A Walk through Wadebridge in Cornwall, Wadebridge, England (B)

Wadebridge has placed in almost every best places to live guide since 2018 and in 2023 it was listed as one of the ten most expensive seaside towns in Britain. Why does this Cornish town attract these accolades?

Three factors brought prosperity to Wadebridge. The wool trade, the construction of the seventeen arch stone bridge and the railway. Following the closure of the railway in 1967 further development was slow and unlike other popular tourist destinations in Cornwall this medieval port retained its old buildings and its character. Today Wadebridge is one of the few Cornish towns with a butcher, greengrocer, fishmonger and bakery. And, every Thursday morning, traders sell local produce and crafts at the Wadebridge Country Market in the town hall.

Wadebridge was created when two parishes on either side of the River Camel estuary, St Breock and Egloshayle, were linked by the Seventeen Arch Bridge

During the 1460s John Lovibond, then vicar of Egloshayle, was responsible for the construction of a stone bridge across the Camel River. Legend has it that the bridge was built on sacks of wool to support the foundations in the muddy river bed. But it is more likely it was funded by the medieval wealth of the town due to the wool trade. Originally this bridge did have seventeen arches but since then the river banks have been extended and only 13 arches can be distinguished. Wade became Wadebridge, it became a market town and ships sailing up the estuary would stop here and transfer their cargo to barges or horse-drawn carts. The bridge was widened in 1852 and again in1962 to cope with the increasing traffic. This old bridge is the longest bridge in Cornwall and is recognised as being one of the finest examples of a medieval bridge in Britain. For many years it carried a busy main road until the town was bypassed in 1991. The townsfolk were left in peace to enjoy the town’s pretty setting on the banks of the River Camel. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).