Padstow

Padstow boasts a rich history spanning nearly 5,000 years. Here, its legacy is compiled through the centuries, from the legend of St Petroc’s arrival on the north Cornish coast to build his famed monastery, through the expansion of Padstow’s port during the medieval period and the rise of the shipbuilding industry in the early nineteenth century, to the arrival of the railway in 1899, which marked the beginning of a thriving tourism industry in Padstow.Today, modern Padstow remains a working fishing port, and the spectacular views of the Camel Estuary, the attractive harbour, narrow winding lanes, old cottages and the beautiful ancient church add to its charm. Padstonians are a close-knit community, some families having lived there for generations, who work to keep Padstow’s traditions alive for many years into the future. Padstow: The History of a Cornish Town collates this long history, preserving the tale of a fascinating, resilient town.

CATHERINE LORIGAN has a BA (Hons) in Medieval and Modern History, an MSt in English Local History, a PhD in Cornish Studies, an MA in Music and a Diploma in Vernacular Architecture with distinction, Oxford University. She was awarded the overall Holyer an Gof award by the Cornish Gorsedd for her book, Delabole, in 2008. She was awarded the Henwood Medal by the Royal Institution of Cornwall, Truro, for the best article in their Journal, 2000-2002, ‘Thomas Rowlandson and the Delabole Slate Quarry.’ Her previous book for The History Press, Boconnoc: The History of a Cornish Estate, was published in 2017.