Cornwall, just a few hours down the M5 from Gloucestershire, offers every kind of accommodation. For a change, forsake smart hotels and cosy B&Bs, rediscover camping and make sure to bring your bikes.

A welcoming base for exploring
Cornwall offers many camping gems, with sites such as Fowey’s Penhale Caravan and Camping Park or Court Farm Camping and Caravanning near St Austell. Pick wisely, read the reviews, and enjoy a great base for exploring this ‘county built on tin’.

Court Farm is a welcoming, spacious, beautifully kept campsite off the A30 at St Stephens (they do lovely holiday lets too). After settling in, it’s time for a two-wheeled excursion. If the sea calls, drive to St Austell and follow the Pentewan Trail through woods and meadows to Mevagissey – the poster child of Cornish fishing villages. It’s mostly gentle riding, with opportunities to sidetrack to Pentewan beach or The Lost Gardens of Heligan. Don’t fear the final climb before coasting down to Mevagissey’s quays and hostelries.

Fish and chips on the quay?
If you’ve worked up an appetite, Mevagissey won’t disappoint. Dine at one of its restaurants (try Salamander on Tregoney Hill) or ocean-fresh fish and chips from harbourside Fisherman’s Chippy – just watch out for greedy seagulls!

Whether cycling or driving, the Lost Gardens are consistently among Cornwall’s top attractions. Rain or shine, for exquisite gardens, go-karting, the Eden Project’s geodesic biome domes, beaches or moorland walks, St Stephens is ideally located for both Cornish coasts.

A coast-to-coast adventure
For a coast-to-coast adventure, the 14-mile Mineral Tramway Trail from Devoran (between Truro and Falmouth) to Portreath makes a great day out. Saddle up, peddle under the impressive Carnon Viaduct and explore a rich concentration of mining archaeology as you cross Cornwall to Portreath’s sandy beach, ice cream and delicious pasties. The trail isn’t as difficult as you’d imagine either. You'll find several pubs on the way – try the Plume of Feathers or The Fox and Hounds (where the trail crosses the A30 at Scorrier), Portreath’s Waterfront Inn or The Old Quay Inn at Devoran.

You either love camping and cycling or you don’t! If you do, a good central campsite, sturdy mountain bikes or hybrids and a sense of adventure are the perfect mix for a few days’ Cornish exploration.