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Landscape
Celtic Cornwall
Ancient Sites
Where to Go
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PadstowFor a suitable Ordnance Survey map of the area please buy Explorer #106 Newquay and Padstow, or see my map for more details.
Ever been to Padstow? Ever been there on 1st May?
The 'Obby Oss' looks like a big black caped animal - thought to represent a stallion - with a strange mask and snapping jaws. Its strange (pagan) dance and the rhythm of the drum beat is quite mystical and infectious. The 'Obby Oss' is led on by a 'Teaser' who dances around the 'Oss' and prods him with a special padded stick. On its route the 'Oss sometimes drags women and girls under its dark costume in quite a graphic attempt to portray a fertility rite. It used to be said that "if you were caught beneath the veil that you would be pregnant within the year". There are TWO main 'Osses. The Original or Old 'Oss is stabled at the Golden Lion Hotel and is slightly larger than the younger Blue Ribbon 'Oss stabled at the Harbour Inn in Strand Street. [The followers of the Blue 'Oss differ in that historically they did not drink alcohol]. For those wishing to see the Blue Ribbon 'Oss leaving its stable, be outside the Inn at 10 a.m. The children also play a part having their own 'Obby 'Oss procession earlier in the day. The two 'animals' meet at the maypole late in the day and have a mock fight.
Padstow has a mixed feeling about it. On May Day, one feels very proud to be Cornish, still knowing that the true words, history and customs belong to the inhabitants of the village. On other days, especially in summer you feel like just another tourist. Visitors in summer can take boat trips from the harbour [normally restart at Easter] or lock-gates to visit the islands and the coast near the promontory of The Rumps. On clear days it may be possible to look up the coast as far as Tintagel and Boscastle or west past the lighthouse on Trevose Head. During one such trip recently, it was possible to see a pod of dolphins swimming in the mouth of the Camel Estuary.
There is a lot to do around Padstow. Apart from exploring the village itself, visitors can walk the many varied coastpaths or spend time on any of the fine golden beaches surrounding the village. Good beaches include St. George's Cove and Hawker's Cove on the west bank of the estuary, with Trevone, Harlyn Bay, Polventon (Mother Ivey's Bay), Constantine Bay, Booby's Bay and Treyarnon only a few miles away to the west. On the eastern bank of the estuary near Rock lie Porthilly, Daymer Bay and Hayle Bay (Polzeath). It is possible to hire bicycles from near the harbour and ride the Camel Trail to Wadebridge or even on to Bodmin. There is also a day trip on the 'Black Tor' ferry to Rock. The less able may like to take a stroll up to the War Memorial above St. Saviour's Point overlooking the estuary. Incidentally Padstow has changed its name several times over the centuries...Lanwethnoc was renamed with the coming of the Saxons in the 10th century to Petrockstowe, this subsequently got corrupted to present day Padstow. |
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