Cycling Godrevy Marazion St Agnes Exmoor House

FreshAir4Us
FreshAir4Us Forum Participant Posts: 17
edited May 2022 in UK Campsites & Touring #1

I am planning a trip to include Godrevy,Marazion, StAgnes Beacon and Exmoor House. Does anyone know please whether traffic free cycling is possible direct from any of those sites? I am guessing not from St Agnes and  wondering whether we can access the beach from Godrevy and cycle along the hard sand by the sea to St Ives?  Many thanks

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  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,142 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2022 #2

    It’s not on to either cycle or walk across the beach from Godrevy/Gwithian to St Ives. Firstly, access from the site to the beach is by a choice of several steep paths or steps some of which will be very difficult to manoeuvre a bike down. Secondly, the sand is soft other than at the tide line and I don't think even that would be usable. Thirdly, the river Hayle estuary needs to be crossed. See map below.

    As far as I am aware there is no traffic free cycling from any of those Cornish sites but check out online maps.

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,829 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2022 #3

    There are miles of off road cycle trails in Cornwall and Devon -for instance  the Camel  Trail and the Mineral Tramways in Cornwall, the Tarka Trail, the Granite Way, and the  Plym Valley Trail in Devon. But I’m afraid your choice of caravan sites doesn’t match them very well. There are other sites which you might find more suitable by being closer to the cycle paths.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited May 2022 #4

    Exmoor House is very limited due to sharing narrow roads with vehicles. St Agnes has similar problems. You might be better as suggested looking for sites with access to the Camel Trail (Bodmin area to Padstow) or the Tarka Trail N Devon, the other good one runs from Portreath across to Devoran, you could access that with care from St Agnes but the best access is from the Carnon Downs site or nearby CLs.

  • FreshAir4Us
    FreshAir4Us Forum Participant Posts: 17
    edited May 2022 #5

    Thankyou. - looks like we may be best taking surf boards instead of bikes this time round! 

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,643 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2022 #6

    There are a few routes that you can do off road from St Agnes but you would need a mountain or grit bike to do them. I've ridden along the cliff tops and down to Chapel Porth, for an ice cream, and bridalways and byways from there to Porth Towan. There is also a bridalway up over the Beacon.

  • ADP1963
    ADP1963 Forum Participant Posts: 1,280
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    edited May 2022 #7

    We used to stay at Tintagel and transport the bikes on the car to Wadebridge where we then used the Camel Trail to Padstow. Done it many times and never got fed up with that ride, scenery and wildlife. We did purchase Jelly Saddles after the first rideyell those railway cobbles are something else.

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,829 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2022 #8

    It doesn’t sound as though you want to change your bookings, but If there are other cyclists coming this way I can suggest campsites close to the trails I mentioned earlier, and close to the Tamar Valley cycle trails too - but for best location close to the cycle paths they will all be independent sites, not Club or CL. 

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,142 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2022 #9

    Definitely! 👍🏻🏄🏻‍♂️

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,607 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2022 #10

    You can certainly use the CL, The Barton at Weare Gifford, near Bideford to access the Tarka Trail. We did. Ashbury CP in Okehampton is a CL that you will get access to The Granite Way. Again we did.

    You can also use Riverside Caravan Park AS site in Plymouth for the Drake Trail. 

    Don't know about the ones in Cornwall.

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,142 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2022 #11

    Cambrose Touring Park for the Portreath end of the Portreath/Devoran trail.

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,142 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2022 #12

    Riverside isn’t an AS as far as I know, WN. Be prepared for noise and busy roads if staying there although it is very handy for the cycle track with easy access to Plymouth City and the ferry port.

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,607 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2022 #13

    I stand corrected TW. I have stayed there in the past. I must have started straying from club sites earlier than I remember.😂

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,142 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2022 #14

    I’ve stayed there too. We used to live very close to the site so used it when we had a need to go back. We used to cycle part of that track regularly.

  • DSB
    DSB Club Member Posts: 5,666 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2022 #15

    I'm not a cyclist, but the only thing I have heard is the coast to coast cycle route between Portreath and Devoran.  There are a couple of places where cycles can be hired...  including Elm Farm Bike Barn....

    David

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,044 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2022 #16

    We cycled out from Marazion a few times last September. Some of it is on quiet lanes, some on very very quiet country lanes, and there are some good cycle paths now. It’s about 2 miles into Marazion itself from the site going via Plain an Gwarry, short cycle on road down to sea front, and then you can cycle all the way to Mousehole, via Penzance and Newlyn without problems. Another good route is Hayle via St Erth, and then onto Godrevy if you have the lungs and the legs. I am not a confident road cyclist, but had no issues out from Marazion, as there are lots of lanes so you can avoid the busier roads. The scenic routes around Godolphin, Breage, and on into Helston are fine as well. Some of the hills are challenging mind😉

    So regarding Marazion and Godrevy, I would say take the bikes. You cannot get directly across from Godrevy to St Ives as the River Hayle is in the way. We tried a bit of cycling on the beach, soft sand, virtually impossible. It’s a long way round to avoid that dangerous river. You need to get OS maps of the area, that will be your biggest help. And look at Komoot  for routes as well.
    St Agnes has some quiet lanes around, depends where you want to go. Again, hilly in places. Can’t help with Exmoor House, never been. Do know Dartmoor though, and that is superb for cycling.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited May 2022 #17

    Don't forget the Sustrans website, where all the cycling routes are marked up, see the map, I had forgotten the new route across West Penwith. I think you have to remember that these routes are also for walkers and they can get very busy in the main season. Sustrans

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,829 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2022 #18

    As well as sites already mentioned here are a few others for cyclists who want to leave car or motorhome on site and cycle directly from there

    For the Tamar Valley  trails -both  Woodovis and The Old Vicarage at Gulworthy west of Tavistock.

    For The Tarka trail - Smytham Holiday Park near Torrington.

    For the Camel Trail - Ruthern Valley near Bodmin, and Dennis Cove at Padstow (but that last one is only for camper vans and small caravans)

    For Drakes Trail - Dartmoor Camping at Crapstone, Yelverton (but that one is a shot in the dark because I don’t know much about it) and  Hartford Bridge at Tavistock (but that one means picking your way through the town first) 

    For the Granite Way - Lydford Camping (but there’s a bit of quiet road riding to get to the trail) 

    And there are others for sure.

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,607 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2022 #19

    For the Granite Way - Lydford Camping (but there’s a bit of quiet road riding to get to the trail) 

    You indeed will have to use a very quiet road but it does pass a pub (name escapes me) that Mrs WN swear has one of the best ciders she has had, Cloudy Devon I believe it was called. Best to sample it on the return journey methinks.smile

  • FreshAir4Us
    FreshAir4Us Forum Participant Posts: 17
    edited May 2022 #20

    Thankyou all so much for the info. We have tended to use CMC sites until now even for ease of change in dates or venue with medical appointments etc but with the proposed changes/deposits we may look at other options going forward so maybe surfboards on CAMC sites this year and look at other non club sites with bikes for next time.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited May 2022 #21

    You will certainly enjoy the surf at St Agnes and Godrevy, I don't know about Godrevy as a site but St Agnes although non facility has an outdoor shower for those who've braved the waves! If you're an NT member the car park at St Agnes Chapel Porth beach is free and the beach has life guards, you can walk but it will be hard work with a surf board. Have a good time. smile

  • scoutman
    scoutman Club Member Posts: 441 ✭✭✭
    edited May 2022 #22

    Not much use for a surfboard at Exmoor House