St Budock Church brings together several building phases and memorial details; the “Budock Water and the Lakes” walk focuses on lakes, wildlife and seasonal plants. Budock Water is sheltered in the Trewen Downs area.

St Budock Church: Building Phases and Memorial Details

Parts of the chancel and the south transept date from the 13th century. Most of the rest of the building dates from the 15th century; the church was restored in the late 19th century. This brings together early structural elements, a building largely dating from a later period, and a restoration from later still.

At the churchyard, the lychgate dates from around the late 19th century and has stone benches at the sides. About three metres west of the church stands a granite monolithic wheel-headed cross dating from before the Norman Conquest. Monolithic means that the cross is carved from a single stone. On its visible side, a Greek cross appears within a circle. A brass memorial plaque in St Budock Church commemorates John Killigrew, described as the first captain of Pendennis Castle. The wheel-headed cross and the lychgate create a contrast in time: their dates range from before the Norman Conquest to around the late 19th century.

Local Landscape and Watercourse

The stream flows through Budock Water, under the main road and onward to the sea at Maenporth Beach. A small garden and seating area now occupy the site of the former village pump. Different scales meet here: the stream runs all the way to the sea, while the garden and seating area provide a smaller local focal point.

Lakes, Wildlife and Seasonal Plants

The “Budock Water and the Lakes” walk includes a path along the crest of the dam at Argal Lake. It also takes in the College Lake nature reserve, with its aquatic wildlife; College Lake is also on the walk. In August, magnificent water lily flowers can be seen there. Primroses and bluebells grow along the shaded paths by the lakes in spring. The dam path, wildlife and flowers offer different highlights: for plant watching, the season in particular makes a tangible difference. The stream in the village and the lakes on the walk represent different waterscapes: the stream passes under the main road on its way to the sea; the route focuses on the dam path and aquatic wildlife.

If you are looking for a hotel in Budock Water, you can plan your travel dates around your interests: spring or August for the flowers mentioned, or the building and memorial history if you are interested in local heritage.

Discover more destinations: Gerrans, Saint Cleer, Sticker, Stratton, Mevagissey, Washaway, Wendron, Grampound

For the wider travel overview: Cornwall.