Year 5 Coast to Coast Cycle

What an adventure 5SL had on the Bissoe Trail, cycling from Portreath on the North Coast to Devoran on the South Coast of Cornwall.

The route begins in Portreath, which once served as the main port for the Redruth and Camborne mining districts in the 18th and 19th centuries, shipping thousands of tonnes of copper ore to Wales. The children cycled along the route of the mineral tramway, built in 1809 to replace packhorses.

There is plenty of evidence of the area’s rich mining heritage, from the stone boulders along the tramway to the numerous engine houses that dot the landscape.

Further along this legendary ride, the children cycled through Unity Woods at Scorrier, which is currently filled with a sea of bluebells. This whole area was heavily mined for copper until 1843, and later for tin until the 1920s.

Beyond this point, the landscape transforms into something extraordinary. Poldice Valley, or ‘Mars’ as the locals call it, is a dramatic setting that once produced a massive proportion of the world’s copper and tin, and was described as ‘the richest square mile anywhere on Earth.’

The off-road trails through this part of the route are an absolute highlight, providing endless opportunities to take in its mining past. The children loved seeing the striped, colourful soil, engine houses, and bright orange water.

It is somewhat of a shock to cycle through this landscape, still strongly rooted in its past, and then rejoin the 21st century at Bissoe. In the past, Bissoe was an important point on the Redruth and Chacewater Railway, which transported ore to the busy port of Devoran.

The children had previously learned about the damaging environmental impact of mining at King Edward Mine and from Ben Clitherow (Cornish Metals), so it was important for them to see a landscape regeneration project, the Bissoe Valley Nature Reserve, for themselves. As we cycled through it, we saw moorhens, giant lily pads, and butterflies.

In the final section of this wonderful ride, the children were curious to hear about the gold that had previously been found in the Carnon Valley near Devoran. Did you know that a remarkable 56g nugget was discovered in this area?

Reaching Devoran Quay was an exciting moment; many of our cyclists had no previous experience of longer day rides, and we are very proud of their achievements.

We would like to offer our sincere thanks to the Vicar and Churchwarden of St Mary’s Church, Portreath, who kindly gave us permission to drop off our bikes in their car park at the start of the ride. Additional thanks go to St Piran Café, Bissoe, who went above and beyond by allowing us to park our Luton van, enjoy our packed lunches at the café, and even help top up empty water bottles.

Thanks to Mrs Luxton for the report and all of the staff who helped around the day to support the children, transport and repair bikes and share their local knowledge with our pupils to make this such a memorable trip for all.