We’ve reached day 19 of the 30 Days Wild Challenge! Today we’ve chosen one of our favourite ways to spend time outdoors – cycling. Nanny Pat’s latest adventure on two wheels took her to Lanhydrock with grandson Sam.
The National Trust estate at Lanhydrock has a special place in my heart as our dairy farm bordered the estate and we spent many happy family times there. I returned with Sam recently to try out the new cycle trails with a toddler on board.
It was raining on the day we chose but we put on our waterproofs and went anyway! We had the trails to ourselves and as they weave in and out of the forest it didn’t matter. In fact, cycling through the puddles and ensuing fountains of water was the best bit for Sam! I am a National Trust member but you don’t need to be to use the cycle trails.
The new car park, cafe and cycle hub are a brilliant addition to Lanhydrock and are proving very popular with cyclists of all abilities. The trails range from easy, child-friendly tracks to challenging steep drops for serious mountain bikers.
We hired a bike with toddler seat from the super helpful staff and set off to do the Lodge trail – an easy ride which takes about 30 minutes at a leisurely pace. It is quite an adventure as you can’t see too far ahead – the trails are revealed gradually, which is all part of the magic. I loved the scent of the pine forest in the rain.
Sam enjoyed it so much that we went round for a second time. We had taken a picnic but the new cafe at the Hub offers high standard National Trust food with seating indoors and out. On a nice day outdoor dining would be great with little ones as it is alongside the fantastic new play area so Mum and Dad could have a relaxed meal watching the children play.
We took Sam’s balance bike so had a practise on the balance bike and skills trails, which he loved.
I then drove down to the car park at Respryn bridge over the River Fowey. We walked over the ancient, pretty granite bridge and followed the river path downstream to the next wooden bridge gathering pooh sticks on the way.
At the bridge we whiled away half an hour playing the game trying to work out which bit of the flow was the fastest and least hazardous for our sticks.
We went over the bridge and followed the path uphill to a set of gates crossing a lane. Go through both gates and keep going uphill into a leafy glade of mostly beech trees. They were in their wonderful early lime green stage which cast dappled light onto the carpet of bluebells below. What a picture – and the smell… heavenly.
You can either continue up through the woods to the house and turn right back down the main carriage drive back to Respryn (30 minutes walk) or retrace your steps to the lane, turn left and walk back to the car park (10 minutes).
Getting there
Lanhydrock is just off the A30 close to Bodmin. Post code for SatNavs: PL30 5AD. From Bosinver it’s approximately 25 minutes’ drive.
Bike hire
If you don’t have your own bikes, you can hire them at the cycle hire centre at Lanhydrock. They have a range of bikes available, including tag-alongs, trailers and child seats. We recommend you book in advance as they often get booked up quickly!
Are you ready to go wild this June?
It’s not too late to get involved in the challenge! Head over to the 30 Days Wild website to find out more and follow #30DaysWild on Twitter for more inspiration.
You can read all about our wild adventures on Facebook, Twitter and our blog. Do come and join us and share your ideas for random acts of wildness in Cornwall and beyond.
