The Old Chapel, Burlawn

Camel Valley

The River Camel runs from near the Devon border through Camelford, Bodmin and onto Wadebridge and Padstow, where it joins the sea.

The river valley changes greatly along that way.  You can walk down from the Old Chapel to the Camel Valley and join the Camel Trail at Polbrock bridge.  This is halfway along the section of the Valley between Bodmin and Wadebridge.  There is more directions of this walk on the Walks page.

In the Bodmin-Wadebridge section, the valley runs alongside water meadows and reedbeds that, together with the river, are home to a variety of wildlife.

At the Bodmin end is an old railway station called Boscarne Junction.  It forms one end of the steam railway that local enthusiasts have preserved.  There are various themed railway adventures during the year - Christmas rides, Trips to the Camel Valley Vineyard and, of course, Thomas the Tank Engine.

The Camel Valley Vineyard makes very good quality English wine.  It's particularly known for its sparkling wines, which have won several awards, but it has a good selection of white wines which are all worth sampling to find your favourite.  Unusually for a vineyard this far North, they have even had some success with red wines as well.

Between Wadebridge and Padstow, the river widens into a tidal marsh and the wildlife changes before a further change at Padstow itself where the estuary meets the Atlantic Ocean.