IT is estimated that the town of Padstow on the Camel estuary in North Cornwall welcomes around half-a-million day visitors each year. Tourism is undoubtedly the main industry in the town which is also known for its fishing fleet.

As well as arriving by road, visitors can also reach the town by cycling along the Camel Trail or catching the passenger ferry across the estuary from Rock. The ferry drops off passengers at the harbour when the tide is in and then on Lower beach a short walk from the town when the tide is out.

Boat trips, including speedboat trips, are available from the harbour which is surrounded by shops, eateries and pubs. The town is home to the National Lobster Hatchery, which is involved in conservation work, as well as businesses linked with celebrity chef Rick Stein.

Vessels in the harbour at Padstow in Cornwall. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)
Vessels in the harbour at Padstow in Cornwall. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)

With a rather dark sense of humour, boat trips have been promoted with the slogan, “Pay when you come back – if you don’t come back, you don’t pay!”.

The history of Padstow goes back a long way. In ancient days, it is thought travellers used the natural harbour at Padstow to set off across the Celtic Sea for Ireland. In legend, St Petroc, travelling from Ireland, arrived in around 520AD and established a presence at Padstow. Later monks increased their influence at Padstow, where a monastery was built, as well as along the north coast and elsewhere in the county.

The passenger ferry for Rock leaves the harbour at Padstow in Cornwall. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)
The passenger ferry for Rock leaves the harbour at Padstow in Cornwall. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)

Across the centuries, the harbour, alongside the fishing activity, developed as a trading port, shipping out Cornish goods and importing coal, timber and salt.

Meanwhile, the arrival of the railway in Padstow in 1899 gave a big boost to the tourist trade which had already been established for quite some time.

*Andrew Townsend is a journalist and writer. He further explores the county in the travel book, Cornwall Favourites For One And All!: A Quick Guide To Good Places To Visit Across The County, which is available in print and as an ebook. More details on Andrew’s books and ebooks can be found via this link to his author page on Amazon - https://bit.ly/AndrewTownsendAuthor

Cornwall Favourites For One And All!, a lovely tour around the county, is available as an ebook on Amazon.
Cornwall Favourites For One And All!, an informative and entertaining travel guide, is available as a book and an ebook on Amazon. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)