Padstow
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- For the Sydney suburb, see Padstow, New South Wales.
Padstow_1.jpg
Padstow (Cornish: Lannwedhenek) is a small town on the north coast of Cornwall, England, approximately 14 miles east of Newquay, at the mouth of the River Camel. Traditionally centred around the fishing industry, it is now a popular tourist destination, although some of its former fishing fleet remains. At the Census 2001 the parish had a population of 3,162 Template:Ref.
It was originally named Petroc-stow, after the Welsh missionary St. Petroc, who landed at nearby Trebetherick in AD 500. More recently, the village has been nicknamed by some as Padstein on account of the almost ubiquitous presence of the celebrity television chef Rick Stein who has a number of restaurants and hotels in the village, the most famous of which is the Seafood Restaurant on the quayside.
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Transport
In 1899, an extension to the Bodmin-Wadebridge railway connected Padstow, but the service closed in 1967. The old railway line is now The Camel Trail, a popular footpath and cycle path due to its picturesque riverside route. A ferry runs between Padstow and Rock on the opposite side of the River Camel.
Obby Oss Festival
Best Known for the "Obby Oss" festival whose origins are lost in antiquity. The festival starts at midnight on May Eve, when towns people sing the morning song. In the morning, the town is dressed with greenery and flowers are placed around the maypole. The climax arrives when male dancers cavort through the town dressed in a black frame-hung cape and gruesome mask lead by the "Teasers". He then tries to catch young maidens under his cape. Finally at midnight on May Day the crowd sings its death until its resurrection the following May Eve.
External links
- Map sources: Template:Coor dm NW
- [1] (http://www.dmeagor.freeserve.co.uk/padstow.htm)
References
- Template:Note Cornwall County Council & ONS, 2001. Parish population for North Cornwall district (http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/Facts/fact100d.htm).kw:Lannwedhenek