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Wadebridge

Image courtesy of Russell Abrahams

In Brief

Name: WADEBRIDGE
Classification: Town
Twinned with: Langueux in Brittany, France
Population: 7,900 in 2011
Notable former residents: Wham! star Andrew Ridgeley and Bananarama star Keren Woodward used to live together in a 15th century farmhouse near St Breock on the edge of Wadebridge. England rugby union international Olly Barkley and British weightlifting champ Michaela Breeze also grew up in the town
Films shot in town: Some scenes from the partly animated  ‘Wind in the Willows’ (1995) were filmed near the town, plus nearby Pencarrow House has been a location for films like ‘A Congregation of Ghosts’ (2009) and ‘Fisherman’s Friends’ (2019), plus TV show ‘Doc Martin’
Interesting factoid: Since 1960 (COVID-19 notwithstanding), Wadebridge has played host to the annual summer Royal Cornwall Show. Members of the royal family attend to watch events like sheepdog trials, livestock judging, falconry and even Cornish wrestling

BRIDGE OVER SMOOTH WATERS: WADEBRIDGE

Legend has it that Wadebridge’s original name, Wade, came about because it was the site of a couple of chapels either side of the River Camel that still flows through town. Apparently, anyone who ‘waded’ through the river gave prayers in both chapels asking first for safety and then to say thanks for surviving the experience. Wade was first mentioned in records in 1382 but it later became Wadebridge after a Reverend Lovibond built its Old Bridge with 17 massive arches in the 1460s. And there’s your history lesson, so now it’s time for you to discover the wealth of pubs, restaurants, museums, attractions, shops, hotels, pretty streets and long walks like the famous Camel Trail in and around wonderful Wadebridge. Give thanks for that on both sides of the river!