Coastal Cornwall - Small village where big television star lived

THE South West Coast Path out of Padstow in Cornwall goes north along the shores of the Camel estuary, passing the town’s war memorial and St Saviour’s Point before reaching the sandy beach of St George’s Cove, named after an ancient well.

From there, the path goes by Gun Point, with its remains of military coastal defences from the 19th century and the Second World War, and skirts around Harbour Cove, known locally as Tregirls, and Hawker’s Cove which combine to provide a huge expanse of sand when the tide is out.

Hawker’s Cove was home to various Padstow lifeboats in the 19th century and for more than half of the 20th century. The first lifeboat stationed at Hawker’s Cove, in the 1820s was called The Mariner’s Friend.

Some of the later lifeboats were moored in the estuary. One of these, the steam-powered Helen Peele, was lost when she ran aground at Greenaway rocks near Trebetherick. Remains of her funnel can still be seen there at low tide. Meanwhile, her bell is today held by Padstow Sea Cadets.

The Hawker’s Cove lifeboat station was decommissioned in the 1960s, when silting was becoming a problem, and a new lifeboat station was built near Mother Ivey’s Bay close to Trevose Head. The former lifeboat station is now a holiday home.

The lifeboat crews, across the centuries, have risked their lives, with some making the ultimate sacrifice when trying to save others.

Some of the houses at Hawker’s Cove were built in the 19th century for coastguards and also for the pilots who guided vessels along the estuary into the harbour at Padstow. A famous resident of Hawker’s Cove was the actor Edward Woodward, best known for starring in the 1980s American television series, The Equalizer.

*Andrew Townsend is a journalist and writer. He further explores the county in the travel book, Cornwall Favourites For One And All!: A Quick Guide To Good Places To Visit Across The County, which is available in print and as an ebook. More details on Andrew’s books and ebooks can be found via this link to his author page on Amazon - https://bit.ly/AndrewTownsendAuthor