Castles, camels and coastline... a guide to North Cornwall

Camelford is an historic market town and is an ideal base for exploring the spectacular moors and beaches of the area.

This attractive and ancient town, built on the banks of the River Camel, is located about 6 miles inland from the delightful coastal villages of Boscastle and Tintagel and also Bossiney and Trebarwith Strand beaches (the latter two are the main attraction for surfers). Camelford has its fair share of Arthurian legend links, with some believing that the Camel in Camelford hints at this pretty little market town once being Camelot itself.

16 miles up the north coast lies the fantastic surfers paradise that is Bude.  Home to one of the most popular surfer beaches that is Widemouth bay.  The beach is ideal for families too and offers a variety of seaside activities.  The sun hits the beach almost all day long and the sunsets here are fabulous.

Superb walking trails and picturesque valleys surround Camelford, being as it lies on the edge of Bodmin Moor and sitting 700 foot above sea level, making it one of the highest towns in England. There are numerous buildings of historic interest in the town including the 16th century Masons Arms - once an old coaching inn.

The North Cornish coastal town of Tintagel is also well known for the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Due to coastal erosion the ruins of "King Arthur's Castle", maintained by English Heritage, can now only be reached by a bridge.

Castle Beach is renowned as a very safe bathing beach. For the visitor to Tintagel there are a plethora of attractions to see and do in the village.

Nearby are the delightful villages of Boscastle, Delabole and the tiny fishing port of Port Isaac made famous by the TV series, "Doc Martin" and also The Fisherman's Friends who can usually be heard singing on Friday evenings throughout the summer on the Platt.

Following the disastrous flood in 2004, Boscastle has also had its share of TV coverage with the BBC television series "A Seaside Parish". Located in the picturesque valley of the river Valency, Boscastle has recovered well from the floods and is being lovingly restored.

The village is a higgledy-piggledy collection of stone and slate cottages, shops and houses clinging to the steep hillside and nestling in the valley to either side of the river. The river meets the sea at the protected harbour, which at one time was a busy little port. Boscastle contains a number of interesting Craft shops, a Witches Museum, a former watermill, various shops and inns. The spectacular coastal path to the North climbs up to High Cliff, the highest point on the Cornish Coast.