BEST WESTERN Restormel Lodge Hotel

National Cycle Network

tsop — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 09:29:12 +0000

If you’re a cycle commuter, a leisure walker or a long-distance bike tourer – join the million-plus people that love using Sustrans’ well-signed National Cycle Network every single day.

Spanning the UK, the Network’s 12,600 miles of walking and cycling routes include:
scenic traffic-free paths
quiet roads and lanes
signed on-road routes
themed long-distance routes

The Camel Trail

tsop — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 09:24:08 +0000

The Camel Trail is a 17 mile route based on an historic railway track.

The Padstow to Wadebridge line was opened in 1899 providing access from Waterloo via Okehampton and Launceston, but the section from Wadebridge to Poley’s Bridge is one of the oldest in the world and was opened in 1834.

Initially it was intended to bring sea sand from the estuary to farms inland. Bodmin through to Wadebridge was connected to the mainline system and operated until 1967, whilst the line between Bodmin and Poley’s Bridge, which was only used for freight, and closed in 1984.

Cycle Hire

tsop — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 09:22:34 +0000

Padstow Cycle hire offer a clean, reliable, up to date bikes, each of which is serviced and checked regularly for your safety and peace of mind. As well as a full range of bikes to suit all ages and ability they have a large selection of other products such as tandems, trailers and tagalongs. Repair kits, locks and helmets are provided free of charge.

Bike Smart is a family run business operating in Wadebridge, Cornwall, hiring bikes and accessories for the Camel Trail. The business opened in Wadebridge 14 years ago starting with 50 bikes which has now increased to a fleet of over 200. The business is also fully licensed to hire bikes for use on the Camel Trail.

Lerryn Riverside Woodland Walk

tsop — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 09:17:09 +0000

Lerryn Riverside Woodland Walk (Pushchair Friendly

This walk is great for the whole family. Just park your car in the village car park (2 miles from here) & if the tide is out use the stepping stones to get to the other side of the river and just follow the path down river. If you can’t use the stepping stones just walk out of the car park and keep turning left.

If you always turn left along the path when you need to make a choice you will eventually arrive at St. Winnow. However if you have small children you will probably have to turn round well before then.

You can also follow a path on the same side of the river as the car park, but it’s not suitable for pushchairs.

The Hall Walk

tsop — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 09:16:01 +0000

The Hall Walk (not for pushchairs)

This is great walk encompassing two ferry trips, fantastic views, Fowey town & Polruan village. You should probably allow 3 hours and although our children have walked it several times since they were very young, we’ve often had to cajole them from half way round. This walk is not pushchair friendly.

To start the walk park in the car cark beside the car ferry and hop on the Boddinick ferry as foot passengers. Walk up the hill past the Old Ferry Inn until you see the footpath sign on your right. Then just follow your nose or the route marked in red on the map below.

Slightly longer route in green incorporating stunning coastal scenery.

If you wish to take the slightly longer route via Lanteglos Church and the coastal path ignore the sign for Polruan on your right as you start to climb out of Pont Creek and carry straight on up.

When you reach the road turn left and shortly afterwards turn right through the gate marked ‘Footpath to church.’ Leave the churchyard via the white gate and turn left. Keep to this road until you reach a T junction. Cross the road to pick up the footpath & follow it onto the coastal path. You are now directly above Lantic Bay beach. Turn right along the path and a mile later you’ll find yourself at Polruan.

English Heritage Restormel Castle

tsop — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 08:59:29 +0000

English Heritage exists to make sure the best of the past is kept to enrich our lives today and in the future.

Restormel Castle

The great 13th century circular shell-keep of Restormel still encloses the principal rooms of the castle in remarkably good condition. It stands on an earlier Norman mound surrounded by a deep dry ditch, atop a high spur beside the River Fowey. Twice visited by the Black Prince, it finally saw action during the Civil War in 1644. It commands fantastic views and is a favourite picnic spot.

National Trust

tsop — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 08:52:43 +0000

The National Trust work to preserve and protect the buildings, countryside and coastline of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, in a range of ways, through practical conservation, learning and discovery, and encouraging everyone to visit and enjoy their national heritage.

They also educate people about the importance of the environment and of preserving our heritage for future generations, they contribute to important debates over the future of the economy, the development of people’s skills and sense of community, and the quality of the local environment in both town and country.

Readymoney Cove

tsop — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 10:01:21 +0000

Readymoney Cove is a sandy beach to the south of the harbour town of Fowey.

It is sheltered by cliffs close to the mouth of the River Fowey Estuary and bounded, on one side, by the medieval part of the town of Fowey and, on the other, by St Catherine’s Castle. The beach can be covered during spring tides. The beach is cleaned daily during high season, and a bathing platform is moored in the bay.

Dogs are banned between Easter and 30 September.

Above the cove is the former coach house which was the home of author, Daphne du Maurier, for a few years during the Second World War. Local legend has it that a mermaid frequents the cove during winter storms.

View Larger Map

The Lost Gardens of Heligan

tsop — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 10:46:59 +0000

The Lost Gardens of Heligan, near Mevagissey in the Duchy of Cornwall, are one of the most popular botanical gardens in the UK. The style of the gardens is typical of the nineteenth century Gardenesque style, with areas of different character and in different design styles.
The gardens were created by members of the Cornish Tremayne family, over a period from the mid-18th century up to the beginning of the 20th century, and still form part of the family’s Heligan estate. The gardens were neglected after the First World War, and only restored in the 1990s, a restoration that was the subject of several popular television programs and books.
The gardens now boast a fabulous collection of aged and colossal rhododendrons and camellias, a series of lakes fed by a ram pump over a century in age, highly productive flower and vegetable gardens, an Italian garden, and a stunning wild area filled with primaeval-looking sub-tropical tree ferns called “The Jungle”. The gardens also have Europe’s only remaining pineapple pit, warmed by rotting manure, and two figures made from rocks and plants known as the Mud Maid and the Giant’s Head.
The place-name, properly pronounced ‘h’LIG’n',and not the commonly heard ‘HEL-i-gun’, is derived from the Cornish word , ‘willow tree’.

The Lost Gardens of Heligan - Jungle

The Lost Gardens of Heligan - Italian Garden

The Lost Gardens of Heligan - Apple Arches

View Larger Map

Padstow

tsop — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 10:29:18 +0000

Padstow (Cornish: Lannwedhenek) is a town, civil parish and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom. The town is situated on the west bank of the River Camel estuary approximately five miles northwest of Wadebridge, ten miles northwest of Bodmin and ten miles northeast of Newquay. The population of Padstow civil parish was 3,162 in the 2001 census.
Padstow was originally named Petroc-stow, after the Welsh missionary Saint Petroc, who landed at nearby Trebetherick around AD 500. After his death a monastery was established here which was of great importance until the town was raided by the Vikings (the monks moved inland to Bodmin).
In the medieval period Padstow was commonly called Aldestowe (as the ‘old place’ in contrast to Bodmin the ‘new place’).

Padstow

View Larger Map