There used to be a railway that linked Padstow with the network of railway that connected the rest of the country.
It ran through Wadebridge to Bodmin and brought plenty of business to the area.
Initially, it was built to transport sand from the Camel estuary to spots further inland so that farmers could use it as fertiliser.
Once the railway had been built, however, plenty of other people realised it was a useful link for them to use, and the main cargo hauled along it changed from sand to slate, china clay and fish.
Wagons full of the slate and clay would go to Padstow, where they'd be unloaded and either sent further on or used in the town itself, and Padstow would fill them up with fish and send them on their way.
Of course, quarrying and fishing both nearly died off as industries in the UK and there was no longer the need for a railway transporting those goods.
Passengers still used it to get into or out of Cornwall, but even these dried up eventually, and the line closed.
Fortunately, its development wasn't completely wasted.
The line had initially been built to avoid any steep slopes, as doing so saved on costs of the initial building and meant trains could travel at their highest possible speeds.
Even the corners were gradual, allowing trains to manoeuvre around them without needing to slow down.
This meant that years later the tracks and sleepers were removed, the surface was given a smoothing treatment and either covered in fine gravel or left bare, plant life was allowed to grow fully along the sides of the track and one of the country's best examples of a cycle route was born.
As with other similar projects around the country, creating the cycle route has provided the opportunity for a whole host of businesses to spring up along the Camel Trail.
Cafes, small tuck shops, bike hire outlets and other services are available to people travelling along the trail.
There are also plenty of visitors each year who make use of the trail, either for cycling or just walking along, providing the area with another attractive proposition for holiday makers.
It ran through Wadebridge to Bodmin and brought plenty of business to the area.
Initially, it was built to transport sand from the Camel estuary to spots further inland so that farmers could use it as fertiliser.
Once the railway had been built, however, plenty of other people realised it was a useful link for them to use, and the main cargo hauled along it changed from sand to slate, china clay and fish.
Wagons full of the slate and clay would go to Padstow, where they'd be unloaded and either sent further on or used in the town itself, and Padstow would fill them up with fish and send them on their way.
Of course, quarrying and fishing both nearly died off as industries in the UK and there was no longer the need for a railway transporting those goods.
Passengers still used it to get into or out of Cornwall, but even these dried up eventually, and the line closed.
Fortunately, its development wasn't completely wasted.
The line had initially been built to avoid any steep slopes, as doing so saved on costs of the initial building and meant trains could travel at their highest possible speeds.
Even the corners were gradual, allowing trains to manoeuvre around them without needing to slow down.
This meant that years later the tracks and sleepers were removed, the surface was given a smoothing treatment and either covered in fine gravel or left bare, plant life was allowed to grow fully along the sides of the track and one of the country's best examples of a cycle route was born.
As with other similar projects around the country, creating the cycle route has provided the opportunity for a whole host of businesses to spring up along the Camel Trail.
Cafes, small tuck shops, bike hire outlets and other services are available to people travelling along the trail.
There are also plenty of visitors each year who make use of the trail, either for cycling or just walking along, providing the area with another attractive proposition for holiday makers.
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