The pretty seaside town so popular tourists are being urged to go elsewhere

A pretty seaside town in Cornwall is so popular tourists are being urged to go elsewhere.

Padstow, on the north coast of the county, is widely praised for its beauty and is known for its harbourfront, lined with ice cream shops, pubs and restaurants.

Madeleine Bunting, an award-winning author and travel writer, has said that the town is a victim of its own success, ruined by its popularity.

It is popular with tourists and has been visited by celebrities such as Tom Cruise and Gordon Ramsay. But Ms Bunting has said this fame has been a curse to the spot.

She told the Sun: "What is happening in Padstow is gross - it's all the overcrowding. When I went, everybody was just milling about. There were a lot of people sitting on the stone walls not knowing what to do."

One person linked with Padstow is celebrity chef Rick Stein, who owns six eateries, three shops and a cookery school in the town.

Tourists have also been taking to Tripadvisor to echo Ms Bunting’s statements, with one reviewer criticising Stein’s influence: “We have visited before but it is now so busy it has lost its charm.

“Others have felt the same and nicknamed it Padstein. Everything is expensive and the shops are too touristy."

Another said: "If you are prepared for Disney-style queues for literally everything including just walking around the harbour then this is just the place for you."

The travel expert noted how expensive it was to park “in the middle of a field” and that she had to eat her lunch sitting on a kerb due to crowds.

"I felt that with some places that become really famous, they're not the best places to visit because of the over-tourism,” she said. During my visit, I spoke to some locals who said they never go into the town during the summer because it's too busy."

Ms Bunting said that tourists visiting Padstow need to stay overnight to get the best of the spot and that day-tripping harms the area.

She said: "The problem is that people aren't staying for long enough, and they aren't spending enough money. Families go on day trips to the seaside because they're cheap, but seaside towns need people to stay and spend money."

Instead, tourists have been urged by the I to visit Redruth, which the newspaper says is “home to some of the best pasties in all of Cornwall”.

The town down the coast from Padstow is a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its place at the heart of the county’s tin mining industry in 18th and 19th century.