Please help us to save Padstow's Museum for future generations. 

Our mission is to create a new museum that the people of Padstow can be proud of.
The traditions and past history of Padstow are almost  legendary and must be preserved  at all costs for the generations that follow us.
But for the foresight of a small group of  Padstonians in the early 1970's many of the valuable artifacts  now preserved would have been lost forever in this changing world we live in.

The good news is that we still have a home for the 2008 season 

after that ???????? who knows. 
The road to raising the necessary  funding to relocate is a very long one and at present this could take us into 2009/10

The Trustees and Management committee of Padstow Museum have been exploring all possibilities of finding a new home for this unique collection of  historic & social artifacts. 
If you can help in any way, please contact us by e-mail 

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We very much value and appreciate being able to remain in situ at the Institute for the forseeable future and fully understand the problems that the Trustees of the Padstow Institute have.  
They desperately need support in their efforts to save their building and all it has stood for in over a century of service to the community. 
If there is anybody out there who can help we are sure they would appreciate a call.

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Latest News Updates      
Further developments will be posted on this page as they arise.

May 2008

Any hopes of re-housing at the shipyard complex were always in some doubt and we now find ourselves back to square one, yet again.

The committee of the Institute have been engaged in a major face lift and repair of the fabric of the building this has been a daunting task as the building is listed, which entails very stringent constraints on how repairs are carried out. We again would ask again that anyone who feels able should offer their support to the Institute Trustees in their efforts to preserve this building which has been a focal point in the towns history for more than a century.

The museum reopened during the Easter period and has been enjoying a steady trickle of visitors. The winter period was as usual a very busy time for the volunteers who spent much time in consolidating the records, having now caught up with our backlog of accessioned exhibits. Recording is an ongoing task with  new  items being donated every week. As well as new items, existing records are updated as and when more information comes to hand. We have been joined by some new volunteer helpers, and are always pleased to welcome new helpers.

Previous News Updates

December 2006

CARING FOR PADSTOW’S PAST IS IMPORTANT FOR THE FUTURE

 A 25 year Lease and suitable rental agreement have been offered to Padstow Museum by Padstow Town Council, which is supporting the Museum in its bid to find suitable new premises.  The current proposal is that the Museum be housed on the upper floor of Padstow Cycle Hire.

Also, thanks to the cooperation of the present tenants of Padstow Cycle Hire building, the Museum has been able to make a thorough assessment of converting the upper floor of the building.

  We have discussed the practicalities of splitting the building to create two units each with a separate entrance.  Importantly a separate Lease agreement with the landlords has yet to be worked out.  In the Autumn of 2008 the Town Council will be in a position to re-negotiate the Lease of the Cycle Hire building, previously known as Net Tec.

  At that time it is expected that the building will be split, allowing the present tenants to continue to operate their business on the ground floor.  At the same time a suitable access will be made to the upper floor where Padstow Museum will be able to function as a separate entity.

  It is hoped that in the near future the Museum will be able to obtain grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund and others, including local support, to fit out the upper floor to make it suitable for the Museum’s artifacts and enable the project to go ahead. In order to achieve this we are looking for a person with the necessary skills to become our project manager. 

We are always in need of volunteers who have a skill or wish to learn about various aspects of museum management, if you would like further information please contact us at museum@chynoweth.co.uk 

This is an exciting project which at the conclusion will give Padstow a new Museum depicting both social & historical record of the town.

We can also announce that we have been granted an extension of our occupation of our present premises for the 2007 season. 

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Jan 2006 
The draft copy of the PPG documentation is now complete and will be put before the steering committee on Monday 20th January. From this we expect to have the final PPG documents by mid February. This is only the first stage on the road to attracting a funded grant. We now have to prepare a case to move forward to apply for this grant.

During the winter closed season our volunteers are busy with cataloging & documentation of our extensive collection, this is an ongoing commitment which proves to be most enlightening voyage of discovery. Very often we end up with more questions than we have been able to answer, administering and documenting a museum collection can be likened to trying to piece together a huge jigsaw.

As and when we are able to re-establish the museum in a new home we will requiring  more volunteer helpers, this is an interesting and challenging job. If any person is interested in becoming a volunteer please contact us.   

Dec 2005

Good progress is being made with the preparation of our PPG application documentation. It hoped that the final documentation will for PPG will be completed in February.
Meetings of the steering group and the consultants are scheduled for 5th & 9th of January.

Further news of progress will be posted as available.

Nov 2005

Consultants Dixon & Chant have now been commissioned to carry out a feasibility study of the Old Net Tec building for the purpose of  producing documentation for PPG applications to HLF. 

A briefing meeting was held on Monday 14th Nov between the consultants and the steering committee. The consultants gave a presentation on the proposed programme which will result in a draft document being available in late Jan 2006. A visit to the proposed new museum venue and the existing museum took place. Further dialogue will be initiated during the ensuing weeks. 

The steering committee are in dialogue with NCDC, Awards for All, and other professional bodies in preparing a bid for funding. This is a long and difficult process but essential to the successful outcome of the project.

In the meantime we are still appealing for help in finding support and funding to safeguard the future of our town museum.

The Trustees of the Padstow Institute have massive problems with structural repairs to their building, we have been privileged to base our museum here for the past 35 years and would appeal on their behalf for support in their time of need. 

April 2005

We have been offered an extension of our tenancy until 31st December 2005 by   the Trustees of Padstow Institute. This gives a little breathing space but does not solve our long term problem. 

The steering committee are preparing documentation to present to Heritage Lottery, this is complicated process but every effort is being made to expedite the preparation of this document.

The re-opening of the Museum at Easter was well received, we have had a small but steady throughput of visitors. We have been encouraged by the enthusiasm of local school children who visited during the Easter holidays. 
We have also been able to offer help with some research into to some of our archival material. This is encouraging and in a small way, proves that the museum has an important part to play in Padstow's future.

November 2004                 
Further developments on re-location of the museum.

Many people are aware of the problems facing the trustees of the Institute building. They have indicated that they may have to seek more commercial rents from their tenants. This could very well mean that we are without !!!!!!! a home in the near future. The repairs to the building are now very urgent, attempts to find the necessary grant funding has so far been unsuccessful.
 
The museum committee continue to explore the possibility of the use of the upper floor of the "Padstow Cycle Hire " building. The are many hurdles to overcome, not least the considerable amount of finance involved.

We are pleased to have 'in principle' support from Padstow Town Council  and will work with them and North Cornwall District Council  in order to move the project forward.

If we lose our museum the loss will great to the children of the local schools (amongst our most avid supporters) and the residents of Padstow, this unique social history of  Padstow which will be tangibly lost forever.

Our chairman & trustees have been working very hard to try ensure the future of our unique little museum

Anybody who has experience in funding bids or who can help us attract funds for this very worthwhile project could you please contact me on 01841532620 or e-mail 

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer or wish to help in any way please contact 
one of the  following numbers 01841532620 or 01841532470.

 
July 2004
MUSEUM DILEMMA - Up date for friends and supporters. July 2004
Faced with an uncertain future Padstow Museum continues to accept items of particular local
interest into its collection. This is what the founders set out to do and in the words of a report
written by Richard Glassborow on the future of Padstow Museum "Closure and disposal of the
collection should be beyond contemplation". It would be sad indeed if there were not a place in the
community for us in years to come.

Latest acquisitions 

February 2005

As the result of a bequest of the late Nigel Rowe of St Issey The Museum are now the proud owners of two paintings of local interest one being a 19th century watercolour of the Ring of Bells Hotel St Issey and the second an oil painting by well known local fisherman Tom Morrissey. Tom who sadly passed away a few years ago was well known by his presence around the harbour at Padstow, one of his less known talents was his artistic ability to produce some wonderful oil paintings of ships. The example below is that of the "Katie"  topsail schooner built in a Padstow shipyard in 1881. She was use for coastal trading during WWII and was damaged by enemy fire. Post war she was sold to a Danish company renamed the "Bargfelk". After a number of years she was bought by a Cornish Preservation Society, unfortunately she sank under tow to Cornwall being a total loss.  

"Katie" Painting by Tom Morrissey 1991

Padstow Museum News December 2004

  As you have just read the Museum has been granted a limited stay of our notice to quit from the Institute.  The future of this building is in the hands of the Institute Committee acting on behalf of the members.  A feasibility study is in hand.  At this moment the membership is restricted to those who intend to play billiards or snooker, although not all do on a regular basis.  This does seem to be the reason why grant funding has not been found to undertake the necessary and costly repairs to the building.   We have been in our present home for over 32 years and for a long time hoped for better conditions.  It is sad to think that we are now considered a liability to any future development.

It should be said that, like the Museum Committee, the Institute Committee are all volunteers; giving up time and effort to find solutions for our organisations.  Ideas are always welcome.  Write, e mail or telephone.  We will always listen.

The Museum is now closed for the winter.  However visits can be arranged.  Recently a group of students from Roehampton University came to see our “Oss” and learn about our special tradition.

  The documentation group is meeting every Tuesday morning to catch up and check over the record keeping.  We can always do with more help in this department. This very important if we are to properly prepare to go into storage.

  Last year we were worried about the pair of stuffed Cornish Choughs loaned for many years to the Museum by David Old of Trevone and now gifted by him.  They appeared to have some form of infestation.  Thankfully this was eradicated by a freezing process at Exeter Museum and all is now well.  We are fortunate that, as a registered museum, we have access to this kind of expert help.

  We do feel, as a small local volunteer museum, a bit out on a limb, we are a mite unappreciated.  But on the other hand, along comes a visitor who says nice things about our displays and how they help them to understand our lovely old town and it all seems worthwhile.  

We are always on the look out for people to do man the reception desk.  If you are interested in helping, why not contact us?

Without an active committee we could not survive.  Special thanks to George Barnes who created and manages this web site.

Just to remind you who we are –
Officers.
                         John Buckingham (Chairman & Trustee), Ann Searle (Minute Secretary), 
                         George Barnes (Treasurer & Trustee), Peta Venner (Curator)  Derek Lindsey,
                         Rev. Barry Kinsmen (Trustee), Frank Sluman (Trustee), Mike Fox (Trustee).
Committee: 
                         Rev. Barry Kinsmen, Frank Sluman, Derek Lindsey, Rosemary Greaves
                         Jill Ford, Ernest Jarvis, Gilbert Rodrigues,  Peter Weston,
                         Rosemary Brinham,  David Edwards, Phil Banks, 

Webmaster             George Barnes. 

Museums Officer.     Stephanie Meads
  
We have a nucleus of other volunteer helpers who man the reception desk and help out with other tasks.  

 The Trustees of Padstow Museum are very grateful to all who support us.  

More recent Acquisitions.

As if to emphasize the importance of our local museum two items have recently been offered and are on display as received. They are in need of some restoration but otherwise splendid examples of the kind of object the museum welcomes.

Firstly, watercolour by the well-known marine artist Reuben Chappell, who lived and worked in Par for many years. The picture is of the PAR of Fowey and until recently it hung in the hallway of Mrs. Norah Chown's flat in Hornabrook Court. 
Her son Wally and his daughter Faye see the museum as the appropriate place to display this link with our maritime history. We agree and are checking the history of this steam ship that made frequent trips in to Padstow.

The second item to come our way recently was from Tony Allen who was involved along with Bill Lindsey in the founding of the museum. Some years ago he had acquired a ships model from the Baker family at Cove. It was a model of a two masted topsail schooner typical of those built and owned in Padstow for much of the 19c. Given the name 'Stych' after the Lifeboat served in
by William John Baker, it is a fine example of the model maker's craft. William John's daughter Mary remembers it being kept in the old pig's house at the rear of the cottage. She is delighted that it can now be seen by the public after all this time.

Regular visitors may have noticed that the pair of Choughs normally on display is missing. These have been sent to Exeter Museum for specialist treatment for minor infestation. These have been
on loan for a number of years and we are grateful to David Old and his family from Trevone for making this a permanent gift.  
(Note) The Choughs are back in on show again after their grooming.

New this year to the Obby Oss display is a teaser's club from Michael Constance and the second master of ceremonies' staff of the Blue Ribbon Oss. A nicely made mask made for a kids' Oss has come to us from the Retreat at St Columb via Nick Darke of Porthcothan.

Remember the 'Morning Star' exhibit in the Parish Church last year and the prize-winning
exhibit of Padstow WI in this years Royal Cornwall. Both have been promised to the Museum.

The Museum is open Monday to Friday – 10.30 to 4.30 and on Saturdays from 10.30 to 1 pm. Adults £1 Children FREE. 
You will find us upstairs from the library in the Men's Institute in
Market Place. Come and see for yourself what we are trying to do to preserve some of Padstow's heritage for future generations.