D Brown

quick survey:

Mrs Maw Broon et moi is heading for Padstow on Friday - haven't been that far south since I was a 6 year old and all I wanted to do was dig trenches in the beach and make roadways for my Corgi Capris in Auntie Beat's garden.

So - let me know your top 3 things to do in and around Padstow (for 30 somethings that like a beer, not kids, like our food, walking etc)
cheers
Paw

druddle

Yep recommend Rick Steins for seafood, also the Eden Project aint far away.

Dave

cullenj

Went with the Mrs in april, Rick Steins main resturant is fantastic but may be difficult to get into.
Eden project well worth a look.
Lots of walks to do, worth catching the ferry over to Rock.

cheers, James

skipjack

might be able to help you, we go down there two or three times a year.

1. getting wet: if you want to do a bit of boarding, surfing or just top beaches, go to booby's beach, constantine bay or harlyn, all within five or six miles of padstow. amongst best beaches in cornwall, ergo the UK. dogs can go off the lead but remember the scoop. patrolled by lifeguards, strong rips.

2. golf: if either of you play (and are a member of a golf club), then royal trevose at constantine bay - fab championship links course (£36 for 18).

3. top eating: ripley's in st.merryn (five miles from padstow and run by one of rick stein's ex-chefs); no.6, right next to rick stein's bistro if you can't get in there; pescadou on the harbour front (try the monkfish), another ex-stein chef. need to book 2-3 days in advance. each about £45-£50/head if you like your wine.

4. top drinking: the pickwick inn at burgois (four miles from padstow and v well known) if you have kids & want good pub grub; the london inn off the harbour front in padstow for something a little more traditional.

5. top cycling: do the camel trail - bikes, walkers, no cars (though would love to take the scoob along it) - join it in padstow.

6. top shopping: rick stein's deli (next to his bistro) - treat heaven; fresh fish from stein's fish shop near the railway station.

7. eden project: don't go if it rains or is overcast as everyone else will be there too. best time to go is about 3pm to avoid the crowds.

8. good surf & beach shop: the pit in st.merryn.

the tesco's at wadebridge (seven miles from padstow) is open 24 hours, plus wadebridge has a cinema & is OK for shopping.

hope that helps...

skipjack

oh yeah, one last thing: watch out for the lone speed camera on the A30 after you've left the M5. you'll pass a big BP garage on your left after 30-odd miles, it's about a mile from there, at the bottom of a long hill on the left hand side, partially obscured by the base of the bridge. 60 mph limit.

NotoriousREV

I wish someone had warned me about that camera last week

scoobyangel

its 70mph there, and the camera is at the bottom of Haldon Hill, going towards the M5, the BP garage is at the top of the hill along with a little chef... and stretched out in front of you is Exeter... glorious view on a clear day

scoobyangel

just thought, thats the camera on a38, not a30 (always get those 2 roads mixed up)
the one on a30 is as you approach the okehampton junction i believe.

if you want to take a more scenic route into cornwall... recomend you leave the M5 at exeter and come accross dartmoor (from exeter follow signs for mortenhampsted, then plymouth) lovely driving, and lovely view... brings you right into plymouth, then just hop accross the ferry to torpoint or the tamar bridge to saltash

D Brown

cheers guys,

Got our booking in already at Ricky boy's fish place - quite a fan of his TV shows so that was already no.1 on the list. Esp thanks for the Camera advice!

keep'em coming (could swap for advice on Mull or Rouen!)

Paw

JGRIFF

Try the leek, bacon, and cheese pasties from one of the shops on the harbour front.

NDT

OK Cornwall experts....

I'll be staying near Rock in October (brrrr)

Is there anywhere I can learn to surf (double brrr, shiver) nearby that will still be open?

SimonH

Rock is a top place - friends have a house there and we've been there every summer for the last 6 years or so

Best 3 things in Padstow?

Rick Stein's (either of them or even the deli)
The ferry to Rock
The road out

Not a great fan of Padstow

As for surfing, try Polzeath just round the corner from Rock. Ann's Cottage is the big surf shop there and they'll be able to sort you out. Failing that there'll be a load of places in Newquay, but try Polzeath first

PS. October? Surfing? UK? Barking?

H7

If you like seafood, you should try one of Rick Stein's places here

[Edited by H7 - 9/10/2002 9:55:06 AM]

johnr

About the only thing I know about it is that it's Rick Stein's neck of the woods. I think he owns half the place with at least one restaurant and a cafe/bistro or two. Not a big fan of fish myself but I'm told the food is fantastic if a little expensive, particularly in the restaurant.

John

****, beaten to it, that wasn't there when I started!!


[Edited by johnr - 9/10/2002 9:59:06 AM]

Holy Ghost

d brown

i'm flattered & glad you found the tips useful.

came back a few weeks ago: you definitely need to dine at The Ebb on the harbour front. just opened by the former owner of No.6 (peter). nude sketch deco. it's very, very good - and the lobster is set price no supplement. no smoking in restaurant or bar if you're a tabber (outside on the platform). great service and top wine cellar - vital if eight of you are playing "cliff, marry, ****" (aka "murder, marry, chuck or f**k) over each course. as you do...

£50 a head if you go for it.






[Edited by Holy Ghost - 9/8/2003 4:14:34 PM]

D Brown

Time for this again!

Thanks everybody - last year was so good that we're going back - I'm quite amazed to say that we tried about most of skipjack's 8 recommendations, body boarding at Booby's (thanks to the Pit), eating at Steins and No.6, spotted the Gatso , followed Scoobyangel's route on the way home, London Inn most nights, did Eden proj on a roasting day, took the ferry to Rock and filled up with pasties for a coastal walk picnic.

This year we're going to bike the Camel trail and do some more walking. Also on the list is Ripley's and Pickwick.

Anybody got any other good advice??

cheers, Dunc

Andrew Dixon

A top pursuit for a bored afternoon in Padstow is sitting on the harbour watching the tourists coming out of the fish & chip shop and getting their fish nicked out of their hands by organised gangs of gulls ...! Quite amazing to see them in action .. one of them swoops in and scares the punter, another one goes for the fish, and the rest of them pick up the leftovers.

Other than that, some excellent places to eat (nice little Italian back from the Harbour - forget its name) and good pubs (pretty much all of them).

Squizz

Tourist information office...

You can hire their 'Net connection for £1 each 1/2 hour and surf Scoobynet.

Fuzz

Wow this thread takes me back a bit... well a lot actually.

I used to be carted off to Mother Ivey's bay every year for at least the first 14-15 years of my life. the amout of people I used to be friends with at that caravan park was immense (for a kid )
Let me think, most I see have been mentioned already.

Rick Steins, book v-early. top posh restaurant food.
Camel Trail on Push bike for your energetic requirments.
The group of Three "power boats" Jaws I, II and III respectively for the thrill factor.
They also do a nice cruise out around Puffin Island, bit of bird watching (of the feathereed variety ) seals too.
The Icecream shop near the small slipway (near the bandstand), god that stuff is good.
The lighthouse and the cliff walk to it, some lovely costal paths there. If you Park the Car at Harlyn you can coastal walk all the way round past mother Iveys (private beach nice and secluded ) round to the Lifeboat station and then on to the lighthouse, both of which are open to the public at certain times. on to the start of constantine (which we always called boobys bay !!! not so sure if that was made up or not.
at the far end of Constantine there will be a footpath through the dunes (nature reserve) to a row of shops, where you can learn to surf, constantine being BIG in surfing terms. hire boards from there too. If you're up for a bit of golf you'll pass through this course as you walk back to Harlyn to get back to the car.

Enough ????
Have plenty more Ideas.


Andy

Fuzz

Appologies to my parents for turning them into nervous wrecks one evening after they thought I had fallen off one of the cliff tops or been swept away

I was later found happy as larry tucking into various different food stuffs in a caravan of some kind people who's kid I had met on a "wander" round the park.

Andy.

Fuzz

Just been re-reading for a bit of nostalgia.

Re the speed Camera's,
Oakhampton on the A30 nastily placed, but rightly so.
Right at the bottom of a dip / valley where a junction is.
That swine had me up infront of the magistrate... 5 points thank you very much (96 and easily done on the way home..)

Andy

D Brown

thanks guys - keep 'em coming...!

Will try The Ebb for dinner (can't get through right now)

jonny32

I was scared sh**less by the "Padstow hobby horse"at the age of 7,( Its a bit like a cornish version of a chinese dancing dragon )that goes through the town ,dont ask why ?.ive got very strange memories of patstow...im shaking as am writing this,with fear!!.

Fuzz

<pedant mode>

They actually called it the "obby" horse
</pedant mode>

It's for the May day parade for those that don't know!

Andy

SU3ARU

Can only agree the Stein's restaurant is a must (you have to try the fruits de mer!) and The Ebb is also a good place to eat.

For lunch there is a pub in Port Gurverne (spelling!!) just a few miles up the road that does amazing prawn/crab sandwiches...and a nice pint! Can't remember the pub's name but it is the only one there.

Peter

Pete Croney

I had my first trial flight in a microlight when staying at Padstowe. The airfield is at Davidstowe. We flew over King Arthurs Island at Tintagel (well worth visiting) and down the coast to Padstowe harbour.

I enjoyed it so much I took up flying

Its great to walk all the way out to the point too. One of the nicest beaches going. Also recommend the bays mentioned above.

Its a stunning part of the world and I would love to move there. The trouble is that everyone else has already bought houses there and its now as expensive as central London.

Avoid Newquay.

workshy_fopp

Just noticed this thread and it's a year old! Was gonna post a question when I spotted this one. I'm off to Cornwall soon, so will follow the trail.