A good swim doesn’t have to be done in the open sea. It can be done on the shore too. Bude Sea Pool is a part-natural, part-man-made swimming pool on the edge of the Cornish town’s Summerleaze Beach.
Bude Sea Pool, which is also within a stone’s throw from the town’s Crooklets Beach and gets topped up every day at high tide, was created in 1930 in a beautiful rocky area of the beach. For more than 90 years, it’s been a hotspot for swimmers who want a dip in a safe spot away from the actual sea. It’s one of only a handful of tidal swimming pools still open to the public in the UK and it’s open throughout the year for no entry fee whatsoever.
The Friends of Bude Sea Pool – a charity made up of local volunteers from Bude and beyond – manages the pool and keeps it going through donations and grants, so anyone who fancies taking the plunge here is encouraged to give the team a few quid to help with the attraction’s upkeep. Seasonal staff are on hand at the pool at various times over the summer to make sure it’s all going smoothly and to answer any questions from visitors.
Kids are welcome to use Bude Sea Pool – which is about 90m long and 45m wide, with a varying depth due to the tides that wash in twice a day – but only under adult supervision and even dogs can come along but must be kept on a lead and, of course, are not allowed to join the swimmers in the water. But you can give the pool a try, so pack those swimming costumes and prepare for a unique dip ahead of a trip to one of Bude’s fine local pubs or restaurants. Of course, no advance booking is required.