m by 43 m there’s room to swim lengths. When council funding was cut in 2010, local people set up a charity, the Friends of Bude Sea Pool, which has looked after the pool since 2011 without regular council or government money. Swimming is free with no booking, the water is unheated, and the charity’s volunteer pool crew are on duty from April to the end of October. The steps down from the RNLI hut are steep, and the approach from the Crooklets car park is gentler. Ocean Soul Sauna is a short walk north.
