Protecting Padstows future - preserving its history
The Environment Agency
Public sector
Padstow, North Cornwall
Flood and coastal risk management
The ancient Cornish harbour town of Padstow has attracted explorers, travellers and sea traders from across the world for centuries. Once home to famous Elizabethan explorer Sir Walter Raleigh, today Padstow is famous for its strong maritime history.
Towards the end of the 1990’s, sections of Padstow’s 16th century Grade II Listed harbour wall had started to collapse underneath the flood defence wall that the Environment Agency had built on top of it. This damage led to remedial measures comprising the construction of gabion baskets, against the face of the outer harbour wall. However, the ancient wall continued to deteriorate and, in 2005, the Environment Agency, in partnership with Padstow Harbour Commissioners, engaged Royal Haskoning and Carillion Civil Engineering to prepare a business case and design for a permanent repair.