TRAFFIC-FREE RIDING THROUGH THE HEART OF CORNWALL
The Camel Trail provides multi use access to the beautiful Cornish countryside along a disused railway line between Wenfordbridge, Bodmin, Wadebridge and Padstow.
- Level: from beginners upwards/children adults
- Duration: 18 miles
- Padstow to Wadebridge – 5.5 Miles
- Wadebridge to Bodmin (Boscarne) – 5.75 Miles
- Bodmin to Wenfordbridge – 6.25 Miles
- Toilets: located at Wendfordbridge, Wadebridge alongside the trail and in Padstow town centre.
- Drinking fountains: located along the route
The Camel Trail is a bitumen and gravel level trail (some gentle inclines) which provides access to the beautiful Cornish countryside along a disused railway line between Wenfordbridge, Bodmin, Wadebridge and Padstow. It follows the sandy shores of the Camel Estuary through the deep and beautifully wooded Camel Valley. All along the trail there are contrasting breathtaking views of creeks, rocky shores, the electric blue estuary and rolling hills.
In the spring, from Wadebridge the trail becomes edged with mile after mile of blue carpets of beautiful Cornish bluebells. The estuary is home to Wigeons, Goldeneyes, Herons, Oystercatchers, Otters, Bats, Dormice, Kingfisher, Little Egret, Marsh Orchid and Marsh Marigold – and no, you won’t see any camels!
You may want to pay a visit to the Camel Valley Vineyard situated on the slopes above the river, every Wednesday at 5pm from April to October they have cellar door tasting .. you may need to plan a trip around this stop, even get the bus back or over night nearby.
Or if tea is your beverage of choice (especially when being the responsible rider of a bike 😉) the Camel Trail Tea Gardens at Boscarne Junction are well worth a visit.
At Bodmin, yet another line, one of the most historic in the country, winds its way inland to the edge of Bodmin Moor where it comes to an end below Blisland, an extraordinarily pretty moorland village with an award-winning pub.
The bustling harbour town of Padstow has a lively selection of pubs and restaurants including the very pretty London Inn which services well priced lobster and a great selection of local beers. And of course, you will find the infamous Rick Stein’s restaurant if you feel like treating yourselves. Wadebridge also has many interesting cafes and shops to pay a visit. There’s also a ferry taking you across to Rock – it runs year-round, most days and is only a 10-15 mins ride across.
Route numbers
The National Cycle Network is made up of numbered national and regional routes, which are all regularly signposted. All signs are blue with a white bicycle, but for national routes the route number sits on a red square background, while for regional routes the number is on a blue square.
