Best known for the fabled Beast of Bodmin Moor and Du Maurier’s novel, Jamaica Inn, Bodmin wants to put itself on the map as being Cornwall’s first cycling town

It’s not on the coast and it doesn’t have an internationally famous attraction or a celebrity chef associated with it, so Bodmin isn’t top of the list for most visitors to Cornwall. And although in recent years a number of cycling centres have developed on its immediate outskirts, frustratingly the town hasn’t reaped the benefits.

Connected by a cycling trail with the more gentrified Wadebridge and the über popular Padstow, the traffic, and the spend, has so far flowed up river, away from Bodmin. Around 94 per cent of trail users between Wadebridge and Bodmin don’t continue into the town centre, but turn around and go back. It isn’t the fault of the visitors: currently the route to the town centre is neither obvious nor cycle friendly.

CYCLING FORWARD
However, now plans are afoot to change all of that. Cornwall Council has approved a £7.5m package of improvements which will bring The Camel Trail into Bodmin town centre, as well as improve links with the two other cycling hubs on Bodmin’s doorstep, Cardinham and Lanhydrock (see boxouts).

Funded through the government’s Growth Deal and local transport money, work is underway and slated for completion by next June. Plans involve narrowing carriageways, widening pavements and installing new surfacing to slow down traffic while still keeping it flowing.

“It has long been an aspiration of the town to make the most of The Camel Trail to drive regeneration,” says Rebecca Jackson, transport, planning and strategy officer at Cornwall Council. “Now that we have two successful cycle hubs on the outskirts, there is even more impetus to do so. We have some fantastic attractions in Bodmin which we would like to improve access to – including Bodmin Gaol, the steam railway and the military museum – as well as a number of historic buildings.”

PEDALLING BENEFITS
Cornwall Council estimates the changes could bring an additional spend of at least £1.2m into the town each year and hopes the cycling network will lead to more tourists using Bodmin – which has beautiful surrounding woods and moorlands – as a base to explore Cornwall.

There are numerous other benefits too. The Camel Trail sparked an influx of independent businesses in Wadebridge and the council is hoping for a similar effect in Bodmin, with cycle hire and food likely to be top of the list.

Further to this, as the town will be so well served for cycle paths, it will make active commuting to work, schools and the new college easy. “Many trips made around the town are localised, so we’re hoping that some of these could be switched to cycling or walking,” says Jackson. “We have taken inspiration nationally from towns which have promoted active travel and we’re hoping to create a modal switch.”

A more active population has knock-on health benefits, so Bodmin is looking forward optimistically to a healthier town, with healthier prospects. Other Cornish towns wanting to make more of cycle tourism, such as Penzance, are now looking on with interest. If Bodmin Cycle Town is a success a similar approach could be taken in other areas.