Gorsedh Kernow and Padstow Town Council are pleased to announce that Padstow will be the host town for the annual Esedhvos and Gorsedh ceremony in September 2023.
“On behalf of the bards of Gorsedh Kernow, we are excited and delighted that the Gorsedh is coming to Padstow” said Grand Bard Mab Stenek Veur, Pol Hodge. “Our last visit was in 1951 and it is wonderful to be coming back again in 2023. Padstow traditions are at the heart of Cornish culture, and it is very fitting that the Esedhvos should be held in the town.”
At a recent meeting, Padstow Town Council supported the visit of the Gorsedh to Padstow in 2023. Mayor, Councillor James O’Keefe said that “It is a great delight and pleasure to be invited to host the annual Cornish Gorsedh celebrations here in Padstow in 2023. This is a once in a generation event for towns and villages to host throughout Cornwall. We look forward to working with Gorsedh Kernow and with their support we hope to make this event a huge success for them, and for the town of Padstow.”
Padstow from the air
A local committee is being formed which will work to help organise the event. The Gorsedh ceremony takes place on the first Saturday of September and is preceded by the Esedhvos Kernow – a celebration of Cornish culture and of the host town.
Padstow has always been an important community because of its position as the only sizeable estuary on the North Coast of Cornwall. By the nineteenth century there were six shipyards driven in part by its thriving fishing industry. The coming of the railway in 1899 gave a big impetus to the tourist trade, which had begun a century before and continues to this day. The people of Padstow have justly been proud of its long history and important customs. Padstow May Day is well known nationally and internationally.
Gorsedh Kernow’s Esedhvos Festival of Cornish Culture, which includes the bardic ceremony where new bards are initiated, will be held in and around Padstow from Wednesday 1st to Sunday 5th September 2023.
For further information about Padstow please visit the Padstow Town Council website www.padstow-tc.gov.uk or its history visit Padstow Museum website www.padstowmuseum.co.uk
For further information about Gorsedh Kernow please visit the website www.gorsedhkernow.org.uk
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