Locals have shared their frustration as tourists cause endless queues on country roads. Thousands of visitors flock to Cornwall every summer to enjoy the county’s beaches and countryside, but they tend to clog up the narrow rural lanes.
Describing it as a “traffic nightmare,” one woman said the problem arises every year and is being made worse by the number of larger vehicles which can get stuck or block the narrow roads. She said she was stuck in the “chaos” at Porthcurno for 40 minutes on Thursday. She added: “The issue is made worse by the growing number of larger vehicles heading to the beach or the Minack Theatre, with many drivers refusing to give way, causing complete gridlock.” She went on to say: “The increasing popularity of the coast and the Minack Theatre has put unsustainable pressure on this single-track farm road and the steep Porthcurno hill to the Minack!
“Today was utter mayhem—drivers were forced to get out of their cars just to try to free up the jam, which took ages.”
It comes after one tourist took to social media to moan about the single-lane roads surrounded by tall hedges that cross the county, CornwallLive reports. Ella Camm, who recently visited Cornwall, got quite a shock when she left the motorways and wide lanes of the cities.
The tourist shared part of her journey by uploading a short video on TikTok. The video added a screaming voice effect in the background and on-screen text stating: “Go to Cornwall, they said. It will be fun, they said.”
The clip shows her viewpoint whilst sitting in a car travelling through the narrow, winding country lanes surrounded by hedgerows, passing other cars and a tractor on a wet day.
This could catch unprepared tourists off guard and might prove daunting for more anxious drivers – especially those not used to the region.
Locals, however, very quickly get used to the driving conditions. One person shared, ” I love Cornwall. I’ve never had a problem with the roads. Just drive to the conditions and be prepared to have to reverse from time to time. It’s no big deal.”