Early history The initial settlement of Wade (the name of Wadebridge before the bridge was built) came about due to a ford in the River Camel (Camel probably meaning "crooked one"). The early crossing had a chapel on each side of the river, "King's" chapel on the north side and "St Michael's" on the south side. People would pray for a safe crossing at one of the chapels before wading across at low tide, once they had made it the other side they would give thanks to God in the other chapel. In 1312, a licence was granted for a market at Wade by
Edward II who also granted two fairs annually; on the feast of
Saint Vitalis and at
Michaelmas. Wade was part of the parish of St Breock and the river separated it from the neighbouring parish of Egloshayle. At some time the ford was supplemented by a ferry until the Reverend Thomas Lovibond (the vicar of
Egloshayle) became distressed at the number of humans and animals that died during the crossing of the River Camel so he planned the building of a bridge which was completed in 1468. Wade then became known as Wadebridge. When
John Leland travelled through Cornwall in the early 16th century he wrote that the piers were resting on packs of wool. Begun in 1468 and completed in 1485, the bridge was traditionally known as the "Bridge on Wool" because it was reputedly built on wool sacks. In fact, however, it has been proven to be founded directly on the underlying bedrock. The bridge was a strategic position in the
English Civil War as in 1646
Oliver Cromwell came with 500
Dragoons and 1,000 horsemen to take the bridge. When the bridge was first completed tolls were charged for its maintenance. In 1853, it was widened from . A second widening took place in 1952 was built at a cost of £35,000 following a study commissioned in 1831 by local landowner
Sir William Molesworth of
Pencarrow. The line was intended to carry sand from the
Camel Estuary to inland farms for use as
fertiliser. It was opened on 30 September 1834 with the locomotive
Camel pulling a train load of 400 passengers (one of the first railways in Britain to carry passengers). When the company ordered its second locomotive it came with a name plate already affixed. It had been named the
Elephant as the makers had failed to realise that the first engine had been named after the river and not an animal. The last passenger train left
Wadebridge railway station in 1967 following railway cutbacks. The old railway trackbed is now the
Camel Trail, and the
Bodmin and Wenford Railway heritage railway runs on part of the route.
Quays Wadebridge was the highest navigable town on the
River Camel providing the main trade route before the building of the railway, and coasters would bring goods from
Bristol and coal from
South Wales. Timber was also imported from the
Baltic, while stone from inland was sent to destination throughout England. The first locomotives used on the railway were also imported through the quay, being manufactured by Neath Abbey Ironworks, In 1843 apart from the dock for the barges bringing sand for onward movement there was another dock capable of holding five vessels and construction of a breakwater was considered, while in 1880 there were quays on both sides of the river below the bridge with that on the west bank being served by the railway although the "sand dock" had been filled in by 1895.
World War II Despite the rural nature of the area and the lack of military installations, during
World War II there was a single recorded
air raid when three bombs were dropped on the hill above Fernleigh Road. Residents report hearing the bombs whistling as they fell and landed in a field above the nearest houses. There were no casualties and only minor damage. ==Geography==