Short answer: Bude has a real year-round population, so it stays open far more than the smaller villages. The pubs run all winter, several cafés keep going, and the sea pool is there year-round — though unlifeguarded out of season.
A lot of Cornwall genuinely closes between November and March. Bude is one of the towns that doesn't, because it has a real resident population rather than only holiday trade.
The Brendon Arms, The Preston Gate Inn and The Barrel all run through winter. The Barrel is adults-only with a no-phones policy and real Cornish ales, which makes it a genuinely good winter pub rather than a summer overflow.
Bude Sea Pool is tidal and there all year. Lifeguard cover is seasonal though, so out of season you are swimming at your own risk in genuinely cold water — worth being honest with yourself about.
Several keep going, though hours shorten. Lansdowne Bakery is a reliable winter option. Beach cafés are the ones most likely to close or run reduced days.
Surf hire, some beach kiosks and a number of the seasonal attractions shut entirely. The Bude Tunnel remains, gloriously, open and free all year.
Parking is easy, beaches are empty, and dog restrictions lift on beaches that ban them in summer. Bude in February is a different and arguably better town.
Winter hours change at short notice in Cornwall, often on a whim if the weather is bad. A quick check of a venue's social media is more reliable than its website for current opening.
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