Has anybody on here taken trucks around St Ives in cornwall? Anyone that has been there should know that the town is a maze of narrow streets and even the main street through the edge of the town leading to carbis bay (Gabriel st / Tregenna hill) can be fun if you meet any traffic coming the other way!
Just wondering if anybody has any stories of being on the narrow roads down there, and also whats the largest size lorry you can get down into the main high street and back out again following the narrow one way system in place there?
When I visit St Ives im usually in a rigid 13.5 tonner or 18 tonner. I arrive in the town from the penbeagle ind. est. side and I park in the loading bay outside the cinema in Chapel st / gabriel street and load my sack trucks up, and take a walk down tregenna place and into high street where my drop is. if i have to deliver to the police station i just have to cross the road where the loading bay is and up the hill into dove street.
After the delivery I then drive straight on and turn right up into the narrow bit of tregenna hill and up to the terrace where the bus station is and im on my way. Not too many problems getting through this part but extensive use of the pavement is required if a string of holiday makers start coming the other way!
As long as the cars make way and co- operate with you instead of panicking and freezing and waiting for me to go through a 4 foot wide gap, its possible to get through without bringing the town to a standstill. Some drivers turn round in the bus bay where the loading bay is to avoid the narrow part, but this isnt always possible due to parked cars, buses, other lorries unloading etc…
Now im waiting for the day when i arrive in st ives as usual but the loading bay is already occupied and i need to do my drop in the high street. with very limited parking around me I either have the choice of driving straight through and turning right at the narrow bit (tregenna hill) and drive on until i can find somewhere suitable to turn round and come back hoping the loading bay is now clear. (great fun and very time consuming when the town is clogged up with tourists in the summer!)
Or do i go for the other option of turning left at the narrows after the loading bay into tregenna place, and into the one way system of high street, quickly stop and jump out to do my drop, then carry on the one way system into lifeboat hill, wharf road etc. hoping that the lorry will go all the way round the town and i dont get stuck! I think i can rule out the 18 tonner for this option, but am curious as to whether ill get a 13.5 tonner around. . I know lorries go down there (seen a dustcart go down without too much trouble, also a small lorry (may have been long wheelbase 7.5T or small HGV, was too far away to see).
Anybody got any experience of these narrow streets would be much appreciated!