The
monastery was sacked by Henry VIII’s men during the
reformation of the
monasteries and the
land
passed from
the
Abbot of Bodmin into the
hands of Nicholas Prideaux. This
early Prideaux built Prideaux Place and established the
estate still owned and run by the
Prideaux-Brune family. Prideaux Place
is open to the
public and is a wonderful example of an Elizabethan manor house complete
with its ancient deer park.
In
its heyday Padstow was a bustling port with an important role in
emigration and trade, which was visited by many historical sailors
including Sir John
Hawkins and Sir Martin Frobisher. Sir
Walter Raleigh was the
customs officer here for a time. You
can still see the
buildings he occupied; the
privately owned Court House, Raleigh House and Raleigh Cottage beside the
harbour car park. Another Elizabethan merchant’s house is Abbey House on North Quay.
Local rumours say there is a tunnel from here to Prideaux Place but it has never been found. Although
the
silting up of the
estuary now prevents larger vessels from visiting Padstow, it is still a
popular haven for fishing boats and pleasure craft.
The
railway arrived in Padstow in 1899 bringing with it tourists and trade
links with the
rest of Britain. The Padstow to Waterloo
line was part of “God’s Wonderful Railway” and the
Metropole Hotel was built at this time to accommodate the
influx of tourists including Edward VIII who was a regular visitor to
Padstow in the 1920s & 30s. The old
railway line is now the Camel Trail but the
old platform and buildings can be seen in the
town car park behind the Seafood School and Stein’s fish and chips. The
Town Council now has its offices in the
old station.
