Alright, alright, here is a very tenuous link to introduce the subject of today's blog, a bit of a milestone being my 1500th since I started in August 2011.(allowing for selected repeats)
A camel with one hump is called a Dromedary, the breed with two is a Bactrian so what do you call a camel with three humps......why, Humphrey of course. The oldies are still the best!
On the subject of Camels the latter part of our holiday week in Cornwall in the South West of England was a rude introduction to the inhospitable cycling terrain of that county. A ray of hope for a relatively horizontal cycle route was The Camel Trail, which in its out and back format provides a 40 mile ride from Padstow inland via Wadebridge and Bodmin to Wenford Bridge.
The naming of the trail, on the course of two long since discontinued railway lines, is not as exotic or animalistic as first suggested. There is no history of the use of the ships of the desert to carry sand, stone or tin nor any enterprising venture to offer trekking on the rather unique creatures but rather Camel refers to the river which provides the fishing port of Padstow with its outlet to the might Atlantic.
The Trail hugs very closely the course of the river from its wide sandbank estuary for some 18 miles by which time it takes the form of a shallow and tranquil stream with lazy blackwater pools interspersed with faster flowing occasional white water activity.
In some places the track, either hard surfaced or loose cinder or gravelled takes on the role of the flood bank or is steeply elevated with thickly wooded slopes in ancient oak or non descript pines in a carpet of ferns and vegetation.
The railway line origins ensure a very gentle and almost non-existent gradient although try telling that to fatiqued legs and saddle sore bums after nearly four hours of constant low gear pedalling.
The start from a surface car park in Padstow on the quayside just near the Lobster Hatchery was busy. Half of those alighting from vehicles headed towards the Harbour and niche shops with the remainder mounting their own bikes or those sourced from a number of hire shops and taking the signposted route to the opening to the Camel Trail.
It appears that, like to us, the attraction of a flat ride in Cornwall is very popular and some 400,000 pass every year along at least one section of the route generating around £10 million pounds to the local economy.
Leaving the bustling port town the route runs over a box girder metal bridge intended to carry freight locomotives at the inception of the North Cornwall Railway Line from 1834. A minimum of maintenance ensures safe passage for those light of foot and on two wheels but with an ominous warning of weakness.
There are two small stagnant creeks at low tide on the inside of the raised embankment and rather unstable looking stacks of slates and debris from a long abandoned quarry site.
The trail on its initial five miles is of good surface and encouraging for not only pedestrians and cyclists but also dog walkers, roller skaters, skate boarders and joggers.
The Padstow to Wadebridge stretch is by far the most frequented and is quite manageable for a couple of hours of casual but physical activity.
Wadebridge, which went under the uncomfortably damp name of Wade until construction of a stone bridge is a picturesque town on the basis of our short traverse to pick up the Trail on the far side of the main built up area.
Flood water covered meadows dotted with grazing cattle mark the end of the good surface reverting to the loose stuff which throws up dirt and gravel giving a speckled hue to our clothing and exposed skin.
The old station platforms are just visible under thick wild foliage with quaint descriptive signage including Shooting Range, Grogley Halt, Nanstallion Halt and Boscarne Junction. The latter is still an active station on the seasonal Bodmin and Wenford steam railway and we could hear the distinctive whistle and rattle from the rolling stock from some distance.
The route is quite busy by mid morning with slow moving and meandering bike groups and we cruise past nervously as any gap either side constricts with lack of concentration or panic at the fast approaching sound of our crunchy tyres.
There are a few stopping off points along the way to appreciate the scenery as well as a cafe, vineyard and even a bike mounted coffee and sandwich vendor.
We miss the sharp left branch to Wenford Bridge and find ourselves outside the imposing Bodmin Jail before realising our error of navigation costing an extra 4 miles. Backtracking brings us to a dark tree formed tunnel through the upper Camel Valley and this continues for a further 5 miles. The river bubbles along never more than a few metres away.
A few light headed moments indicate that bonking stage of a strenuous ride but we are only carrying water. There is the promise of an eco cafe some 5 miles farther on and we persevere over what seems more like twice the actual distance. A pot of coffee and thick slab of carrot cake at a sunlit picnic table in a disused rail marshalling yard momentarily allows us to put aside the thought that we are only at the half way point of the journey.
There must be a named physical law that dictates that a return cycle seems shorter and faster.
Perhaps caffeine and sugar rich treats act as a catalyst but the law was proven correct and we were soon back in Wadebridge.
It looked different in a sudden stormy squall. The rain had evidently been persistent for some time but the shelter of the wooded canopy had hidden its ferocity.
Typically English summer weather prevailed and within a few minutes of the eye of the storm passing it was again baking sunshine and calm. We simultaneously sweated and steamed in our hastily adorned rainwear whilst passing tourists in shorts and T shirts. The other cyclists were bright and clean whereas we were mud splattered and bedraggled in the extreme as we returned to the Padstow car park.
That is always the sign of a good day out.
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