Wadebridge (Cornish: Ponsrys) is often referred to as a market town, however it never holds markets. The town is located on the Camel Estuary, some 5 miles (8 km) upstream from Padstow.
For many years Wadebridge was a traffic congested town but in 1991 the Wadebridge bypass was opened together with the Egloshayle bypass causing the two settlements to regain much of their former charm.
The main shopping street in Wadebridge (Molesworth Street) has subsequently become pedestrianized through an inner link road, allowing traffic free shopping.
History
The initial settlement of Wade (The name of Wadebridge before the bridge was built) came about due to a crossing place in the river camel (cam, meaning crooked and hayle meaning estuary in the Cornish language). 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. In 1312 a license was granted for Wade to commence with a market. The local Reverend Thomas Lovibond (the vicar of Egloshayle) started to become distressed at the number of humans and animals that had 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.A serious outbreak of Typhoid in 1897 caused by contamination of drinking water lead to Wadebridge having its own town council as decisive action had to be taken for proper water supplies and disposal of sewage effluent.
History of the railway
A railway from Wadebridge to Wenfordbridge with a branch line to Bodmin was built at a cost of 35,000 pounds following a study commissioned in 1831 by a local landowner and revolutionary parliamentarian Sir William Molesworth of Pencarrow. The line was intended to carry sand from the Camel estuary to inland farms for use as fertiliser. The line was opened on 30 September 1834 with the locomotive Camel pulling 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 that the first engine had been named after the river and not an animal! The last passenger train to leave Wadebridge left in 1967 following railway cut backs. The railway was transformed into what is known as the Camel trail.
The Royal Cornwall Agricultural Show
The Show began in 1793 at Bodmin and then every year in East and West Cornwall alternately. In 1960 the show came to its present site on the edge of Wadebridge where it has stayed. The showground itself is used for many different functions from Scout Jamborees to point to point horse racing.
