Bliss all the way to Padstow

The well pedalled Camel Trail from Wadebridge to Padstow is a family must - flat, traffic free and scenically beautiful as it skirts the Camel estuary along a disused railway line. Bike hire establishments lurk around every corner of  Wadebridge and the lure of a Rick Stein goody at the other end may entice or repel you depending on your pocket size and leanings.
But for me the more enjoyable (and far less busy) section of the Camel Trail is what comes before Wadebridge - the ride down from the NW edge of  Bodmin Moor along the pretty Camel valley.  Close to the the beginning of the traffic free section is the village of Blisland which easily lives up to its name. John Betjamin waxed lyrical about its Norman church with its unexpectedly dramatic interior and others have enjoyed its excellent pub.This is a village with some very fine houses, the Elizabethan Mansion House - and a green, something unique in Cornwall.  From here you can freewheel down to the trail for 17 miles of traffic free flat cycling. Whoever heard of that in hilly Cornwall?  Steep valley sides gradually give way to more open country as the river  threads its way downhill and you spin past platforms named Shooting Range and Grogley Hall.. Paul Jackson's pottery studio and the medieval river bridge both at Helland are highlights.

Tack this ride onto our Devon Coast to Coast Tour and bliss it will be.