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Holiday Cottages Cornwall
Padstow
Narrow streets and alleyways with slate hung and pastel colour wash buildings make Padstow a delightful fishing village, well worth a visit. A working harbour village but with the active fishing boats mostly on the harbour area on the outskirts of the village. Facing the sea there is a large harbour side car park on the furthest right hand side, with a second smaller harbour side car park as you proceed nearer the main village. Park in the furthest car park where there is more room to turn the car and park & with more available parking spaces. By this car park is the National Lobster Hatchery on the waterfront. For a modest charge you can enter the hatchery and see the hatching tanks, a display of live lobsters and an interactive lobster education room. Also here you will find a large fresh fish and sea food market. At the other side of the harbour is the Tourist Information Office. The touristy gift shops have been mostly replaced by interesting and individual shops selling an array of goods no longer found amongst chain store dominated city centre shops, at prices from the modest to expensive; restaurants and cafes. Any remaining gift shops have gone somewhat upmarket with more interesting ware-reflecting Padstow's attraction as a more upmarket destination. Padstow is associated with the T.V. chef Rick Stein who has a seafood restaurant in the village. Those who did not book well in advance for a seat in his restaurant can instead visit Rick Stein's cafe! A pedestrian ferry, leaving from the harbour, crosses the estuary to Rock and back and operates most of the year. In Fentonluna lane are the Tropical Bird and Butterfly Gardens (Bird Parks) where there are 2 acres of garden, a tropical house, and of course colourful birds and butterflies. At the top of the hill is the large St Petroc church, interesting old carvings including one showing a fox preaching to geese. May Day is the big day of the year with the colourful Padstow Hobby Horse Festival, a large event - possibly the oldest dance festival in the country.
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| Padstow harbour | Padstow harbour | Padstow harbour |
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| Rock/Padstow Ferry arriving in Padstow | The Lobster Pot restaurant | The Famous Little Store |
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| Rick Stein's Cafe | The National Lobster Hatchery | National Lobster Hatchery tank |
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| National Lobster Hatchery | National Lobster Hatchery (interactive info on lobsters) | Padstow Bicycle Hire |
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| Legend Leatherwork | The Padstow Mussel Company | Padstow harbour |
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| Tourist office | View across the estuary to Rock | The Harbour Inn |