Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for PADSTOW

PADSTOW, a town, a parish, and a sub-district, in St. Columb district, Cornwall. The town stands on the Sside of the Camel's estuary, 1¾ mile from the sea, 12 N Wby W of Bodmin, and 15 N W by W of Bodmin-Road r. station; dates from very ancient times; was known to the Cornish as Lodenek; took the name of Petrocstowefrom the Saxons, in honour of St. Petroc, a Culdee missionary from Ireland who made it his head-quarters; took afterwards the name of Athelstowe or Aldestowe, in honour of Athelstane, after his conquest of Cornwall: was re-named Padstow, by corruption of Petrocstowe, in the latter part of the 16th century; had a religions house, founded by St. Petroc in 560, and burnt by the Danes in 981; sent two war-ships to the siege of Calais in 1344; declined from its ancient importance, in consequence of the partial choking of its harbour, in the time of Henry VIII.; underwent much revival about the middle of lastcentury; is nominally governed by a port reeve and other officers, under a charter of Elizabeth; presents an appearance agreeable enough at a distance, but much less so when entered; is a head port, with a harbour affording the only place of shelter on the N coast of Cornwall; and has a head post-office, ‡ designated Padstow, Cornwall, two chief inns, a custom-house, a coast-guard station, a church, three dissenting chapels, and an endowed school with £10 a year. The church is ancient and good; was built by Prior Vivian; and contains a slatey catacleuze font, decorated with figures of the twelve apostles, and a monument of 1627 to Sir Nicholas Prideaux. A weeklymarket is held on Saturday; fairs are held on 18 April and 21 Sept.; and a considerable commerce is carried on with Bristol, Wales, and Ireland. The vessels belonging to the port, at the beginning of 1864, were 59 small sailing-vessels, of aggregately 2, 302 tons; and 75 large sailing-vessels, of aggregately 10, 303 tons. The vessels which entered, in 1863, were 3 British sailing-vessels, ofaggregately 1, 267 tons, from British colonies; 9 British sailing-vessels, of aggregately 734 tons, from foreign countries; 3 foreign sailing-vessels, of aggregately 480tons, from foreign countries; 664 sailing-vessels, of aggregately 29, 334 tons, coastwise; and 45 steam-vessels, of aggregately 4, 288 tons, coastwise. The vessels whichcleared, in 1863, were 2 British sailing-vessels, of jointly726 tons, to British colonies; 1 foreign sailing-vessel, of201 tons, to British colonies; 9 British sailing-vessels, of aggregately 705 tons, to foreign countries; 1 foreign sailing-vessel, of 223 tons, to foreign countries; 280 sailing-vessels, of aggregately 12, 658 tons, coastwise; and 47 steam-vessels, of aggregately 4, 480 tons, coastwise. The chief imports are iron, coals, and bale-goods; and the chief exports, corn, block-tin, and slates. The amount of customs in 1862 was £189. A steamer sailsregularly to Ilfracombe, Swansea, and Bristol. The harbour has a difficult and somewhat dangerous access, particularly during N W gales; was much improved in 1811 and following years, by removal of enormous quantities of sand from a bar at the estuary's mouth; and isprovided with convenient quays. A capstan is on Stepper-Point, at the mouth of the estuary, 227 feetabove sea-level; and, at the arrival of a vessel in theoffing, during a prevalence of adverse winds, a hawser isconveyed from the capstan, by a pilot-boat, to the vessel, to aid its passage over the bar. A life-boat establishment also is at the mouth of the estuary. Both a harbour of refuge and a railway to Plymouth were contemplated so long ago as 1836.

The parish comprises 3, 239 acres of land and 625 ofwater. Real property, £7,038. Pop. in 1851, 2, 224; in 1861, 2, 489, of whom 148 were persons on board vessels. The manor belonged to Bodmin priory, and passed to the Prideauxs. Place House was the seat of the Prideauxs; is now the seat ofPrideaux Brune, Esq.; occupies the site of the monastery of St. Petroc; stands on highground, above the town, encircled by trees; was the birth-place of Dean Prideaux, author of the " Connection of the Old and New Testaments; " and contains numerous interesting portraits and pictures. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Exeter. Value, £202. Patron, the Rev. E. Henville. An ancient chapel stood near the shore.—The sub-district contains also six other parishes. Acres, 28, 263. Pop., 6, 649. Houses, 1, 384


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a town, a parish, and a sub-district"   (ADL Feature Type: "cities")
Administrative units: Padstow AP/CP       Padstow CP       Padstow SubD       St Columb Major RegD/PLU       Cornwall AncC
Place: Padstow

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