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Duckpool
A remote beach with rock pools overlooked by cliffs often carpeted with wild flowers.
near Bude, Cornwall
Important notice
Duckpool is a non-life guarded beach, with strong currents and cliffs prone to rock falls.
Opening times for 21 November 2024
Asset Opening time Countryside Dawn - Dusk Toilets open Easter to October. No overnight parking or camping.
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Open dawn until dusk. No overnight parking or camping. Donation welcomed.
Kiosk
Hedgerow Coffee & Cake (not National Trust) offer hot and cold drinks and sweet treats. Finished for the winter. Please check back for 2025.
Dogs allowed
Dogs welcome all year but under control, particularly around livestock and cliff edges
Toilet
Toilets open April to October
Uneven ground and steep in places. Poor phone signal.
Accessible toilet
Toilet accessed using RADAR key
Steps/uneven terrain
Uneven ground and large boulders and rocks at the top of the beach. Coast path has steps and is uneven in places
By road
From A30 east take exit signed Okehampton onto A386. Then join A3072 all the way to Bude. From Bude join A39 signed Bideford. At Kilkhampton follow signs to Stibb and Sandymouth. Drive through Stibb, passed the turning to Sandymouth and continue about 2 miles. Just after crossing a bridge turn left and Duckpool is at the end of this lane.
Parking: On site
Sat Nav: Use EX23 9JN
On foot
On the South West Coast Path.
By train
Bodmin Parkway, 32 miles (52km) from Bude.
By bus
Go Cornwall bus number 217 stops in Stibb and Coombe but may offer a request stop. Please contact bus company for more details.
Planning your visit
Eating at Duckpool
Hedgerow Coffee & Cake (not National Trust) offer hot and cold drinks and sweet treats. Open weekends and school holidays (subject to weather). Here is a link to their Facebook page. Check here for current opening information.
Article
Follow the Countryside Code
Help to look after National Trust places by observing a few simple guidelines during your visit and following the Countryside Code.
Highlights
Duckpool
A very tidal beach. Pebbles and rocks lining the top with sand becoming visible at low tide. There are no RNLI lifeguards at Duckpool. Nearest beach with cover is Sandymouth (finished now for 2024 - please check back for 2025).
Coast
Stretch of coast famous for shipwrecks. South West Coast Path links with Sandymouth, along cliffs abundant with wildlife.
Kilkhampton Castle
Dating back to the 12th century, only earthworks remain of this small castle with views down the Coombe Valley.
Top trails
Trail
Sandymouth to Duckpool coastal walk
A walk from Sandymouth to Duckpool along the South West Coast Path taking in sweeping coastal views. This walk can start from Sandymouth or Duckpool.
Trail
Sandymouth to Duckpool and Stowe Wood circular walk
This circular trail offers walkers contrasting landscapes as it follows the coast from Sandymouth to Duckpool before heading inland to historic Stowe Wood.
Trail
Duckpool and steeples walk
A short yet challenging clifftop walk encompassing some of the most breathtaking views of North Cornwall's coastline.
Places to stay
There are a number of holiday cottages at nearby Boscastle.
Boscastle Elm Cottage
A Grade II listed cottage with bags of charm in the wooded Valency Valley near the river.
Harbour View
A great location on the valley floor overlooking the quayside in the pretty village of Boscastle.
Upcoming events
Sorry, there are no upcoming events at this place
About Duckpool
Duckpool sits at the mouth of the Coombe Valley, in an area steeped in history and surrounded by coastal grasslands and ancient woodlands.
A river flows down the valley and emerges at the top of the beach, giving Duckpool its name. Like other beaches in the area such as Sandymouth, Duckpool is very tidal with pebbles lining the top of the beach and sand becoming exposed around low tide.
There are great opportunities to enjoy a walk here, both along the South West Coast Path for exhilarating sea views as well as inland. A circular walk along the valley takes in Stowe Barton farmstead, and woodland trails in Stowe Wood can be explored too.
There is much history and wildlife to discover here. Anti-tank blocks installed before WW2 can be found scattered along the beach. King William’s Bridge built by Parson Hawker in 1836 crosses the river at the top of the access road. Nearby sheltered woodlands are dripping in lichens and the maritime grasslands are strewn with flowers such as thrift and squill. Rock pools offer an array of sea life.
Our work
Project
Project
Cornish coastal meadows project
We are working to create 250 hectares of new species rich grassland at National Trust sites across Cornwall. The project, due to be completed by 2026, will help us rise to the twin challenges of biodiversity loss and climate change.
Article
South West Coast Path: creating a year-round economic asset in Cornwall
Thanks to funding from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, places in Cornwall have started improvements to help make the South West Coast Path a year-round experience. Find out where has benefited.
Support us
Volunteer with us
Search for live volunteering opportunities, or register your interest with Duckpool.