Trip to Cornwall booked - Updated with ride report.

[james1988]

Hello,

I've booked a few nights in a B&B in Cornwall during July for myself and t'other half. We'll be travelling down on Monday 1st of July and returning home (Wales) on the Thursday; we're staying near St. Mawes.

I've been to Cornwall a number of times and I've always stayed in Looe (will definitely be paying it a visit). I visited the Eden project when it first opened and I'd like to go back there so that is on my list of things to do while we're there.

Dear BCF, what other interesting things are there to do and see while down that way? We'll be going to Lands End as my other half has never been there although I seem to remember there being fuck all there.

Finally, are there any particularly good routes down from the M4? St. Austel being a pain in the arse traffic wise springs to mind too, so avoiding that would be wonderful.

Tl;dr

What can we do in Cornwall apart from visit the Eden Project and Looe?

What are the good routes down from the M4 while avoiding St. Austel?

Thanks all,
James

[Davenaylor]

June's ride had a section about rides in the UK. It had one for Cornwall
https://goo.gl/maps/OpWw2
https://www.ride.co.uk/Routes/

Might be worth a look

[mentalboy]

[kiddakidda]

[mentalboy]

Cornwall is great for getting away from the rat race, ergo there is very little to do. It's great for long coastal walks and taking tea in quaint little towns (so best avoid newquay, redruth and camborne.)

St. Austell isn't really all that bad for traffic (when you consider other towns of a similar size)

Attractions include:
Lost gardens of Heligan
The china clay museum (just north of St Austell) is very well presented
Pendennis Castle, Falmouth
Geevor Tin Mine
St. Ives is an interesting little place with a plethora of art galleries, scenic walks and some interesting shops.


This may be of some help... https://www.cornwall-online.co.uk/attractions/Welcome.html
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[james1988]

[mentalboy]

Flambards is great for kids and does have one or two things to keep you entertained as an adult but you may find it a little pricey for what there is. It should be quiet as it'd be out of season (may be closed mid week, you'd have to check)
Not really my cup of tea.
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[Ripp3rCrust]

[kitty kat]

Don't forget to go to Hayle for your Cornish pasties, just don't make the same mistake as me, the medium sized ones are too big for 1 person.

It's a shame that Goonhilly has closed as I enjoyed going round seeing all the dishes (Arthur is the one that beamed the moon landings onto our tvs).

If you want to venture onto Bodmin Moor then there is Jamaica Inn, there is a museum detailing the history of smuggling, there is also quite a nice cafe/pub there.

[james1988]

[sidewinder]

Gweek seal santuary is also worth a visit

Gweeksealsantuary

[waffles]

[james1988]

[mentalboy]

Don't be tempted to ditch the Eden project in favour of Heligan though, regardless of whether you've been before. I've probably been half a dozen times and there always seems to be something new to grab one's attention.
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Make mine a Corona.

[james1988]

[CG Sam]

The camel trail is a nice easy cycle, lovely way to spend a day.
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[kitty kat]

I would personally save Jamaica Inn for the journey home, I did it on the way back to my campsite in St Austell after going to Newquay for the morning.

[james1988]

So this afternoon I've been doing some route planning and come up with the following (from the Severn Bridge):

M49
M5 South - heading in the right direction is always a good start
Leave M5 J23
Join A38
Leave A38
Join A39
Leave A39
Join A361
Leave A361
Join A39
Leave A39
Join A30 South
Leave A30
Join A39 towards Truro
Leave A39
Join A390
Leave A390
Join A3078

Google maps link:
https://goo.gl/maps/eEffr


Any comments from the BCF trip advisors?

The reason I'm doing it this way is:
A) My missus hates motorways
B) I'd like to see more than I would being on a motorway
C) Motorways are boring

I intend to stop a few times on the way to stretch my legs and break the journey up a bit; in a nutshell, I'm in no rush whatsoever.

Any tips, BCF?

I'm ridiculously excited, it may only be a few days away but it's the first bike holiday - well few days away - I've ever done.

James

[Zen Dog]

Perranporth has a nice pub/restaurant on the beach. And Lusty Glaze beach on the outskirts of Newquay is lovely too, although not as lovely as last weekend, Reef were playing there as the sun went down and it was bloody fantastic!

Zen Dog
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My bike trip around S.E. Asia 2010/2011

[pepperami]

My worth

https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=269683
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[mentalboy]

Watch out for that Pepparami trying to lure you into the backwoods of Somerset! Yeovil has got an air museum but the town is dire, Taunton is good for shopping (second thoughts best do on way back or you'll carry the kitchen sink down west and then back.)

I'm not sure how long it'll take you to get across bridge (1st or 2nd crossing?) but it's about an hour from the 2nd to Exeter. The old A38 is a PITA with lots of little villages, 30 limits and no less boring than M5 to Exeter. There used to be a good pub at the Taunton junction (hang a left when you come off slip road and it's on left (I haven't been there for about 15 years so it may no longer be nice).
Otherwise straight to Exeter which, far as most of us are concerned in this neck of the woods, is where Devon really begins.

If you can stick it out 'til then I'd push on past Exeter and just as you near the top of a bloody steep hill (Haldon Hill), approx 5 miles after end of M5, there's a turning - with a very short slip road ( so short I misjudged it last year and piled a Peugeot 307 into the road sign ). Signed Haldon racecourse and Haldon Forest.
There's parking here (Forest not Racecourse), rudimentary coffee stand (may even be a cafe open) and some great walking with fanastic views back towards Somerset and over Exeter. Ideal for numb bums.

If you go for this, it is about 1 1/2 mile off A38 and you'll need to return same way to get back on A38 (unless you like our Devon lanes then GPS will take you down to Chudleigh).

A38 is no better than motorway, just two lanes though.

If you opt not to stop at Haldon I'd be heading for Buckfast Abbey, home of the tonic! Signposted Buckfast, Buckfastleigh and Totnes, about 1/2 mile off A38. Restaurant cum cafe does some really evil sweet stuffs . Gentle strolling round gardens and Abbey again got for butt.

If you want a town then ignore Buckfast head to Totnes instead, home of the alternative lifestyle (That's generally taken to mean very well heeled hippies!), pleasant little town on a hill with pricey little shops (get used to it!)

Not sure of your departure time but I wouldn't want to go much further without first stop, you'll probably have been on road for at least two hours if you were to head straight for Totnes. There's a couple of nice roads out from Totnes without backtracking.
Either head for Kingsbridge, when you get 15 miles down road (just before Kingsbridge) follow signs to our metropolis, Plymouth - you may need a GPS to get you out of the blasted place and back on the A38!
Or follow any signs out of Totnes for Plymouth, one will take you back to Dartington, the other through Avonwick (My choice of the three) I seem to remember it's the A385, but could be wrong!!!

If you've carried on down A38 from Exeter there's not a lot without going for more than 5 miles off route before you get to Plymouth. There is obviously Dartmoor on your right for much of the way down and a visit up there will add plenty of time to your journey.

I'll leave you at the border where hopefully someone else will impart some local trivia. There are some cracking roads all the way down but many will turn into narrower lanes when you hit the coast with some backtracking. Although Looe is nice and, if you're not afraid of going off the main routes there's a cracking ride from the Torpoint ferry in Plymouth to Looe and on to Fowey (pretty and another ferry) then on to St Austell which keeps interest up and you off the A38 /390.

In fact if you don't do anything in Devon (or you do) find the Torpoint ferry and do that road, you'd be daft not to

Anyone else?
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[james1988]

@Mentalboy - As helpful as ever! Will take it all on board.
@Pepperami - Your thread sort of inspired me to head south instead of north to Scotland. I've taken your thread on board too.

James
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[AN GOF.]

Head out to the Lizard on any sunny day and the village will be full of bikes parked up You can take in many splended cliff walks whislt your there.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lizard-and-kynance-cove/

Camborne/Redruth aint all that bad and the surrounding coutryside is littered with Cornwalls mining heritage.
one of the many walks around Camborne
https://www.cornwallinfocus.co.uk/history/swfrances.php

This walk passes right by my house so pop in for a cuppa
https://www.cornwallinfocus.co.uk/history/dolcoath2.php

[davey5678]

Good route that and I know it well.

The road along Minehead to Ifracombe is great. Make sure to call into the towns along the route of North Devon for a quick look- the road does not go through the towns. Take the back route through Woolacombe and onto Croyde to get a great sea view over Saunton Sands coming back towards Barnstaple - its a nice area all of that so dont cut it off.

The Bideford, Holsworthy, Launceston Road is a fantastic biking road better than the coast road for riding in terms of its width, bends and riding value. You can rejoin the A39 later via the A395.

If you come back near Tavistock go to Kit Hill on a Sunday morning - there will be bikers there. The classic bikes often meet there so sometimes its a rip roaring bike show with all sorts lined up. Then you can head towards Tavistock and head onto and across Dartmoor all the way to Exeter which is a fantastic biking experience.

I'm in Tavistock if you get close Ill ride with you for a day.

Ooops sorry this was all Devon not Cornwall.

Dave
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[FrankGill]

Have a look at the Church yard at St-Just in Roseland, the round house's at Veryan, and a must ride from St Ives to St Just, the walk out to Cape Cornwall imo is better than Land's End and free!
As already mentioned the Torpoint twisties are legend, but on a sunny day the coast road above Whitsand Bay is fantastic for views.