Bude Castle is a castellated folly beside the canal, built in the 1830s by the inventor and engineer Goldsworthy Gurney. Gurney was one of the more versatile Victorian engineers: he invented the steam carriage (a predecessor of the railway locomotive), developed the Bude Light (a highly efficient limelight used to illuminate the House of Commons for several decades), and made contributions to early steam navigation. The "castle" — really a domestic house with decorative battlements — was his personal residence and workshop.
The castle now houses the Bude Castle Heritage Centre, a free museum covering the history of Bude, the canal, Goldsworthy Gurney's inventions, and the local geology and wildlife. It is a small but well-organised museum and the Gurney material alone justifies the visit. The castle's position by the canal lock, with the beach and sea visible beyond, makes it an attractive focal point at the heart of the town.