PADSTOW HARBOUR

The north coasts of Devon and Cornwall are not crowded with safe ports, which makes Padstow in the Camel Estuary a significant stopover for yachts rounding the Lizard to – or from – destinations in Wales, Scotland or the farther reaches of the Bristol Channel.

It’s not just a place ‘on the way’ to somewhere else though, as many cruisers from Welsh and Cornish ports have Padstow on their list of summer cruising options.

Padstow Harbour is a welcoming and sheltered haven with good access in most weather conditions, unless the wind becomes unruly from the west. That’s when the notorious and aptly-named Doom Bar begins to live up to its reputation – one that includes at least 500 shipwrecks recorded since the early 1800s.

The sandbar is composed of marine sediments rich in calcium, and the Camel Estuary – navigable