Wadebridge on the Camel Trail

Wadebridge brings together the Camel Trail, the landscape along the River Camel, railway history and events. To help you plan your stay, the town offers a variety of highlights: a long multi-use trail, a circular walk with a stated duration, cultural venues and dates in the events calendar.

The Camel Trail and the River Camel landscape

The Camel Trail is an 18-mile-long, surfaced, nearly level multi-use trail along a disused railway line. It runs between Wenfordbridge, Bodmin, Wadebridge and Padstow and is largely traffic-free. The route connects several places; its length and character make it a different undertaking from a short circular walk. For cyclists and other trail users, the trail is a defining consideration when planning a trip.

The river also changes character: at Wadebridge, the River Camel is still a small freshwater river. North of Wadebridge, beyond the A39 flyover, it opens out into a broad, shallow estuary. The Camel Estuary National Landscape extends upriver from Padstow and Rock to Wadebridge. So descriptions of the area include both the river at Wadebridge and the estuary farther north.

Circular walk and skate and BMX park

For a walk with a clearly stated duration, there is a 40-minute circular route. It passes through partly ancient woodland, by the community garden and onwards to Treraven Farm. The time given refers to this circular walk, not to the much longer Camel Trail. Comparing the two routes gives you a choice of different time and distance scales.

Wadebridge Skate & BMX Park is on the Camel Trail near the Piggy Lane car park. Children and young people of all ages can skateboard, ride BMX bikes and inline skate there. The park is accessible to wheelchair users. It adds a specific place for wheeled sports to the area’s trails and landscape.

Museum and railway history

Wadebridge and District Museum reopened at its current location in September 2013. Its permanent exhibitions include a chronology of Wadebridge and the history of the bridge and railway. The museum is fully wheelchair accessible and dog-friendly; admission is free. This combination also makes a visit appealing to travellers interested in the town’s history as well as its landscape and trails.

The railway connects several of the area’s historical themes: the Bodmin and Wadebridge Railway opened on 30 September 1834. The former railway line was later converted into the Camel Trail, which connects Wadebridge, Padstow and Bodmin. The John Betjeman Centre is also located in the main building of Wadebridge’s former railway station. Railway history, the station building and its present-day use as a trail can therefore be viewed as distinct aspects of the town’s history.

Events in Wadebridge

The Royal Cornwall Show is a three-day annual event held in Wadebridge in June. It includes a food and farming pavilion featuring Cornish food and drink. If you want to plan your stay around the show, check the specific event dates for the year in question.

Wadebridge has hosted the Cornwall Folk Festival since 1972. Along with the Royal Cornwall Show, it provides another cultural point of interest when planning a trip. The show takes place in a set month and lasts three days, while the information about the Folk Festival highlights its long history in Wadebridge. You can take these different attractions into account when choosing your travel dates.

Discover more destinations: Boscastle, Luxulyan, Lelant, Porthallow, Mevagissey, Looe, Penzance, Saint Austell.

For the main travel overview: Cornwall.