A glorious Cornish day out: Camel Trail cycle ride and Camel Valley Winery

Camel-Valley-Vineyard

What I love about these days out in Cornwall is that they’re a fabulous opportunity to see beyond the sea. Our Cornish coastline is gorgeous and diverse, but there’s so much more to Cornwall.

The Camel Trail is well advertised and well known amongst tourists. There are lots of places to hire bikes, if you don’t have your own or don’t fancy lugging them on the back or roof of the car down the M5.

And then there’s Cornish wine. You definitely don’t want to sampling the best of Cornwall wine while driving. So a cycle ride and a visit to a Cornish vineyard are the perfect combination.

Lunch at Snails Pace cafe

We cycled from Wadebridge to Wenfordbridge to have lunch at Snails Pace cafe and on the way back slipped off at Nanstallon to visit the Camel Valley Winery, in total 24 miles…4 hours of cycling.

Snails Pace Cafe

Wedding anniversary day out

I wanted an active day to burn some calories and a memorable day as I went with my husband for a 7th wedding anniversary treat. I’ve heard many good things about the café and the winery. Depending on where you want to start your Camel Trail cycle, there are lots of places to hire bikes and the Snails Pace Cafe is one of them.

Sign post on the camel trail

I hadn’t realised quite how far Wenfordbridge is from Wadebridge along the trail, but it was manageable. There was a climb from Hellandbridge up to Wenford Bridge, which was one of those slow climbs. Fairly hard work for me on the way there, but I definitely enjoyed the glide back! But the bugs along the trail got the better of me – I must chat less or close my mouth more!

Vineyard at Camel Valley

Camel Valley Winery

My favourite part of the day was the winery, it was beautifully sunny and the hillside with the sprawling vineyard was spectacular. Although we didn’t do the wine tour (there is a small tour and a grand tour), Duncan, one of the staff, was very knowledgeable. He gave us a run through of the winery’s history. Interestingly the reason why the Lindo family, who ran it as a farm, decided to plant vines on the side of the hill was because the grass was burning in the sun and the sheep had nothing to eat and were eating their winter food in the summer.

A grown up day out

It’s definitely an adult day out and no dogs at the winery unless guide dog as they have a Labrador that lives there.

Camel Valley Winery

I would really like to go back on a summer’s evening and do the Grand Tour. It costs £18 including a taste of five wines. Although we’d get a taxi and leave the bikes at home that time! There’s also an £8.50 guided tour.

Camel Trail Tea Garden

I would also like to do the Camel Trail again with my little boy who is 5 and stop off at the Camel Trail tea garden and play in the pretty garden there – it looked beautiful.

Camel Trail and Camel Valley Winery need to know

      • Camel Valley Winery simply serve wine by a small taster glass 63ml, 125 ml glass or bottle and no food is available though you can buy crisps, but eat before…
      • Along the trail there are two cafes one called Camel Trail tea garden at Nanstallon and the Snail Pace at Wenfordbridge
      • Try the cafes for food along the trail then you don’t need to take backpacks and so on.
      • It takes approximately 2 hours from Wadebridge to get to Wenford Bridge (Snails Pace Café) the end of the trail and 1 ½ hours back to the winery and then 30 minutes to Wadebridge from the winery.
      • Try the cake at Snails Pace Café – we also had a platter each with lovely bread, cheese, salad, ham, chorizo, olives and so on.
      • For an easy drinking white wine at the winery try the Atlantic Dry
      • Take lots of water to hydrate and layers of clothing
      • Choose a sunny day and take sun cream

    This was by far the best day out I’ve done so far and all on my doorstep.

    Camel Trail from Wenfordbridge to PadstowFind yourself a holiday cottage near by >

    About the author: Hailee is customer experience adviser and visited the Hall Walk in May 2018. For her next day trip she is taking her son Oliver to Camel Creek Adventure Park

    Read about Hailee’s other adventures here >