Maritime traffic Padstow had considerable importance in the Middle Ages as a manor belonging to Bodmin monastery and as the site of a safe haven (one of the few on the north coast). So it became a busy fishing port. Padstow prospered through trade with Ireland and the English and Welsh ports on the
Bristol Channel, and during the early 18th Century returned over £100 in duties related to coal imports for both the periods 1708-1710 and 1710-1713, more than any other cornish port except
Falmouth. Later trade was the export of tin, copper, lead, slate, cured fish and dairy produce, as well as the importing of timber from Norway and Sweden, salt and wine from France, and hemp, iron and jute from Russia. In the first half of the 19th century Padstow was a significant port of embarcation for emigrants, particularly those bound for Canada, and during the mid-19th century ships carrying timber from Canada such as the
barques
Clio,
Belle and
Voluna; and the
brig Dalusia were making the journey across the Atlantic.
Quebec City was a specific destination recorded and while such vessels brought timber, the offer of cheap travel to passengers wishing to emigrate enticed some to make the journey to Canada. Local shipbuilders also benefited from the quality of incoming cargoes, although shipbuilding had been practiced in Padstow for centuries and the town provided ships for the siege of
Calais in 1346. The practice continued, aided by the imported materials, and there five shipyards recorded in the late 19th century though by 1900 this had declined. For ships entering the estuary, the immediate loss of wind due to the cliffs was a particular hazard, often resulting in ships being swept onto the Doom Bar. A manual capstan was installed on the west bank of the river (its remains can still be seen) and rockets were fired to carry a line to ships so that they could be winched to safety. There have been ferries across the Camel estuary for centuries and the current service, the
Black Tor Ferry, carries pedestrians between Padstow and
Rock daily throughout the year. In 1964, the harbour commissioners regained control of the harbour from the
British Transport Commission and then made some improvements to it. The harbour comprises a tidal outer harbour that is used by ships and commercial vessels, and a smaller inner harbour that is popular with
yachtsmen. This inner harbour is a
half tide dock that uses a "
gate-flap" to maintain water levels on an ebbing tide, so that the yachts within stay afloat at all stages of the tide.
Railway From 1899 until 1967,
Padstow railway station was the westernmost point of the former
Southern Railway. The railway station was the terminus of an extension from
Wadebridge of the former
Bodmin and Wadebridge Railway and
North Cornwall Railway. These lines were part of the
London & South Western Railway (LSWR), then incorporated into the Southern Railway in 1923 and
British Railways in 1948, but were proposed for closure as part of the
Beeching cuts of the 1960s. The LSWR (and Southern Railway) promoted Padstow as a holiday resort; these companies were rivals to the
Great Western Railway (which was the larger railway in the West of England). Until 1964, Padstow was served by the
Atlantic Coast Express, a direct train service to/from
London Waterloo, but the station was closed in 1967. The old railway line is now the
Camel Trail, a footpath and cycle path which is popular owing to its picturesque route beside the River Camel. One of the railway mileposts is now embedded outside the Shipwright's Arms public house on the Harbour Front. Today, the nearest railway station is at , three miles southeast of Bodmin.
Go Cornwall Bus operates buses to the station.
Buses Padstow is served by bus services 56 from
Newquay and 57 from
Liskeard which also serves Bodmin Parkway as noted above. Both are operated by
Go Cornwall Bus and run mostly hourly Monday to Saturday, less frequently on Sundays and Bank Holidays. There is also the Atlantic Coaster from Newquay, which was run with open top buses until 2025 and provided by
First Kernow.
Footpaths The
South West Coast Path runs on both sides of the River Camel estuary and crosses from Padstow to Rock via the Black Tor ferry. The path gives walking access to the coast with
Stepper Point and
Trevose Head within an easy day's walk of Padstow. The
Saints' Way long-distance footpath runs from Padstow to
Fowey on the south coast of Cornwall. The
Camel Trail follows the course of the former railway (
see above) from Padstow. It is open to walkers, cyclists and horse riders and suitable for disabled access. The long route leads to
Wadebridge and on to
Wenford Bridge and
Bodmin, and is used by an estimated 400,000 users each year, generating an income of approximately £3 million a year. ==Culture==