Tag: cycling holiday accommodation Cornwall
Cycle Trails in Cornwall
May 07th, 2020
Cornwall is a beautiful part of the UK, and a brilliant way to explore the glorious Cornish countryside is to cycle along its many trails! You can immerse yourself in the greenery and discover some local towns and villages during your trips.
Whether you are a beginner or more advanced, old or young, here is a list of some excellent cycling trails to visit when on holiday in Cornwall that you can ride along either alone, with family or friends.
Mineral Tramways Trails: Great Flat Lode Trail
The Mineral Tramways Trails are traffic-free routes based alongside the old transport network of the 19th-century mining era. It is 37.5 miles long and offers the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful countryside while also discovering the mining heritage.
The Great Flat Lode Trail circles the hill of Carn Brea behind Camborne and Redruth. It is situated amongst the mines that worked the Great Flat Lode! So, you can get in some exercise, enjoy stunning views and you can learn all about some of Cornwall’s finest old mine workings.
The Camel Trail
A route that is perfect for all abilities and ages, the Camel Trail is an 18-mile long, surfaced and mostly level trail. Parts of the route runs alongside a disused railway line, and while travelling the route, you will capture some of the most beautiful scenery in Cornwall.
The trail is suitable for walkers, horse-riders and wheel-chairs users, as well as cyclists, so be aware of any traffic that may occur during your cycle. The trail falls into three routes:
- Padstow to Wadebridge: 5.5 miles
- Wadebridge to Bodmin: 5.75 miles
- Bodmin to Wenfordbridge: 6.25 miles
If you don’t have your own bike, then you can hire bikes at Padstow, Bodmin, Wadebridge and Wenfordbridge. Toilets are also located Wadebridge alongside the trail, Wendfordbridge, and in Padstow town centre.
The Cornish Way
Perhaps one of the most well-known routes in Cornwall is the Cornish Way. It is a mighty trail as it runs from Land’s End all the way to Bude and consists of 195 miles!
Along the route, you will come across some beautiful beaches, stunning seaside towns and wonderful wildlife. It is great because you can pick a part of the route you wish to cycle that is nearest to you.
A beautiful part of the trail is where it runs along the coast until you reach Marazion. You can enjoy spectacular coastal views along with a sea breeze. At Marazion, you could stop for a refreshment and then head inland towards Hayle Estuary and Camborne.
Bodmin Beast Cycle Trail
For those looking for more of an adventurous ride, the Bodmin Beast Cycle Trail could be the perfect option. The trail is 12km and stretches through the wooded slopes of the Cardinham Valley. Along the route, you will be faced with some challenging climbs and descents, as well as some tight corners, steps, tabletops and rollers.
Clay Trails: Bugle to Eden Trail
There are Clay Trails dotted around St Austell and offer some unique views. The China Clay industry was situated in this area for over 300 years, and it left a fascinating stamp on the land. What were once clay pits are now turquoise lakes and former spoil heaps are now miniature mountains.
The trail that runs from Bugle to Eden is four miles and is a fairly easy trail, making it perfect for all ages and abilities. Once you arrive at the Eden Project, why not head inside and explore?
If you are interested in visiting one or more of these cycle trails, why not stay in Truro; a town that is well located among these routes making each cycle path easy to access. We have a range of hot tub cottages in Cornwall to add some much-needed luxury to your trip to the Cornish countryside!
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Is Cornwall set for one of the hottest Easter weekends on record?
March 21st, 2015
According to The Daily Express earlier this week, weather experts looking at long-range charts are claiming temperatures could rise to more than 80F/26C over the bank holiday weekend of 3rd April to 6th April, Good Friday to Easter Monday. This would beat the previous record of Easter Saturday 23rd April 2011 when temperatures reached 27.8C at Wisley in Surrey and generally temperatures were between 25C – 27C across the south-east and East Anglia.
Piers Corbyn, forecaster for WeatherAction – which claims to make accurate weather forecasts up to a year in advance – told the newspaper: “There will be big variations due to the wildly deviating jet stream, so there will be periods of extremely cold weather followed by unusually hot.”
The prospect of an Easter weekend heatwave for Cornwall would certainly be welcomed by both locals and those visiting the county over the Easter holiday period, especially those planning to spend a lot of time outdoors including those staying in cycling holiday accommodation Cornwall.
However, the Met Office says it gets harder to offer local detail with any high level of accuracy on long-range forecasts as its shorter range forecasts, so it is too early to predict accurate conditions for Cornwall at Easter. Generally, the Met Office forecasts the period from April 2 Apr to April 16 will be changeable with unsettled conditions interspersed with some fine spells of weather and some pleasantly warm days.
Piranhas, sharks and stingrays discovered in Cornish waters this week
February 18th, 2015
Fortunately the piranhas, stingrays and sharks are all safely behind glass at Newquay’s Blue Reef Aquarium, which during half term is running a special Predators Week event .
Almost destroyed by last February’s huge storm driven seas, Newquay Aquarium is once again a firm favourite for visitors to the area and is within easy reach to those staying at The Valley’s cycling holiday accommodation in Cornwall.
Other fearsome creatures on display include slow-moving starfish, poison-tipped lionfish, stone fish, wolf fish, moray eels, octopus, cuttlefish and puffer fish.
Designed to appeal to visitors of all ages, the Predators Week includes special talks, tours and feeding demonstrations as well as family-friendly competitions.
Blue Reef’s Lucy Hackett said: “The aquatic world can be a very dangerous place divided into the hunters and the hunted. Different species have evolved some amazing techniques to catch their prey. Some use high-speed attacks, while others lay in wait for their victims using near-perfect camouflage to keep themselves hidden.
“As humans we often think that we were the first to start using sophisticated artillery but in fact the aquatic world has been using many highly elaborate weapons for centuries in the ongoing underwater arms race. Sonic booms, electricity, missiles, chemical weapons and even fishing rods have all been employed in the never-ending battle for survival,” she added.
New ‘Gran Fondo’ cycling event for the South West supported by the Royal Marines
January 26th, 2015
The Royal Marines have thrown their support behind a Plymouth-based cycling event due to take place on the 31st May 2015, which is the first of its kind in the UK. The Gran Fondo aims to get hundreds of people on their bikes across Devon & Cornwall with a choice of routes all in aid of the charity Help for Heroes. For those staying in cycling holiday accommodation Cornwall at the end of May, this event will surely be a challenge too good to be missed!
Gran Fondo’s are mass participation cycling events that have enjoyed popularity in Europe for decades and are beginning to gain momentum elsewhere. Loosely translated, it means “great foundation”, “great distance” or “great endurance.” Gran Fondo’s were invented in Italy in the early 1900’s and have been part of Italian cycling culture and tradition for over 100 years.
At the UK version’s official launch the Plymouth Gran Fondo has been billed as a race that will take riders on a tour of stunning coastal areas, magnificent historic houses and breath-taking landscapes.
Organiser and former marine Jim Pascoe said: “This is going to be the first year of Plymouth Gran Fondo and I’m hoping it’s going to be something that goes on for years to come. The main aim was to design a cycling weekend that is of economic benefit to Plymouth. We want to show it’s a great place to come other than for marine activities or things you might traditionally associate with Plymouth.”
Riders will be able to choose from the 160km Gran Fondo or 60km Piccolo route options for the event on Sunday, May 31. Both events are part of a weekend of cycling in the city at the end of May, which includes a city-centre road race on the Saturday evening before the main event on Sunday.
The Plymouth Gran Fondo also has the strong support of the National Trust, and the chosen routes will take in the grounds of Buckland Abbey and Cotehele.
Royal Marine and keen cyclist Capt David O’Connor was delighted to lend his support to the event.“We’re here to support what is a very good cause for charity. It’s great for Plymouth and the South West and will show what a fantastic area it is to cycle, both competitively and for leisure. It’s a rapidly growing sport and it’s a great time to start training if people want to lose a bit of that Christmas weight – just get on a bike.”
The Plymouth Gran Fondo Route
It’s a tough ride – 160km of riding which takes you out of the city and up onto Dartmoor, from there you’ll descend into the Tamar Valley before climbing across the border into Cornwall and heading past Kit Hill and onto towards Liskeard. You’ll pedal out to the coast and work your way back along the Cornish coastline, through fishing villages and cliff tops, crossing the timing mast on the banks of the Tamar at Torpoint. From there you’ll get a boat ride and an untimed section back to Sutton Harbour where you can relax and collect your rider’s medal.
Entry fee to the Gran Fondo is £30
The Piccolo Route
It’s a taste of the Gran Fondo but without the heart attack. Around 60km with all of the climbing at the start and a lovely gradual downhill all of the way home. You’ll get up onto Dartmoor, head to historic Buckland Abbey – home of Sir Francis Drake – and quick food stop before following Drake’s trail all the way back to the sea to collect your medal. If you’re not a confident rider then don’t worry, there will be pacemakers in the group to help you get to the end.
Entry free to the Piccolo is £20.
