Camelford, otherwise known as The Gateway to the Moors, is a bubbly and thriving town on the North Western edge of Bodmin Moor. It is blessed with fine open moorland walking, but is also the focus points for a number of National Trails and Recreational Paths, such as The Moorland Walk, The Watermill Walk and The Camelford Way.

For this walk I am going to combine two footpaths to make a shorter and surprisingly peaceful (given the location to the road) circular walk. These two paths are the Riverside Walk and The Camelford Way.

We park our car in the public car park on the northern side of the bridge. This car park has three charging rates – the first of which is free parking for the first two hours. Unheard of in Cornwall! Out of the car park, we turn right and head down the road, passing the toilets on our right, crossing over the road, by the Spar shop as we continue along and then begin to head up towards the traffic lights.

As we reach the traffic lights, we find a little alley on our left, and high up see that it is marked `Riverside Walk`. We head down this sloping and inauspicious path until it turns right alongside the river with the river on our left and the backs of the houses on our right. Amazingly, given how busy the road is, we find that already the noise of traffic is hardly noticeable and instead has been replaced by the sound of bubblying, flowing water. We follow this (slightly muddy) path until we reach the first of our footbridges, which transports us to the opposite bank.

Now we have sloping fields on our left (we will return along the top of these) and the gentle river on our right. Again, we continue on downstream until reaching the next footbridge, which we have to go up a small set of steps to reach and which crosses us back to our original side!

As the river narrows, we pass through a kissing gate and see another bridge on our left. This bridge we are going to ignore, as for this walk we are going to continue straight on following the river bank as we are canopied by lovely old trees. Keep your eyes open, as this river is lovely and clean and I saw several Dippers whilst last walking here.

After a further ½ mile we find ourselves arriving at Fenteroon Bridge, which we are going to ascend via the little steps and then cross to the far side (for the last time we cross the River Camel on this walk). Once across the bridge, we head up the road, taking the first branch to the left (towards Treclago Farm) and carry on all the way up to the triangular green by the farmhouses. At this triangular green, head left and then as we reach (just under 100m) a crossroads of dirt tracks we again turn left following this wide path until it reaches the gate at the top of the field. Through the gate and following the right hedge, we now start to descend. As the field opens out and the hedge bears away right, carry straight on down and we come to a rusty old house gate by a stile. Over this selection of exits we then find a little wooden footbridge, which we are again going to cross, before stepping over a slate stile and heading straight up hill (ignoring the path heading left). Numerous signs here, advise us that the land on our right is Private, so please ensure that you stay on the footpath, as we carry yet further on and up until we come to the narrow road.

At the road we are going to turn left and follow this road, with its views to the left out over Camelford and its famous wind vane, as we find ourselves gently heading down until suddenly we are back in Camelford itself, and right opposite the car park where we started.

This is a short and relatively easy, enjoyable walk. Good for dog walkers and animal watchers, and good for little legs (as long as care is taken with the river). It is also ideal if you are in the area on other business but fancy getting a quick walk in.

I hope that you enjoy.