Wadebridge

Wadebridge the local centre with hypermarkets, cinema (opened in 1930), nice shopping, an historic market (licence granted in 1312) and more recently the start of the Camel Trail. The initial settlement of Wade (built) came about due to a crossing place in the river camel (cam — meaning crooked in Cornish). The early crossing had two chapels either side of the river "Kings" chapel on the north side and "St Michael's" on the south side. People would pray for a safe crossing at one of the chapels before wading across at low tide, once they had made it the other side they would give thanks to God in the other chapel.

The local vicar of Egloshayle became distressed at the number of humans and animals that died during the crossing of the river Camel so he initiated the building of a bridge which was completed in 1468. Wade was now known as Wadebridge.

The bridge was to become a strategic position in the English Civil War as in 1646 Oliver Cromwell himself came with 500 Dragoons and 1000 horsemen to take the bridge.

The bridge is said to be built on wool. One of the public houses in Wadebridge is actually called "the Bridge on Wool". However no one is actually sure if this means that the bridge is actually physically built on sacks of wool as a foundation. When the bridge was extended in 1963 some wool was found in one of the core samples taken, although some people say that it just a hoax !

History of the "Camel" railway

The railway was opened on 30 September 1834 at a cost of £35,000 to carry sand from the Camel estuary to inland farms for use as fertiliser. The locomotive “Camel” pulled a train load of 400 passengers (one of the first railways in Britain to carry passengers). When the company ordered its second locomotive it came with a name plate already affixed. It had been named the Elephant as the makers had failed to realise at that the first engine had been named after the crooked river and not an animal! It was extended to Padstow in 1899.