The Clay Trails of Cornwall

Surrounding the Cornish town of St Austell and its neighbouring villages is a landscape well known for its clay tips and pits, created by the 250 year old clay mining industry. This striking and dramatic scenery, visible from distances of many miles, has been made more accessible by the development of trails for walking, cycling and horse riding. Cornwall's miles of scenic clay trails were first opened in March 2005 and new trails have continued to be made available, enabling visitors to enjoy this unique area of Cornwall. Discover these quiet pathways and enjoy the beauty and sense of peace they offer.

The surface of the trails are mainly gravel, easy for walking and cycling and most are suitable for horse riding. Trails and pathways can also be used by electric 'mobility' scooters, making beautiful areas of Cornwall previously inaccessible, available to a wider group of outdoor enthusiasts. If you are using a mobility scooter you will need to have someone with you in some areas, as there are some heavy gates to open on parts of the trails. Most trails are suitable for mobility scooters. Trails have been organised into four main routes which cover a variety of terrain. In addition this site includes the Pentewan Trail, the old railway route down which clay was transported to the quay at Pentewan. Find out more detail about each trail route in the pages linked to this site. The St Austell Trail is the link trail from St Austell town. It runs alongside Bodmin Road, and is the shortest trail, connecting with both the Wheal Martyn trail to Eden and the Wheal Martyn China Clay Country Park. This is an accessible route for people of all ages to enjoy. The START/END of the St Austell Trail is in TREMENA GARDENS, ST AUSTELL. Volunteers have been helping to maintain the trails by cutting back vegetation and clearing pathways. This work is carried out as part of the volunteer scheme, Mobilise, set up by the Central Cornwall Primary Care Trust. Many people have willingly worked at weekends to help develop and maintain the clay trails which are a valuable asset to the area. For more information on volunteering see Events

Comments Do you have any comments or suggestions regarding the clay trails or this site? It would be interesting to hear from you. Your feedback may be posted on this site. Please send to: claytrails@chez-jones.demon.co.uk