sea view from the watchtower The Lookout Widemouth Bay Beach Retreats Cornwall

THE LOWDOWN

The Lookout is a series of five newly constructed and innovative eco-homes sitting directly on the Widemouth Bay coastline, so close to the beach that you can walk there barefoot, and check the surf from your balcony with your morning coffee. We stayed at The Watchtower, which sleeps eight, and can be booked via Beach Retreats, who specialise in luxury self-catering stay within walking distance of a good beach.

Widemouth Bay itself is an unspoilt stretch of sandy coastline just south of the Cornish seaside town of Bude, where you’ll find restaurants, attractions including the tidal pool, shops and more. The bay offers space and endless horizons and the South West Coast Path passes along the beach – Bude is to the north, and Crackington Haven and Boscastle to the south.

Black Rock beach from The Lookout Widemouth Bay Beach Retreats Cornwall

Widemouth and Black Rock (the beach here divides into two) are both lifeguarded in the summer months, and dogs are welcome year round on the southern stretch in front of the The Lookout. Locals and visitors are drawn to the watersports opportunities including body boarding and surfing, appealing to both beginners and the more experienced. The bay has a handful of cafés, pub and surf schools, but is not busy; in the early mornings and evenings it is just you and the gulls and occasional walkers and surfers, with the beach filling with families during the day.

THE VIBE

The Lookout Widemouth Bay Beach Retreats Cornwall

Eco-chic is on offer here: with planted grass roofs, individual curved patio areas planted with wildflowers, air source heat pumps and EV chargers, these retreats offer sustainable holidaying in one of Cornwall’s most untouched stretches of coast, and the Lookout blends so well into the landscape they are barely visible from the beach.

sitting room at the watchtower The Lookout Widemouth Bay Beach Retreats Cornwall

Inside, blonde wood meets neutral styling, with the bedrooms tucked in on the ground floor to give way to elevated living space on the second floor, making the most of the horizon filling seascapes. When the tide is in, the surfers are mesmerisingly close – I’ve stayed up and down the north coast and there are few views just as unspoilt as this one.

SCOFF & QUAFF

This is self-catering with a proper vista – the hob is on the kitchen island so you can cook and chop and stare out to sea, while other guests can assume my most favoured position of sitting at the high stools, with a glass of wine. The kitchen is kitted out with all the usual things including a dishwasher and Nespresso machine.

dining table at the watchtower The Lookout Widemouth Bay Beach Retreats Cornwall

Almost all Beach Retreats property rentals come with a starter pack of tea / coffee / milk etc like was waiting for us at The Lookout, and we also recommend adding a delivery from The Cornish Food Box to get your first night off to a good start – they’ll even deliver Cornish spirits like Tarquins so you can relax with a cold G&T on arrival.

kitchen detail at the watchtower The Lookout Widemouth Bay Beach Retreats Cornwall

For something a little fancier, Lobster Box is a Cornish seafood delivery service; order lobster which will arrive completely ready to eat alongside a selection of hand flavoured sides & sauces. Eat at the outside table in the private garden area, or fling open the balcony doors and use the huge table in the light-filled open plan living space. Head into Bude for the nearest supermarkets, or the Cornish Coasts farm shop is just a mile or so away on the A39 (and stocks all the good stuff, like local veggies, Philip Warren meat, and has a fill-your-own milk station).

sea view from the sitting room the watchtower The Lookout Widemouth Bay Beach Retreats Cornwall

Don’t fancy cooking, or even dishing up onto the plates? Options nearby include Black Rock Café, just steps away, where guests receive a 20% discount which serves food during the day time (last orders 4pm). Also within walking distance is The Beach House, serving lunch and dinner, plus other pubs and cafés. At Marehamchurch is Whalesborough (café style lakeside dining, plus gym and spa) and then Bude beyond has plenty of options.

In Bude, a short drive, or three-mile walk away, we like Scandi-inspired Electric Bakery which serves up pastries, donuts, bread and other baked goods from Wednesday to Sunday (the queue builds before the doors open at 9am). Crust Pizza Co is next door. In town itself, Potters opened back in 2020 and after becoming a favourite with the locals, was rewarded with a listing in the Michelin guide, as was Temple – if you can’t get a seat in the restaurant downstairs, try the wine bar and small plates, Temple Up Top, you’ve guessed it, upstairs. Pubs wise, The Barrel is a tiny pub with a big personality; a favourite with the locals, featuring a host of local producers as well as showcasing local musicians.

PILLOW TALK

bedroom at The Lookout Widemouth Bay Beach Retreats Cornwall

The Watchtower sleeps eight over four bedrooms, with the two bigger rooms at the back of the property looking out over the garden and to the sea, with their own access to the garden. At the front is the kids bunk room, plus a fourth bedroom that can be a double or twin.

Simba mattresses and crisp white bedding makes all the rooms extremely comfortable and there are black-out curtains over the doors installed since these pics were taken (the sky is super dark here with zero light pollution, but when there’s a full moon, or on sunny mornings for a lie-in, you’ll want them!).

Hanging space, mirrors and hair-dryers come as standard, but there were no room TVs or drawers when we visited. Loads of space to do yoga, or abandon suitcases – these are all large bedrooms.

bathroom The Lookout Widemouth Bay Beach Retreats Cornwall

Each room has it’s own en-suite (plus there’s an extra loo upstairs too) and one has a bath too, and all come kitted out with soft white towels and complimentary land&water toiletries, plus white robes. You’ll need to bring your own beach towels though, and tucked away in one of the bedrooms is a little utility room where there’s a washing machine.

OUT & ABOUT

Should you tire of Black Rock beach (how?!) there’s plenty more to try out up and down the coast – the town beaches in Bude have facilities, others are National Trust and slightly quieter. Bude Sea Pool (pictured) is probably one of Cornwall’s most well-known tidal pools, accessible when the tide is out at Summerleaze Beach and from which you can see the Pepperpot on the clifftop opposite. Both Summerleaze and Crooklets are lined with brightly coloured beach huts, some of which are available to hire. And, according to some, you can’t miss Bude Tunnel!

My kids like the pedalos for hire at Bude Canal, or try a rowing boat, and you can also cycle along the tow path. The Castle, once home to Cornish inventor, Sir Goldsworthy Gurney, is now dedicated to Bude’s heritage including the railway, as well as a café with a nice view.

Slightly outside Bude you’ll find Segways for something a little different, or a little closer to Widemouth is the Monster Slip and Slide, pictured. A little to the south is music venue The Wyldes, host to one off events like Jess Glynne who plays later this summer. Bude also has its own Jazz Festival (29 Aug-1 Sep) if you’re into music. For rainy days, don’t miss Rebel Cinema, – a smidge outside the town to the south.

For more of a day-trip, the lovely Cornish harbour village of Boscastle and the dramatic historic Tintagel and its castle are not far away to the south or head north up into Devon to the steep pedestrianised cobbled village of Clovelly. RHS Rosemoor is just over the Devon border inland and has plenty for everyone including children.

KID FRIENDLY?

bunkbeds at The Lookout Widemouth Bay Beach Retreats Cornwall

Yes very much so! One bedroom has a triple bunk bed, with a double on the bottom, and a second bedroom can also be configured with twin beds. A travel cot and highchair are available, and games for all ages are ready for playing. We enjoyed Kerplunk, Boggle and a spirited game of Twister, all with a sea view, as we waited out a rain shower.

The garden is perfect for ball games as it is a flat lawn, and the beach just beyond. Complimentary surf hire through the Black Rock Café surf hire is available during your stay (we borrowed body boards and brought our own wetsuits, but those are available too) and the café also has go-karts for the little ones. The beach at low tide has all sorts of rock pools to explore.

Space to store / dry wetsuits and body / surf boards is currently being installed, as is an outside shower.

DOG FRIENDLY?

Yes – two well behaved dogs are welcome, with additional dogs on request (charge applies) to enjoy the shared garden, and year-round dog friendly Black Rock beach right outside the property. Direct coast path access gives plenty of walking options. You’ll need to bring your own dog bed and bowls.

ACCESSIBILITY

One bedroom is accessible from the entrance without steps, but these are reverse-plan two floor eco-houses so all living spaces and kitchens are up a short flight of stairs.

bathroom at The Lookout Widemouth Bay Beach Retreats Cornwall

THE MUDDY VERDICT

Good for: Families, or small groups of friends. The bedrooms are spacious and all ensuite so there’s plenty of privacy, just as long as you’re all happy to squash onto the two sofas upstairs. The location and set-up encourages outdoor /beach living, or old-fashioned games and reading type activities (there’s no gaming space, for example) so while there is excellent wifi and there is a TV, this is really one for those trying to get away from screens! Also suits the eco-conscious, and the electric car drivers, with EV chargers (fee applies) outside each property.

Not for: This is proper self-catering, so you need to plan on that basis. Widemouth is beautifully quiet and really is largely unspoilt, so if you’re after a more entertainment heavy holiday with bars and music, or facilities such as a spa, gym or kids club, there are other options in nearby Bude that might suit you better.

The damage: From £1589 per week. Save 20% across stays booked for June and July 2024, or from November to Easter (excluding school holidays) book a three or five night break and get an extra two nights free.

Book The Watchtower, or other Lookout properties via Beach Retreats.

Widemouth Bay, Bude EX23 0DF

Muddy Stays: The Lookout, Widemouth Bay, Cornwall

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