Whalesborough Farm Resort and Spa

The W Club’s air-conditioned fitness suite is kitted out with a full line of Technogym cardio and resistance machines, plus there’s a dedicated free-weights and strength area for everything from gentle toning to serious lifting. 

You don’t need to get in the car to stretch your legs. Three waymarked trails loop across the estate, from the gentle 1.2-mile Meadow Loop to the 3.4-mile Woodland Ridge walk, with sweeping views towards the Atlantic. For a longer ramble, the historic Bude Canal towpath runs right beside the estate, offering a flat, peaceful route into town, while the South West Coast Path leads down to the sands of Widemouth Bay.

Up for more of a challenge? Head into the water! Widemouth Bay is one of North Cornwall’s best beaches for beginner surfers, with surf schools offering lessons and board and wetsuit hire in season. The calm waters of the Bude Canal are perfect for kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding, too.

Overlooking the estate’s lake, The Weir is open daily from 9am to 5pm. Breakfasts are hearty. And from 12 noon until 4pm, a classic Cornish cream tea is never far away. Grab a table on the terrace on sunny days.

Every apartment has a fully equipped kitchen, so you can rustle up supper and settle in with the countryside view. Bude’s supermarkets are around ten minutes’ drive away for stocking up on supplies, and the town’s delis, bakeries and fishmongers are perfect for picking up a few local treats.

If you’d rather someone else did the cooking, Bude has plenty of cafés, pubs and restaurants, many serving fish fresh from the Cornish coast. For something with a sense of history, head north to The Bush Inn at Morwenstow. Parts of this ancient pub date back more than a thousand years, and it was once a haunt of smugglers and wreckers.

There are two – an indoor infinity pool in The W Club itself, and a 17m seasonal swimming pool outside. The indoor infinity pool is kept at a toasty 29–30°C all year and is treated with UV light rather than heavy chlorine, so it’s kinder to skin and eyes. In summer, the outdoor pool is a south-facing sun trap, perfect for basking on a lounger between dips.

Yes it does, and its overnight spa escape packages let you experience life on the farm at its most luxurious. You’ll check into a calm, contemporary self-catering apartment with a box-spring double bed, blackout curtains, an en-suite walk-in shower, a smart TV and a fully equipped kitchen. Big windows let in plenty of light and views over the farmland. 

Staying for an overnight package? Check-in is from 4pm and check-out by 11am, but you’re welcome to make a splash in the pool before you get your keys. Coming for a spa day? Spa days run at various times between 9am and 7pm, from relaxed morning sessions to sunset escapes. It’s best to check your booking confirmation for exact times.

Whalesborough sits near the village of Marhamchurch, around three miles from the surf town of Bude on Cornwall’s rugged north coast. It’s a genuine working estate of 428 acres, and many of its holiday cottages were once barns, a milking parlour and a calf house. They cluster around a Grade II-listed farmhouse dating back to the 14th century. Beyond the old stone walls lie wildflower meadows, woodland, a peaceful lake and the South West Coast Path.

Plenty! Cast a line in the estate’s lake, or follow the flat canal towpath into Bude. Bude’s beaches are a delight, with colourful beach huts lining Summerleaze and Crooklets. Take a dip in the tidal sea pool, built into the rocks in the 1930s, and look out for the Pepperpot, a little storm tower on the clifftop opposite. 

Widemouth Bay is great for beginner surfers, and the calm waters of the canal are perfect for kayaking and paddleboarding. Further along the coast, Crackington Haven, Boscastle and Tintagel all make memorable day trips.

Yes! It’s won a Gold Award for ethical, responsible and sustainable tourism at the Cornwall Tourism Awards. The estate also works with Cornwall Wildlife Trust on hedgerow restoration, meadow creation and pond management. Around 50 acres of new woodland have been planted, and keen-eyed guests might spot barn owls, bats, buzzards or woodpeckers. You might even glimpse an otter.

Very much so, although spa days and treatments at The W Club are for over-16s only. The pool is shared with families staying on the estate, and there’s a shallow children’s pool alongside the main one so little ones can splash safely. Kids’ swim sessions run daily from 9.30am to 11.30am and 2pm to 5.30pm. If you’re after a more peaceful swim, aim for the adults-only sessions, which run from 7am to 9am and 6pm to 8pm on weekdays, and 8am to 9am and 6pm to 7pm at weekends.

Beyond the pool, there’s plenty to keep young explorers busy. The farm team runs animal encounters where children can meet pygmy goats, piglets and chickens, and in summer there are tractor rides around the estate. There’s an adventure playground and a playroom for under-6s, and The Weir has its own outdoor play area plus a children’s menu of favourites. Further afield, Bude’s lifeguarded beaches, sea pool and surf schools make for brilliant family days out.

The W Club has been designed with accessibility in mind. There’s level access from the car park, and although the treatment rooms are upstairs, a lift provides step-free access. 

The apartments are single-storey with level access, wide doorways and walk-in showers, and The Weir restaurant has level access and accessible toilets too. Accessible parking spaces are available near the main facilities. If you have specific requirements, it’s best to call ahead so the team can make sure everything’s in place.

Absolutely! Although they can’t join you in the spa, dogs are welcome to stay for £19 per pet, and there’s a heated dog wash for sandy paws after a beach walk. Well-behaved dogs are welcome at The Weir too, with water bowls provided. Black Rock, at the southern end of Widemouth Bay, welcomes dogs all year round, while some other local beaches have seasonal restrictions.

Not on site, but golfers are in for a treat just down the road. Bude & North Cornwall Golf Club has an 18-hole links course right in the heart of town. Founded in 1891, it’s one of Cornwall’s oldest clubs, and the town has grown up all around it, giving it a quirky, characterful feel, with sea breezes and Atlantic views thrown in. 

Visitors are welcome seven days a week, and there’s a clubhouse bar and restaurant for a post-round drink. You don’t need to pack your own clubs, as club hire is available. Green fees vary by season, so it’s best to check with the club and book ahead.