The ancient Abbey House on Padstow’s North Quay is said by some be the oldest house in Cornwall. Indeed, even in the days of Queen Elizabeth I the house was described as old. Until relatively recently Abbey House was owned by the Prideaux family and one legend is that a tunnel ran from here to the monastery up the hill.
The ghost that haunts Abbey House is that of an Elizabethan lady. This sad, lonely ghost has always been seen ascending the 15th century granite stairway from the cellar and silently makes her way along a passage which forms the oldest part of the house.
An addendum to the story is that from 1938 to 1981 the house was occupied by reclusive widow. For many years Annie Simpson was a familiar figure standing in the gallery window overlooking the harbour. The rumour was that she was awaiting the return of her husband who was lost at sea; the truth was he had been killed in a car crash shortly after they bought the house.