A taste of Cornwall… and Devon, Day 3

Our last full day in Padstow before we move on tomorrow to Devon.

We decided to explore Padstow and find out what it had to offer, as we had not had much opportunity to see the town yesterday or on Friday when we arrived. The town is quaint and picturesque with the harbour, the river Camel and the houses set up the hill along narrow streets.

The town has an eclectic mixture of small shops including a deli, fish and chip shop and gift shop owned by Rick Stein and with his other businesses, the Cookery School, Seafood Restaurant, St Petroc’ Hotel and Bistro, St Edmunds House, Prospect House, Bryan Cottage, The Cafe, Fisheries and Seafood Bar, he seems to own a lot of Padstow and with that providing many jobs for the local community.

As we are in the home of the Cornish Pasty it was interesting to see three shops next door to each other selling pasties all under slightly different branding.

After walking around the town, and incidentally running into an old work colleague, we went to Prideaux Place which is an historic house only a 10 minute walk from St Edmunds House.

The house had been lived in by the Prideaux-Brune family for over 425 years with the current owner Peter, taking ownership in 1988. As is the case with many historic houses that have been continuously inhabited by the same family, there was an interesting collection of furniture, pictures and documents in its 81 rooms.

The Prideaux-Brune family were (as was the case for Cornwall in general) on the side of the Commonwealth and Oliver Cromwell in the English Civil War, so when Charles II was reinstated to the throne, the family had to marry a daughter to William Morice, Secretary of State to Charles II to be able to secure a Royal Pardon and keep their house and lands. A copy of the Royal Pardon was on show with the original being held in safe keeping.

The house has been modified over the years by different generations and now combines its traditional Elizabethan architecture with the 18th century exuberance of Strawberry Hill gothic.

In 1931 when Aston Martin was in financial difficulties, Lance Prideaux-Brune invested in the company and in effect saved the brand as he liked the cars. He also became a board member and held the London concession to sell the cars. His interest was rallying and he commissioned a one off drop coupe to compete in the RAC rally. He also bankrolled Aston’s three car entry in the 1932 Le Mans race so the family has a long held association with cars and racing which is probably why they have classic car events at the house.

Unfortunately, no photos were allowed inside to protect the owners’ privacy and possessions, but if you are in Padstow, it is definitely worth a visit and it has a good tearoom with light snacks and cakes. They also have 40 acres of landscaped grounds with a deer park.

We are dining again at the Seafood Restaurant tonight before visiting the National Lobster Hatchery tomorrow morning before we leave for the Fisherman’s Nook Cottage in Yelverton, Devon for four days.