Cornwall Cycling

Embrace the Great Outdoors: The Joy & Freedom of Cycling Country Lanes & Byways

Create your own routes and seek new adventures, or follow our commissioned routes, the National Cycle Network and Cycle Trails

Let the English Landscape be your ultimate prize: 

Timeless River Valleys, Scenic Villages, Ancient Roman Roads, Heavenly Views…

Laminated – Waterproof – Tear Resistant – Altitude Layering – Ideal Scale for Touring 

Tourist Attractions Illustrated:

Ancient Monuments – Churches – Historic Buildings – Gardens – Scenic Villages – Places to  Eat, Drink, & Stay

“Perhaps you need a better map, or, more accurately, you need the collection of Country Lanes Cycling Guides from Goldeneye covering beauty spots from the Cotswolds to Cornwall, and carefully prepared to keep you on the bendy and narrow, rather than the fast and four-lane.” Sunday Times Travel

Cornwall is one of England’s most rural counties and these twenty-one circular routes have been chosen to explore the best of the quiet lanes linking its many interesting & picturesque villages, harbours & market towns. Although short sections of busier roads have sometimes had to be used to complete a circuit even the quietest lanes can be busy for short periods, as local people travel to & from work & school. To avoid sending cars along the very roads you are going to cycle, these routes have been designed, in the main, to begin at towns or villages, close to major roads, or from railway stations. Most inland routes tend to be reasonably easy going, but be prepared for short, steep climbs, in and out of coastal valleys & bays. This is often via narrow sunken lanes & these take a little getting used to, so always be ready for the possibility of meeting vehicles on descents. This is particularly true during the 6 summer weeks when sections of the narrowest coastal lanes can become completely snarled up by a few cars. For maximum enjoyment at this time of year, coastal sections are best ridden in the early morning, or in some cases, avoided by using inland variants. Happy Cycling, Al Churcher

Recommended Routes/Trails

The Mineral Tramways Trails:

These trails celebrate Cornwall’s industrial past. There are 60km/37 miles of trails suitable for cycling, walking, jogging & horse riding. The majority of these are on tarmac or gravel paths, & are off-road. Most of these trails follow the old tramway & railway routes that were used to transport the ore & supplies to & from the copper & tin mines, to the ports at Portreath & Devoran. The off-road sections are illustrated on the map below.

1. Coast to Coast Trail; 17km/11miles.
Park at the Bike Chain Bissoe Bike Hire. The first tram road or plate way in Cornwall to serve the Gwennap Mines with the historic harbours, Portreath & Devoran. Passes by wildlife & ancient woodland. (F10)

2. Great Flat Lode Trail; 12km/7miles.
Park at King Edward Mine (Museum). A circular route with some steep sections explores the landscape of tin & copper mines from the 1860s. Panoramic views of South Crofty Mine when you climb Carn Brea. (E10)

3. Tehidy Trail; 4km/2.5miles.
Park in Portreath. Linear route using the tracks & trails through Tehidy Country Park former home of Sir Francis Basset, Lord de Dunstanville. (E9)

4. Portreath Branchline Trail; 9km/5miles.
Built in 1836 as the Hayle Railway to connect the engineering works of Hayle & Copperhouse with the Camborne/Redruth mines. The trail leads to the Great Flat Lode Trail by using quiet roads. (E9)

5. Redruth & Chasewater Railway Trail; 12km/7miles. Park at Twelveheads. Based on the old railway lines that carried wagons from mines around Gwennap & Redruth to the port of Devoran. The trail is mostly off-road with some major roads to cross. (F10)

6.Tresavean Trail;1.8km/1.1mies.
Short off-road route linked to the above. Park in Lanner or at Buller Hill P. (E10)

7.TolgusTrail;1.2km/0.8miles.
It connects Cornwall Gold & Tolgus Mill with the Coast to Coast Trail. Set west of Cambose & follows the Portreath Valley. Here tin was excavated from 1602. An 1818 map details water-powered stream works along this valley. (E9)

Traffic-Free Family Routes/Trails & Mountain Bike Adventures:

1. Bodmin Beast Cycle Trails (Cardinham Woods). A 12km/7.4 mile single track trail that sets the pace in Cornwall. The experienced & intermediate mountain biker will encounter technical climbs & descents. Exposure to steep unfenced side slopes. Graded Blue. Two sections are Graded Red. 4-Waymarked walks of 3-7.5km. Wood Cafe. Parking.

2. Camel Trail. 27km/17 miles. Cornwall’s leading trail that attracts in excess of 500,000 annual visitors. Bodmin to Padstow with a deviation north to Poley’s Bridge. Suitable for jogging, walking & bird watching, too. Cycle hire in Padstow & Wadebridge. Cafes: Wood & Green Cafe, Wadebridge (J6), the Camel Trail Tea Garden, near Dunmere (J7) & Snail’sPace Cafe/bike hire, Wenfordbridge (K6).

3. Lanhydrock Trails. A selection of trails to suit all standards; Green (Easy), Blue (Moderate) & Red (Difficult) from 1.5km/1 mile to 2.5km/1.5 miles in length. Woodland terrain with flat & hilly trails. Bike hire. Cafe. Parking charge. (K7)

4. Pentewan Trail. 6km/4 miles. An easy off-road route from London Apprentice to Pentewan with an off-shoot to Heligan Gardens that uses 1/2 mile of road. Bike hire. (J9)

5. Seaton Valley Country Park. An easy 2-mile route that tours the Country Park beside the river & back to the parking area. (N8)

6. Siblyback Lake. 5km/3.5 miles. An easy (Green) trail perfect for young families circles the lake. Follow an anti-clockwise direction. Feed the ducks. Olive & Co Cafe for refreshments. (M6)

7. Tamar Lakes. The off-road trail connects the Upper & Lower Lakes where you can spot kingfishers, herons, butterflies & dragonflies. Froghopper Cafe for refreshments. Angling centre. (M1)

8. Tamar Trails Centre. A multi-sport centre dedicated to family fun. Biking, canoeing, walking, tree surfing, running & socialising in their cafe. 01822833409 tamartrails.co.uk ( P6)

9. Wheel Peevor Mine Site. Linked to the Coast to Coast Trail. Rough tracks explore this site of industrial archaeology with three Engine Houses & 12 mine shafts. Accessible. (E9)

The Clay Trails:

1. Bugle to the Eden Project. 6km/4 miles. Crosses there heathlands of Treskilling Downs passing woodland & lakes. (J8)

2. Goss Moor Cycle Trail. 12km/7 mile circular trail through nature reserve. Mainly flat & off-road.(H8)

3. Par Beach to the Eden Project. 5km/3 mile route of the former china clay wagons.(K8)

5. 4. Wheal Martyn to Sky Spur. 3km/2 mile route through a challenging landscape of gravel & mud amidst white capped hills - the Cornish Alps. Great viewpoint from Sky Spur. (J8)