Padstow has two reputations, and they get along rather well: it is an old working fishing port on the Camel estuary, and it is the town that Rick Stein turned into a food destination. His seafood restaurant opened in the 1970s and drew so many diners that the place became known to locals, half in jest, as Padstein. Today the harbour is packed with restaurants, delis, bakeries and pasty shops, and on a summer day the quay is a crowd of holidaymakers eating crab sandwiches and ice cream in the sun, while the gulls plot the theft of their chips.
Beneath the polish, the town has a deeper tradition. On May Day, Padstow hosts the 'Obby 'Oss festival, an ancient ritual in which two dancers in black or red costumes and huge hooped masks whirl through the streets accompanied by drums, accordions and singing. It is one of the oldest surviving folk customs in Britain, and its origin is lost in time. The town fills with people, and the streets hum with music from dawn until dusk.
The Camel Trail, an old railway line converted into a path for walkers and cyclists, runs from here upriver to Wadebridge and beyond, past mudflats, salt marsh and woods. Across the estuary, the village of Rock is linked by a small passenger ferry, and the sand dunes and the deceptive Doom Bar sandbank at the river mouth, named after the many ships it has wrecked, have given the name to a famous local beer.
For riders, the approach is along the A389 from Wadebridge or from the A39 on the coast, and the road is not particularly demanding, though in summer it is slow with holiday traffic. The streets of Padstow itself are narrow and crowded, with parking difficult, so the best option is to leave the bike in the large car park at the edge of town and walk. Spring and autumn are the best times, with fewer people and good light, though wind and rain are possible at any time. In winter the town is quiet, and some restaurants close.
The coast beyond is a delight, with sandy beaches, such as Harlyn Bay and Trevone, and cliff paths where thrift and sea campion bloom in spring. Fuel is not sold in the middle of town, so Wadebridge, about eight kilometres away, is the nearest big settlement, with stations and supermarkets. A proper Cornish pasty, with beef, potato, swede and onion, crimped at the side, is the lunch to look for, though fish and chips on the quay is hard to resist.