Welcome to the Bude Canal and Harbour Engagement Platform

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The Bude Canal and Harbour are iconic landmarks, supporting a range of land and water-based activities as well as providing a home for some of our rarest wildlife. They are a fantastic resource for the local community and put Bude on the map as a unique destination. Cornwall Council is proud to manage this special place and is committed to safeguarding it for current and future users.

On this page you can find regular updates providing the latest news and advice about the canal and harbour as well as background information to help you make the most of any visit.

Bude Canal Today

Constructed under an Act of Parliament between 1819 and 1825, the original 35.5 miles of canal was just part of John Edyvean’s (c.1770’s) ambitious 95-mile concept to join with the River Tamar. The canal was unique, in that it was constructed for agricultural purposes, transporting sea-sand to be applied as a soil conditioner and liming agent; a practice that fell away in subsequent decades as chemical fertiliser overtook.

Today only a short section of c. 1.8 miles from the harbour to Whalesbrough remains watered. With the upper canal reaches mostly dry, it no longer receives water from Lower Tamar Lakes, but instead relies on the rivers Strat and Neet, which flow through catchments dominated by improved grassland and arable cropping.

The canal and harbour are one Bude's foremost amenity spaces. A level tow-path provides an accessible route from the town to the surrounding countryside. The harbour and canal support small-scale commercial fishing, a coarse fishery, water-based activities and provide an attractive setting for canal-side food and retail outlets and accommodation.

This page is intended to help keep the community informed about the canal, providing updates and a place to ask questions. It has been developed in partnership between Cornwall Council Countryside and Maritime Teams, and we are pleased to work with a wide range of stakeholders involved in the canal and harbour through the Bude Valley Management Advisory Group:


Please note that the principle source of information for Bude Harbour is found at the following links:


The Bude Canal Dredging Programme referenced on this platform is part-funded] by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Cornwall Council has been chosen by Government as a Lead Authority for the fund and is responsible for monitoring the progress of projects funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

The Bude Canal and Harbour are iconic landmarks, supporting a range of land and water-based activities as well as providing a home for some of our rarest wildlife. They are a fantastic resource for the local community and put Bude on the map as a unique destination. Cornwall Council is proud to manage this special place and is committed to safeguarding it for current and future users.

On this page you can find regular updates providing the latest news and advice about the canal and harbour as well as background information to help you make the most of any visit.

Bude Canal Today

Constructed under an Act of Parliament between 1819 and 1825, the original 35.5 miles of canal was just part of John Edyvean’s (c.1770’s) ambitious 95-mile concept to join with the River Tamar. The canal was unique, in that it was constructed for agricultural purposes, transporting sea-sand to be applied as a soil conditioner and liming agent; a practice that fell away in subsequent decades as chemical fertiliser overtook.

Today only a short section of c. 1.8 miles from the harbour to Whalesbrough remains watered. With the upper canal reaches mostly dry, it no longer receives water from Lower Tamar Lakes, but instead relies on the rivers Strat and Neet, which flow through catchments dominated by improved grassland and arable cropping.

The canal and harbour are one Bude's foremost amenity spaces. A level tow-path provides an accessible route from the town to the surrounding countryside. The harbour and canal support small-scale commercial fishing, a coarse fishery, water-based activities and provide an attractive setting for canal-side food and retail outlets and accommodation.

This page is intended to help keep the community informed about the canal, providing updates and a place to ask questions. It has been developed in partnership between Cornwall Council Countryside and Maritime Teams, and we are pleased to work with a wide range of stakeholders involved in the canal and harbour through the Bude Valley Management Advisory Group:


Please note that the principle source of information for Bude Harbour is found at the following links:


The Bude Canal Dredging Programme referenced on this platform is part-funded] by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Cornwall Council has been chosen by Government as a Lead Authority for the fund and is responsible for monitoring the progress of projects funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

  • Developing the Bude Canal Dredging Scheme

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    The Bude Canal is an integral part of Bude - It is central to the identity of the town and is an amenity resource that contributes to the quality of life and well-being of a broad spectrum of the local population. The canal also plays a role in the strategic flood response for Bude, acting as a pressure value relieving the River Neet of flood water, and the Bude Canal and Marshes was the first site in Cornwall to designated as a Local Nature Reserve, providing habitat for a number of rare species, including successfully reintroduced water voles.

    The canal experiences high levels of silt accumulation as sediment particles are transported downstream from the catchment of the Rivers Neet and Strat. These catchments are largely covered with grass-based agriculture and there are good levels of year-round soil cover, nonetheless, soil is particularly vulnerable at times of intense rainfall and the catchment is flashy, meaning that following high rainfall sediment gets rapidly transported by increased flows with little opportunity to settle out before reaching a dead-end in the canal.

    A full dredging scheme was last undertaken in 2008 and since then, some excavation of material in the upper sections of the canal has taken place. Nonetheless, these high rates of siltation have meant that water depths in the canal have reduced and a dredging scheme is required to safeguard the canal for people and the environment.

    The dredging programme has been in development for some time, with the canal being a site a numerous complexities including that the lower reaches contain invasive non-native zebra mussels meaning that the dredged material must be treated in ways that mitigate against any risk to further spead in the environment. .

    Plans began in 2021 when a full bathymetric survey was undertaken to provide a high quality baseline of the volumes of silt involved. A dual frequency single beam bathymetry system was used for accuracy, and an almost silent electric outboard engine helped make sure that the survey didn't disturb wildlife. Find out more about the survey at: Bude Canal Survey — Exo Environmental (exo-env.co.uk)

    Since then, Cornwall Council has worked to develop a method that takes account of the constraints associated with the presence of zebra mussels, but also involves alternatively, lower impact, methods where possible. The scheme is being developed in close association with the EA and SWW, including with advice from a zebra mussel specialist whose research into their ecology in the Bude Canal is funded by SWW. To read more about this partnership see: Help protect Bude Canal for future generations (southwestwater.co.uk)

Page last updated: 16 Jul 2024, 03:48 PM