Compass Point

An octagonal folly tower on the headland above Bude — the Storm Tower

Compass Point is a headland immediately north of Summerleaze Beach, topped by the octagonal Storm Tower built in the 1840s. The tower — sometimes called the Compass Tower for its eight sides aligned to the compass points — is a navigational landmark and local icon, visible from the beach and from much of the town. The short walk up from the beach takes about ten minutes on a good path.

The headland itself offers the best views of Summerleaze, Crooklets, and the Bude coastline in both directions, and the Channel approaches are wide open from here on clear days. In rough weather, the combination of spray, wind, and Atlantic swells breaking on the rocks below the headland is dramatic. The South West Coast Path passes directly over the headland. The tower is not accessible inside but the exterior and the surrounding grassland are.

things to do sight walking
A story
The Compass Point storm tower was built in the 1840s — the decade in which Bude's harbour ambitions reached their peak. The eight sides of the tower are aligned to the eight points of the compass, hence the name. The headland it stands on was cut off from the mainland by a storm in the 1920s and is now reconnected only by a narrow path across the eroded neck. On rough days the spray reaches the tower platform.