Cycling UK has launched a brand new 150 mile cycling route through West Cornwall - around the same time as The Tour of Britain.

Launched on the 3rd September, developed by charity Cycling UK, the West Kernow Way ("West Kernow" is Cornish for "West Cornwall") is a largely off-road 150-mile (230km) loop route starting in Penzance.

It winds its way west through the Cornish landscape to become a figure of eight, using quiet roads, bridleways, byways and lost ways.

It takes in rugged coastlines, old miners' tracks and sites such as the World Heritage Site of the Tin Coast including the Botallack tin mines, the Bronze Age monument Mên-an-Tol, Land's End, St Michael's Mount and Lizard Point and is estimated to take three to four days to complete.

Sophie Gordon, Cycling UK's campaigns officer behind the creation of the West Kernow Way said:

"The West Kernow Way is an adventure cycling route, that takes you to the famous familiar sites along unfamiliar but fantastic trails.

"Travelling through lost lanes and forgotten ways, you get to experience Cornwall's rugged beauty, its history and culture - and of course, of great importance to any cyclists: the hearty Cornish cuisine."

The charity has worked for over a year developing and consulting on the route, including site surveying and recceing the route to bring about the right balance between adventure and challenge.

The route's development has been made more difficult, as the cycling charity has had to delve into the archives and unearth old maps as it hunted for lost ways which take cyclists away from busy roads.

Some of the lost ways the West Kernow Way reclaims are along the Tinners Way on the Penwith Peninsula. This ancient 18-mile trail running from St Ives to Cape Cornwall has its origins in the Bronze Age, but more recently was an important highway used by horse and cart to transport valuable ore during Cornwall's mining boom of the 18th and 19th century.

Despite its historic use and suitability for riding along, parts of it are not currently recorded as bridleways which cyclists and horse riders can use.

For this and several other sections along the West Kernow Way, Cycling UK has submitted applications to Cornwall Council for Definitive Map Modification Orders to correct these anomalies from when the rights of way maps were originally drawn up, and ensure the routes are protected for future use by the public.

"Collating the necessary evidence to upgrade omissions made back in the fifties has required sifting through old journals and maps decades - if not centuries old," said Sophie Gordon.

"It's definitely been an interesting insight into Cornwall's past, but also shows how difficult and complex it is to upgrade rights of way in England. It's no wonder under-resourced councils across the UK are only correctly recording historic rights at a rate of less than one route a year and is a clear justification for why the Government needs to simplify this process."

In a bid to limit the risk of infection in the region, the charity has deliberately waited until after the summer holidays to launch the West Kernow Way. In doing so, Cycling UK also aims to encourage tourism in Cornwall when it is less busy as part of its role in the European Regional Development Fund, funded EXPERIENCE pilot project.

The West Kernow Way is the fourth long distance off-road cycling route Cycling UK has launched since its riders' route for the North Downs Way was unveiled in 2018.

Further information, including route files, online guidebook and background are available on Cycling UK's website.