Padstow

Found by total chance as part of an impromptu Cornwall/Devon roadtrip, I have to say Padstow is really quite lovely! Friends had recommended it in the past but it was always just a little too far out of the way from what I was doing. I’m so glad I got the chance to visit; but more than that, to stay over and experience what it’s like when the day visitors have left. We stayed on a Sunday evening and it felt SO good to wake up where we did.

Padstow is positioned to the North of Cornwall and this natural harbour town and fishing port really found it’s prosperity through it’s links to coastal trading with Ireland and Wales. With it’s beginnings in Medieval times, the buildings you see today still hold so much character; it’s easy to spot the Elizabethan era throughout the town. It is nestled in a fairly deep valley which helps protect it from winds from Atlantic and the views are just gorgeous. The introduction of the North Cornwall Railway really opened tourism for Padstow and to this day, it continues to thrive. Parking is fairly hard to get in the town when it’s busy but there’s a reasonable amount of car parks; keep in mind my fact that on average you only have to wait 5 minutes for a car parking space and you should be ok. We parked in the railway car park as it was a little further out and obviously most people will head to the closest one. It’ll be a nice stretch of the legs after the lovely food you’ll eat here! There are trains too, so if you are coming in that way, plan ahead with timings and enjoy the journey.

So here are my recommendations:

Walkers

If you are a Poldark fan, or even if you aren’t, you’ll appreciate the circular walk that incorporates the filming location in Park Head. There are several circular coastal walks you can take; like I mentioned before, this is in a valley, so when you go uphill and look over the hills and sea views, it’s really something. We decided on our evening after dinner, as it was a beautifully warm evening, to go for a stroll. We ended up walking through lots of streets of pastel coloured houses, with views peeking from between some and found ourselves up on a stretch of the South West Coastal path, which we turned left off of to loop back round to the town. It was just perfect and took us an unplanned hour. It’s also an ideal place to hire a bike and go for a cycle.

I’d love to go back and try:
The Camel trail which follows the former North Cornwall Railway line

Shoppers

There are quite a few streets to wander up and down that have some really lovely shops. Although we weren’t here long enough to really look at many of them, as we were enjoying the sunshine and atmosphere, I loved the variety of what’s on offer. Boutique and some branded names, brings familiarity and new again. It really does have that seaside feel-good factor here. I did stop in Quba & Co, which had some really lovely nautical items and bought a dress that I am still loving a year on. I would be in there a lot more if I lived locally! We also popped into Stein’s Gift Shop (which is also a deli and is next to Rick Stein’s fish and chips shop), which had some great kitchenware and books. And we stopped by Whistlefish, a very sweet art gallery and shop which had some great prints. There are just so many places you could stop at; I’m kicking myself for not spending longer here now!

Drinkers

As with many coastal towns, restaurants, cafe and pubs are everywhere. There were so many we would have liked to call into but again, with time not on our side and wanting to keep things relatively relaxed, we spent time in the Old Custom House, which was lovely and had a friendly vibe to it. Pubs are dotted all around the harbour. The Harbour Inn was a nice place to stop as was Shipwrights for that outside-table-spot. Of course these were just scratching the surface, before you start venturing further back off of the main stretch; which I would always encourage you to do!

On my list:
BinTwo

Cafe’s / Restaurants

It’s fair to say Rick Stein has cornered Padstow significantly with a cookery school, deli, gift shop, fish & chip shop, a bistro and signature seafood restaurant. I’ve been lucky enough to visit a Rick Stein restaurant a couple of times in Marlborough and I have to say, based on those experiences, it really was amazing food. However, it’s not your only option and it’s great to have choices! We stopped for a light bite and a drink at Pucelli’s, which arguably has the best elevated view of the harbour. We weren’t lucky enough to get a window seat but our view was still fantastic. We also had a breakfast from Ben’s Crib Box cafe, close to the railway, which was so so good. Great coffee too. There is a real competition for your tastebud’s affections in Padstow, you really have a lot of choice. We also stopped at …well how could you pass it and not … Roskilly’s Ice Cream. VERY NICE!

On my list:
Padstow Tasting Room on Broad Street
St Petrocs Bistro
Cherry Trees Coffee House
Paul Ainsworth at No 6

Hotels

We got the very last room in the only hotel left in our budget when we arrived to Padstow (which was lucky) at the Old Custom House. Such a fab find, well positioned and the room we had was incredible, Imagine these views first thing! Now you can see why I mentioned at the start that it was just the loveliest to wake up to on a Monday.

I’d happily stay there again and even in that room, but try to book early as it’s a little pricey (worth it though). There are also quite a few, as you’d expect, holiday lets and I think it would be so amazing to base yourself there for a long weekend and explore.

I’ve got my eye on:
Coswarth bed and breakfast
Harbour Hotel

Sightseeing

There is plenty to check out and I’ll start with some of the things we did. Obviously the harbour is an obvious start, along taking in the views from the coastal path. We took the ferry across to Rock, which runs every 20mins and take about 10 mins to get to the other side. Rock is a little fishing village; we just stopped on the beach and enjoyed the sun and views of Padstow from that side for about an hour. It’s interesting to note that

Things I’d like to explore next time:
You may have spotted a graffiti wall of a lobster further up; there is the National Lobster Hatchery here where you can go into the visitor centre, or adopt a lobster and track it (you can also do this bit online). It looked so interesting, it was a pity we had to leave!

If you are by the harbour anyway, take a moment to stop and look at the Abbey House on North Quay Harbour. You can find out more in the museum, about this striking house and the fascinating tale of Annie Simpson who lived there.
St George’s Cove, just around the corner looks lovely
Padstow Brewing Company which sells award-winning craft beers
Padstow museum, small but perfectly formed providing information about the history of Padstow
Prideaux Place to explore the Elizabethan house and garden
Padstow Sealife Safari – wildlife watching boat trips – I bet this would be just amazing

Would I go back?

I would; I really rate this place if you are looking for a calmer St Ives; with no beach as such to draw the same kind of crowd that you may get there, there’s an easy 10min walk to get to one and just a great getaway in general for families or couples. I feel like I understand why people return here now, it has that easy-going feel that many Cornwall towns provide, welcoming you in warmly. It was a bit of a whistlestop tour and I think an easy weekend would cover it.