landmark
Padstow
A working fishing harbour on the Camel estuary, transformed into a food destination and the terminus of the Camel Trail.
8 km · about 15 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomEngland
Wadebridge
England, United Kingdom · Europe
About Wadebridge
Wadebridge works well as a base: 10 minutes from Rock, 18km from Tintagel Castle.
Wadebridge is in England, United Kingdom, with about 6,600 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Rock, about 6 km away.
Wadebridge (; Cornish: Ponswad [ˈpɔnzwad] ) is a town and civil parish in north Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town straddles the River Camel five miles (eight kilometres) upstream from Padstow. At the 2021 census the population of the parish was 6,811 and the population of the built up area as defined by theRead more
Office for National Statistics (which excludes the Egloshayle part of the parish) was 5,625.
Originally known as Wade, it was a dangerous fording point across the river until a bridge was built here in the 15th century, after which the name changed to its present form. The bridge was strategically important during the English Civil War, and Oliver Cromwell went there to take it. Since then, it has been widened twice and refurbished in 1991.
Wadebridge was served by a railway station between 1834 and 1967; part of the line now forms the Camel Trail, a recreational route for walkers, cyclists and horse riders. The town used to be a road traffic bottleneck on the A39 road until it was bypassed in 1991, and the main shopping street, Molesworth Street, is now pedestrianised.
The town has a secondary school where several notable sports-people were educated. The Royal Cornwall Show is a three-day agricultural show held at the nearby Royal Cornwall Showground every June, and the 5-day Cornwall Folk Festival takes place around the August Bank Holiday.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Wadebridge?
Within an hour or so of Wadebridge: Padstow (8 km), The Rumps (11 km), Bedruthan Steps (14 km), Park Head (14 km).
Are there any good drives near Wadebridge?
The nearest famous roads are Atlantic Highway (A39), A39 Atlantic Highway (Barnstaple to Bude) and B3306 St Ives to Land's End.
Where is Wadebridge?
Wadebridge is in England, United Kingdom, about 6 km from Rock.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 6,599
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- England
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 50.5173, -4.8363
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Wadebridge
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
scenic viewpoint
The Rumps
A twin-headed promontory near Polzeath ringed by Iron Age ramparts, with a fine short walk from Pentire Point.
11 km · about 20 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Bedruthan Steps
Giant rock stacks marching across a wild sandy beach below towering cliffs on the rugged north Cornwall coast.
14 km · about 25 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Park Head
A National Trust headland just north of Bedruthan Steps with wide views over the stacks and the Atlantic.
14 km · about 25 min drive
castle
Tintagel Castle
Dramatic clifftop ruins steeped in Arthurian legend, connected to the mainland by a striking modern footbridge above the Atlantic.
18 km · about 20 min drive
waterfall
St Nectan's Glen
A mystical 60-foot waterfall that bores through a holed rock in a fern-draped wooded glen near Tintagel.
18 km · about 20 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Brown Willy
The highest point in Cornwall at 420 m, a long granite-topped ridge in the middle of Bodmin Moor.
18 km · about 20 min drive
landmark
Eden Project
Spectacular complex of enormous biome domes nestled in a former clay pit, housing the world's largest indoor rainforest.
19 km · about 20 min drive
Driving roads near Wadebridge
- Right hereThe RumpsA twin-headed promontory near Polzeath ringed by Iron Age ramparts, with a fine short walk from Pentire Point.
- Right hereBedruthan StepsGiant rock stacks marching across a wild sandy beach below towering cliffs on the rugged north Cornwall coast.
- Right herePark HeadA National Trust headland just north of Bedruthan Steps with wide views over the stacks and the Atlantic.
- 18 kmBrown WillyThe highest point in Cornwall at 420 m, a long granite-topped ridge in the middle of Bodmin Moor.
- 36 kmSt Agnes HeadA cliff-top headland on Cornwall's north coast with ruined engine houses of the tin mining World Heritage Site along the shore.
- 41 kmAtlantic Highway (A39)Spectacular coastal road running through north Devon and Cornwall past dramatic cliffs, surfing beaches and picturesque harbour villages.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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