Trenance gardens and boating lake

Last updated: 22/08/2012 Add to My Bookmarks Subscribe

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The level path around the lake and palm tree

A predominantly level path taking in Trenance boating lake and gardens in Newquay.

See below for detailed route description and map.

Distance: 2km
Terrain: Easy.
Fitness level: Suitable for someone of poor fitness. Predominantly off-road (you just need to cross the road in two places)
Time: Approximately one hour.
Start/Finish: Car park in the leisure centre complex. (grid ref: SW181 613).
Nearest Town: Newquay
Parking: Car park in the leisure centre complex (grid ref: SW181 613). There are other car parks which are accessible signed from this point or on the road beside the boating lake.
Refreshments: There is the Lakeside Café beside the boating lake or there is a kiosk selling drinks and ice creams etc in the car park.
Toilets: There are public toilets in the boating lake area just after the rose garden. There is not a separate disabled one. A disabled toilet is available in the Lakeside Café, but you will have to purchase something!
Stiles/steps/gates: None.
Wheelchair friendly?: Yes.
Ordnance Survey Map No/s (1:25,000): OS Explorer 104

Map showing the route of the path around Trenance boating lake and gardens

Detailed Route Description

Start in the car park next to the kiosk. It is signed from the road as the Waterworld complex. Around the car park area there is a play area for children and the new Heron Tennis Centre (photo 1). You can walk around this area, the path is flat and the surface is sealed.

To get to the gardens, you will need to cross the road opposite the kiosk. This will take you on a short walk under the viaduct and means that you can avoid the busy road. There is a metal gate chicance which will be a tight space for some to use, but you can unbolt the gates and move them back if necessary. There are other chicanes along this walk which may present a problem for the larger wheelchair or motorised scooter. Cross over at the traffic lights (photo 2) and you will enter the gardens. There is an information board as you enter (photo 3).

The whole of the bottom area of the gardens is completely accessible – the surface is sealed and flat, with some bumps in places due to tree roots (photo 4). At the moment the gardens are being landscaped so there are not many flowers to see, however, this should be different by the summer (photo 5). As you walk around the gardens, you will come across Trenance Cottages (photo 6). These were built on the site of an old malt house and date from the 18th century and were designed and landscaped in 1906.

This was a response to the boom in visitors brought to the resort by the Great Western Railway entering Newquay over the viaduct of the valley.

Go past the cottages through the alley and cross over the road at the zebra crossing. This will take you into the boating lake area. You have a choice of whether to go through the rose garden (photo 7), or follow the surfaced path. The rose garden is on your right. Both paths will take you around the boating lake. There are public toilets in this area.

The path continues to be surfaced and level and should be suitable for most people (photo 8). All the bridges across the river are also accessible. There is usually a lot of birdlife on the lake, so make sure you take time to have a look.

There are lots of benches along this route so take time to admire the view. Return to the car park the same way.