Quick answer: nearly all of it is in two clusters. Poldark was shot mostly in West Penwith and on the Lizard — Botallack and Levant for the mines, Charlestown for Truro and Falmouth, Porthgwarra, Porthcurno, Kynance and Penberth for the coast. Port Isaac on the north coast is Doc Martin’s Portwenn, and the home of the Fisherman’s Friends. Most of the Poldark sites are National Trust land, free to walk and open all year. The one thing to remember is that these are working villages where people live, not a film set.
Cornwall has been standing in for itself, and for everywhere else, for decades. This covers where the main productions were actually filmed, what each place stood in for, and how to see them without spending a week in the car. Several of the best are old mine workings — our tin mining heritage guide covers what they really are.
Table of Contents
- Poldark: the locations and what they stood in for
- Doing the Poldark locations without living in the car
- Port Isaac: Doc Martin and Fisherman’s Friends
- The Salt Path and the coast path itself
- People live here
- When to go, and one thing to be wary of
- FAQ
- References and resources
Poldark: the locations and what they stood in for
The 2015–2019 BBC series put more people on Cornish clifftops than anything since the Beeching cuts took the trains away. These are the locations and their fictional counterparts.
| Real place | Stood in for / used for |
|---|---|
| Botallack (National Trust) | Wheal Leisure, Grambler and Wheal Grace — the Poldark mines |
| Levant Mine and Beam Engine (NT) | Tressiders Rolling Mill |
| Charlestown | Truro, and Falmouth where Captain Blamey lives; its beach doubles as St Mary’s, Scilly |
| Bodmin Moor | Nampara — Ross’s cottage exterior — plus the miners’ cottages |
| St Agnes Head (NT) | Nampara Valley |
| Porthcurno (NT) | Nampara Cove |
| Penberth Cove | Sawle, the Carne brothers’ village |
| Church Cove and Dollar Cove, Gunwalloe (NT) | The series-one shipwreck scenes, and smuggling |
| Porthgwarra | Ross’s swimming and pilchard fishing; the tunnel is where he kept his boat |
| Holywell Bay (NT) | Ross, Demelza and George scenes; Dwight and Caroline’s horse races |
| Kynance Cove (NT) | Clifftop riding, and the series-two opening |
| Gwennap Head | Clifftop riding and encounters |
| Predannack Wollas, the Lizard (NT) | Horseback scenes |
| Park Head and Porthcothan (NT) | Galloping scenes; Porthcothan’s beaches as part of Nampara |
| Turnaware Point | A French location, for the series-three covert landings |
Doing the Poldark locations without living in the car
They look scattered because they are, but they group into three day trips.
- West Penwith (a full day). Botallack and Levant are a short walk apart on the same stretch of cliff, with Porthgwarra, Gwennap Head and Porthcurno south of them. This is the essential one: the mine engine houses at Botallack, clinging below the cliff edge, are the single most recognisable image from the series.
- The Lizard (half a day). Kynance Cove, Gunwalloe’s two coves and Predannack Wollas.
- The north coast (half a day). Holywell Bay, Park Head and Porthcothan, which pairs neatly with Tintagel guide if you are up that end.
Charlestown is the odd one out and deserves its own stop. It is a Georgian harbour near St Austell with tall ships usually moored in it, which is why productions use it constantly — it needs almost no dressing. Our The Story of Cornwall covers the era it keeps being asked to play.
Most of the Poldark sites are National Trust land, which means free access on foot, paid parking for non-members, and no opening hours to worry about. That makes them unusually good off-season targets.
Port Isaac: Doc Martin and Fisherman’s Friends
The other cluster, and a complete contrast — one small working harbour village doing double duty.
Doc Martin filmed here from 2004 to 2022, with Port Isaac as the fictional Portwenn. Commonly identified spots include Fern Cottage as the doctor’s surgery, a short climb up from the harbour, and the Old Schoolhouse as the village school, with neighbouring Port Gaverne used for exteriors. Interiors were largely shot in a converted barn outside the village rather than in the cottages themselves.
The Fisherman’s Friends are a real Port Isaac singing group, not an invention for the films — sea shanty singers from the village whose story became two films. They have long sung on the Platt, the open space by the harbour.
Port Isaac is tiny, the lanes are famously narrow, and parking is limited and expensive. Park at the top and walk down.
The Salt Path and the coast path itself
The Salt Path, from Raynor Winn’s memoir, follows a couple walking the South West Coast Path after losing their home. It is not a location you can visit in the usual sense — the location is the path, which runs the entire Cornish coast and is free.
If a film has made you want to see this landscape, the honest advice is to walk a stretch of coast path rather than drive between car parks. Our coast path guide covers one of the best sections, and the sunset spots guide covers where to finish.
People live here
This needs saying, because the places in this article are not attractions and were not built for visitors.
- Port Isaac is a village of a few hundred people with one road in. Residents have had tour groups outside their windows for twenty years.
- Do not photograph through windows, or into gardens, however famous the cottage.
- The mine sites are dangerous ground. Botallack and Levant sit on a cliff riddled with old workings — stay on the paths, and keep dogs and children close.
- Park sensibly. Most of these villages have one lane, and an ambulance has to get down it.
- Spend money locally. The cafés and pubs are what make a village worth visiting twice — see our cosy pubs guide.
When to go, and one thing to be wary of
Autumn and winter are better for all of this. The clifftop sites are free and open year-round, the light in October is the best of the year for photographs, and Port Isaac in August is unpleasant for everybody including the people who live there. Our off-season guide covers what is open, where to stay guide covers basing yourself, and the branch lines guide covers reaching Charlestown and the north coast without a car.
And one caution. If you are searching for news of a Poldark return, be careful what you read: there is no confirmed revival, and a number of circulating articles announcing one appear to be fabricated. Nothing in this guide depends on a new series — the locations are there regardless, and have been for three hundred years.
FAQ
Q: Where was Poldark filmed in Cornwall?
A: Mainly in West Penwith and on the Lizard. Botallack and Levant provided the mines, Charlestown stood in for Truro and Falmouth, and the coastal scenes used Porthgwarra, Porthcurno, Penberth Cove, Kynance Cove, Gunwalloe, Holywell Bay and St Agnes Head among others.
Q: What stood in for Poldark’s mines?
A: Botallack, where the engine houses sit below the cliff edge near St Just, played Wheal Leisure, Grambler and Wheal Grace. Nearby Levant Mine and Beam Engine was used as Tressiders Rolling Mill. Both are National Trust sites.
Q: Where is Doc Martin filmed?
A: Port Isaac on the north Cornish coast, which plays the fictional village of Portwenn. Neighbouring Port Gaverne was used for exteriors, and interiors were largely filmed in a converted barn outside the village rather than in the cottages.
Q: Are the Fisherman’s Friends a real group?
A: Yes. They are a genuine sea shanty singing group from Port Isaac whose story became two films. They have long performed on the Platt, the open space beside the harbour.
Q: Can you visit the Poldark filming locations for free?
A: Most of them, yes. The majority are National Trust clifftop sites with free access on foot and no opening hours, though parking is charged for non-members. Charlestown harbour is also free to walk around.
Q: Is there a new series of Poldark?
A: No revival has been confirmed. Be cautious with articles announcing one, as a number of circulating reports appear to be fabricated. The filming locations are open regardless.
Q: When is the best time to visit Cornwall’s filming locations?
A: Autumn and winter. The clifftop sites are free and open all year, October gives the best light for photographs, and Port Isaac in particular is far more pleasant outside the summer.
References and resources
- Visit Cornwall — Poldark film locations: www.visitcornwall.com
- National Trust — Botallack: www.nationaltrust.org.uk
- National Trust — Levant Mine and Beam Engine: www.nationaltrust.org.uk
- South West Coast Path: www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk
