North coast beach
Crooklets Beach: dogs, parking and water quality
Photograph to come Crooklets, Cornwall.50.836° N, 4.554° W
The essentials for Crooklets on Cornwall’s north coast: the council’s dog rules, the nearest council car parks and the Environment Agency’s water quality ratings, each linked to its source.
- Dogs
- No dogs 10am–6pm, 15 May – 30 SeptemberThe council’s rules in full
- Water quality 2025
- ExcellentEnvironment Agency rating
- Council parking
- Crooklets, BudeEX23 8NF · 150 m (0.1 miles) away · all nearby
- Lifeguards
- Check the RNLI finderSeason mainly May to September, varies by beach (Cornwall Council)
- Nearest station
- Gunnislake station42.6 km (26.5 miles) in a straight line · by train
- Nearest town
- Bude1.6 km (1.0 miles) away
Dogs on Crooklets
Dogs are not allowed on Crooklets 10am–6pm, 15 May – 30 September. Cornwall Council lists it as “Crooklets Beach, Bude”. The council publishes a map of the restricted area (PDF).
Outside those dates and times the council restriction does not apply, but signs on the beach and Cornwall’s other dog orders (such as picking up after your dog) still do. The council says breaking a dog order can lead to a £100 fixed penalty notice (council penalties page).
Parking near Crooklets
Cornwall Council car parks within about 1.5 km of the Environment Agency’s sampling point for Crooklets, nearest first. Distances are straight-line estimates from our own calculation, not walking routes.
| Council car park | Postcode | Distance (straight line) | Spaces | Open | Council page updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crooklets, Bude | EX23 8NF | 150 m (0.1 miles) | 158 | 24 hours | 4 August 2026 |
| Summerleaze, Bude | EX23 8HJ | 690 m (0.4 miles) | 421 | 24 hours | 4 August 2026 |
| Post Office, Bude | EX23 8HH | 740 m (0.5 miles) | – | 24 hours | 6 August 2026 |
| Crescent, Bude | EX23 8LE | 1.1 km (0.7 miles) | 238 | 24 hours | 22 July 2026 |
| Wharf, Bude | EX23 8LG | 1.1 km (0.7 miles) | 64 | 24 hours | 4 August 2026 |
Parking near many Cornish beaches is run by the National Trust, parish councils or private owners. We have not checked those yet, so they are not listed. Charges change, so we do not quote prices: each council page has current tariffs. All Cornwall Council car parks.
Water quality at Crooklets
The Environment Agency rated Crooklets Excellent in its 2025 classification. Ratings for the last four years:
| Bathing water | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crooklets | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
The 2026 bathing season ran from 15 May 2026 to 30 September 2026, with 20 samples planned at Crooklets.
- Crooklets: the Environment Agency makes a daily pollution risk forecast here during the bathing season and can issue a warning advising against bathing. The EA profile says: “In 2025 16 pollution risk warnings were issued for this bathing water.”
- The Environment Agency flags Crooklets as a bathing water where heavy rain can affect water quality.
Streams and run-off at Crooklets (EA profile)
Streams and rivers are typically affected by human sewage, animal slurry and runoff from roads. The Flex Brook flows onto this beach. The Environment Agency have monitored the brook since 1988 and found that water quality is temporarily worse after heavy rainfall.
Seaweed at Crooklets (EA profile)
For the four year (2022-2025) assessment period where data is available, seaweed (macroalgae) was not assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable, but was observed as being present on 72% of visits. This bathing water does not have a history of large amounts of seaweed (macro algae).
Source: Environment Agency bathing water profile, Open Government Licence v3.0. See every Cornish bathing water rating.
About Crooklets
The Environment Agency describes the bathing water like this:
Crooklets Beach is on the north coast of Cornwall. It is a sandy beach resort, approximately 310 metres wide, with a small stream flowing onto it.
Quoted from the Environment Agency bathing water profile, Open Government Licence v3.0. Beach material recorded by the EA: sand. Designated as a bathing water in 1988.
Safety and tides
Whether a lifeguard is on duty depends on the beach and the date. Cornwall Council says the RNLI’s main lifeguard season runs from May to September and varies from beach to beach, so check the RNLI’s lifeguarded beach finder before you go. We do not list lifeguard dates until we can check them.
The council points visitors to BBC tide tables for tide times. In an emergency at the coast, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard (HM Coastguard). More in our beach safety guide.
Getting to Crooklets by train
The nearest National Rail station to the Environment Agency’s sampling point for Crooklets is Gunnislake, about 42.6 km (26.5 miles) away in a straight line. You would need a bus, taxi, bike or a long walk from there. The three nearest stations:
| Station | Distance (straight line) |
|---|---|
| Gunnislake station | 42.6 km (26.5 miles) |
| Liskeard station | 43.7 km (27.1 miles) |
| Coombe Junction Halt station | 43.7 km (27.2 miles) |
Straight-line distance, our own calculation from OpenStreetMap station locations (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL). It is not a walking or road route. Station links go to National Rail for times and facilities. See beaches near a railway station.
Where is Crooklets?
Nearby beaches
- Summerleaze530 m (0.3 miles) away · Dogs on leads 10am–6pm, 21 May – 30 September · water Excellent
- Northcott Mouth1.4 km (0.9 miles) away · Not on the council restriction list · water Excellent
- Sandymouth2.8 km (1.7 miles) away · Not on the council restriction list · water Excellent
- Widemouth Bay4.8 km (3.0 miles) away · No dogs 10am–6pm, 15 May – 30 September · water Excellent
Photos
Quick answers
Are dogs allowed on Crooklets?
No dogs 10am–6pm, 15 May – 30 September, under Cornwall Council’s dog orders. Outside those times the council restriction does not apply, but check signs on the beach.
Is the water clean at Crooklets?
The Environment Agency rated Crooklets Excellent in 2025. During the bathing season (15 May 2026 to 30 September 2026 in 2026) it publishes daily pollution risk forecasts here.
Where can I park for Crooklets?
The nearest Cornwall Council car park we found is Crooklets, Bude (EX23 8NF), about 150 m (0.1 miles) away in a straight line. Check the council page for charges.
What is the nearest railway station to Crooklets?
The nearest National Rail station is Gunnislake, about 42.6 km (26.5 miles) away in a straight line (our calculation from OpenStreetMap data).
Sources and checks
- Cornwall Council: dogs on beaches – page last updated 23 October 2026, checked 1 November 2026
- Environment Agency: Crooklets bathing water profile – checked 1 November 2026, Open Government Licence v3.0
- Cornwall Council car park: Crooklets, Bude – page last updated 4 August 2026
- Cornwall Council car park: Summerleaze, Bude – page last updated 4 August 2026
- Cornwall Council car park: Post Office, Bude – page last updated 6 August 2026
- Cornwall Council car park: Crescent, Bude – page last updated 22 July 2026
- Cornwall Council car park: Wharf, Bude – page last updated 4 August 2026
- Cornwall Council: beach safety – page last updated 1 April 2026
- OpenStreetMap: railway station locations – ODbL; distances are our own calculation
Last checked: . Published by Oaknest Media. How we check: editorial policy.