I filled you in on Premier Inns last night: they’re all much the same but seem to have their own little quirks.  I pitched up at Wadebridge at about 5pm, this time dry and a little more energetic.  PI have their own in-house restaurants at many of their outlets, which they term Thyme, and there were two girls laying up for the evening when I arrived. I was booked in and told that it was company policy not to allow charging of electric bikes on site, a variation on “don’t do it when you’re not in the room” that I was told last night.  Needless to say, I made the right noises but proceeded to charge my battery whilst I was in the room.  Which policy is correct, I don’t know but I’m not going to ask the question of HO in case I get the wrong answer (from my POV).

I did the usual and came down for dinner at about 1830.  The menu at Thyme is pretty much the same as Brewer’s Fayre, maybe fewer choices but not by much.  As the Calamari the night before was so good I went for it again: this time a portion twice the size of yesterday but equally good and I followed up with a chicken Makhani curry with Naan and Poppadum, and very good it was too.  I drank Doom Bar x2 for which I had to pay extra and went for a pud which cost me an extra £2. I wanted cheesecake but there was none, so went for a chocolate sundae which was disappointing.  Putting it all together a filling dinner and breakfast cost me about £36 which is not too bad.

The morning dawned fair, still a bit of wind about and a chill in the air but no forecast rain.  I’m dressing up in bib tights and a warm jersey and suspect that I shall do so for the whole trip.  Breakfast was PI best and I filled up with the expectation that I wouldn’t have lunch.  I was on the bike by about 0930 and made my way to the bridge over the River Camel. 

The Camel trail follows the track-bed of the North Cornwall and Bodmin to Wadebridge railways. Cornwall County Council acquired the land in 1980 and converted the bed to a public trail which now runs from Wenford Bridge north of Bodmin to Padstow.  I remember riding bikes along the trail, 35 years+ ago, en famille, including our Jack Russell terrier, Tipsy, who, daughter Kate reminds me, rode in a pack on my back and rested her paws on my shoulder whilst she enjoyed the wind in her face: it caused some merriment from other users.  As I posted a picture of Salami yesterday, here’s one of Tipsy (sadly, I can’t find the one of her on a wind-surfer) but she was a game little dog who’d try pretty much anything.

Anyway I joined the trail from Wadebridge to Padstow and there were several others, including dogs, enjoying the dry weather, The Camel river opens out into its estuary at Padstow with Trebetherick and Rock, known as Chelsea-on-Sea, on the opposite bank.  Rock is also home to Sharp’s brewery, now owned by Molson Coors, who’s most famous brand is Doom Bar, named after the sand bar in the middle of the estuary that has caused countless shipwrecks.

Towards the end of the trail you cross an iron bridge with a safety warning on it.  Why fire engines are considered expendable is beyond me.

I made my way around the edge of Padstow, sometimes known as Padstein after its most famous resident Rick Stein who owns several food outlets in the town and headed down the coast, now with the wind mainly behind me.  I dropped down to Harlyn Bay, narrowly avoiding a double deck bus coming in the opposite direction

And climbed up a steepish hill which I managed without engine.  As yesterday this was the pattern for the day: regularly up and down 2 or 3 hundred feet, sometimes with and, less often, without the engine.

Next sea visit was Mawgan Porth about 5 miles down the coast.  As expected not many people out in the bracing wind

Onwards to Watergate, passing Cornwall (Newquay) airport.

and Porth, now close to Newquay, the biggest settlement on the North Cornwall coast.  The working harbour has all but disappeared and tourism is the main earner.  It’s a rather depressing place on the first day of October, still a number of people wandering around the streets; but shops and businesses do little trade outside the summer season.  I cycled around the whole town,

even venturing out on a rough track to the Headland and back along the Gannel that marks the southern boundary of the town, today bereft of water.

I passed Fistral beach, known world-wide for it’s surf, just as a brief storm came and went in a few minutes.  I sheltered in a bus stop to put on a rain jacket but it was soon unnecessary.

I then found myself dropping down a very steep and narrow road to the National Trust beach at Trevaunance.  The climb up again was the steepest of the day.

Next stop Porthtowan.  I admit I didn’t get down to sea level on this occasion but took the picture from on high

I was now heading pretty much due south, keeping close to the coast but seeing no sign of the sea until I reached Perranporth

Continuing on past the RAF station at Portreath I surprised a horse rider (and she me) as we met on a blind bend.  Fortunately, her horse behaved immaculately. Again, dropping to sea level at Portreath, which was once the largest port on the north Cornish coast, sending copper ore to Swansea for smelting,

knowing that there would be the inevitable climb back again.  This was the last visit to sea level, and, although there were still some ups and downs, I reached my destination, Camborne at about 5pm.  I’m staying in a Wetherspoons hotel which is somewhat like Fort Knox with digital security on all doors; but I’ve got a huge room and I shall eat and drink well.  Tomorrow, all being well, I shall round Land’s End and start heading east.