Cornwall is frequently a backdrop to some well-loved TV programmes and films. The long-running comedy, Doc Martin, is probably the best known of all. It’s been an international hit for years and tourist flock to visit it’s fictitious fishing village ‘Portwenn’
Doc Martin
The show’s central character, Doc Martin (played by Martin Clunes) is a curmudgeonly GP who has relocated in Cornwall following a career as a surgeon in London. The storylines generally revolve around his relationships with his (now estranged) wife, Louisa (played by Caroline Catz), and the assorted characters who live in the village.
In real life, Portwenn is the picturesque village of Port Isaac in north Cornwall. It is approximately 20 miles down the coast from The Beach Haven. Many scenes over the years have been filmed even closer, at places such as Crackington Haven and Tintagel. Bodmin Moor is a location common to both Doc Martin and Poldark and is an easy fifteen-minute drive away.
Season Eight of Doc Martin is rumoured to be the final series. It is due to start filming in April/May/June next year (2017) so why not book yourself a holiday at The Beach Haven and watch a bit of street theatre in Port Isaac? The cast and crew are extremely welcoming of the all visitors who turn up to watch the filming and there is a general feeling of bonhomie in the village. Martin Clunes is unfailingly cheerful and always goes out of his way to stop and say hello to any dogs as well as pose for countless ‘selfies’. Ian McNeice, the actor who plays Bert Large is extremely popular in the community and is often seen out and about selflessly fundraising for local causes. We currently have good availability for the filming period – check here.
-
- Martin Clunes in Port Isaac during filming of Doc Martin
-
- Caroline Catz as Louisa in Doc Martin
-
- Ian McNeice as Bert Large in Doc Martin
Poldark
In the last year or so, as I’m sure you’re well aware, Poldark fever has swept the country, and although we are biased, we thought the new adaption was great! With season two due to hit our screens in September – and the likelihood of a further six series in subsequent years, Cornwall will be getting plenty more welcome exposure.
Season Three is due to start filming this autumn too so why not book yourself an October break and you might be lucky enough to watch some filming in progress! Check our availability here. As a photographer, Tim was lucky enough to photograph much of the filming of the first series and knows the precise location of virtually all the various Cornish scenes. Some are better known than others but we have a unique one-off information pack available at The Beach Haven detailing all the well-known and ‘secret’ locations. This could be the perfect break for the legions of Aidan Turner fans!! See our Poldark blog here.
Other Productions
Other recently shot productions include the BBC serialisation of Agatha Christy’s ‘And Then There Were None‘ which also featured Poldark’s Aidan Turner; the forthcoming Tim Burton film ‘Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children‘ which stars Samuel L. Jackson, Eva Green and Dame Judi Dench.
While just last month, actor Tom Hardy was in Cornwall filming scenes for the forthcoming mini-series ‘Taboo‘. Taboo follows James Keziah Delaney, who has been to the ends of the earth and come back irrevocably changed. Believed to be long dead, he returns home to London from Africa in 1814 to inherit what is left of his father’s shipping empire and rebuild a life for himself. But when his father’s legacy is revealed to be a poisoned chalice and enemies lurk in every dark corner, James must navigate increasingly complex territories to avoid his own death sentence. Encircled by conspiracy, murder, and betrayal – a dark family mystery unfolds in an explosively colourful tale of love and treachery.
Another regular to Cornwall is a German dramatisation of the Rosamund Pilcher series of books such as The Shell Seekers. These adaptions are immensely popular in Germany. Four feature-length programmes are shot in Cornwall each year!
