Padstow

Coordinates: 50°32′17″N 4°56′17″W / 50.538°N 4.938°W / 50.538; -4.938

Padstow (Cornish: Lannwedhenek) is a town, civil parish and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town is situated on the west bank of the River Camel estuary approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) northwest of Wadebridge, 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Bodmin and 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Newquay. The population of Padstow civil parish was 3,162 in the 2001 census, reducing to 2,993 at the 2011 census In addition an electoral ward with the same name exists but extends as far as Trevose Head. The population for this ward is 4,434

History

Padstow was originally named Petroc-stow, Petroc-stowe, or 'Petrock's Place', after the Welsh missionary Saint Petroc, who landed at Trebetherick around AD 500. After his death a monastery (Lanwethinoc, the church of Wethinoc an earlier holy man) was established here which was of great importance until "Petroces stow" (probably Padstow) was raided by the Vikings in 981, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Whether as a result of this attack or later the monks moved inland to Bodmin taking with them the relics of St Petroc. The cult of St Petroc was important both in Padstow and Bodmin.