Trevalgas Cottages are set in the countryside, a quarter of a mile from the centre of Poughill, which itself is just one mile northeast of Bude town centre and beaches.
Poughill is a tiny picturesque village which has been the winner of the Best Kept Village award on a number of occasions.
There’s a pub (Preston Gate), St Olaf’s Church on the main street in the village, plus some lovely thatched cottages.
Did you know that Poughill village dates back to Doomsday Records of 1086? (OE pochehelle or poccahetilla = possibly, a pouch- or bag-shaped hill.)
Oddly enough, there is a small village in Devon, 7m from both Crediton and Tiverton, with an identical name. The one in Cornwall is pronounced Poffle or Poffil; the Devon one is pronounced ‘Poil’.
The Battle of Stamford Hill
It’s not often that a battle is named after the losing side – but this one is! Parliamentarian, the Earl of Stamford’s troops, although double in size of the Royalists, led by Sir Ralph Hopton, lost after a 10 hour battle.
This battle was fought on the outskirts of Poughill on 16th May 1643. Each May, on the closest weekend to the anniversary, re-enactments of the battle take place on both Saturday and Sunday, preceded by a procession through the streets of neighbouring Stratton. It’s well worth a visit.
Poughill Revel and Cuckoo Fair
The Poughill Revel and Cuckoo Fair takes place in the centre of the village. It is a traditional English village fete welcoming holiday makers and other visitors, with a mix of activities to try (archery, horse riding, treasure hunts, and other children’s games) and plenty of homemade cakes and homegrown produce to sample.
Each of the villages around Bude have similar ‘Revels’, each on different weeks. So you can visit similar events in the area whichever week you choose to stay at Trevalgas throughout the summer. The Poughill Revel is always on the first Thursday of August.
Incidentally, the term ‘Cuckoo’ refers to the quaint custom of labelling Poughill villagers as Cuckoos, in a similar way to those from Stratton being Mice, and Bude people as Mules!
The culmination of all of these Revels is the Bude Carnival in late August, where a large procession of floats arrives in town, each carrying the May Queen and her deputies from each of the surrounding village Revels.
Poughill Church
The 15th century church of St. Olaf is one of the treasure houses of Cornwall. 
From its Norman font and wonderful collection of 78 carved pew ends which tell the story of the Passion in remarkable detail, to a pair of immense 15th Century paintings of St. Christopher facing each other across the nave.
The old Lych gates are kept in the tower and the huge Royal Coat of Arms is dated 1655 – a reminder that the Headquarters of Sir Bevil Grenville during the Civil War, were at nearby Stowe Barton.
There is also a small plaque in memory of Sir Goldsworthy Gurney, inventor of the ‘Bude Light’ who lived nearby.
