Shipwreck around Padstow

The coast of this part of North Cornwall is renowned for its rugged beauty, its towering cliffs and sandy beaches, inlets and coves. 
But behind this facade hides a history of shipwreck disasters, not a few but hundreds over the last three centuries. The small area along the coast between Newquay and Boscastle including the Camel Estuary and the notorious Doom Bar (Dunbar) has accounted for well over 200 in the 19th & 20th centuries. These are documented in the books by Richard Larne and others. 
These wrecks brought mixed fortunes, death, despair, fortuitous survivals and on the other hand welcome trophies to the poor communities along our coast.
The churchyards along this part of the coast host the final resting places of many an unfortunate mariner.

The museum has a considerable collection photographs of shipwreck these allied with our lifeboat archives paint the scene of these terrible occasions.