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Port Isaac is normally a quiet fishing village on the northwestern coast of Cornwall. However, thanks to the ITV hit show, Doc Martin, this medieval village turns into Portwenn and thousands of fans flock to the village to check out the filming location. I’m one of those fans! No shame. I love Doc Martin and therefore had to check out Doc Martin’s filming location.
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On that note: It gets BUSY! Like Orlando theme park slammed.
Maybe its because it’s a small village, so it just looks like extra people, but I really think there was that many people there.
By 11am, all the tour buses arrive for the day, the local tours are in full swing and people start queuing up to take pictures with the Doc’s house.
The Ultimate Doc Martin Filming Location Guide
How to get to Doc Martin’s filming location
I will start out by saying, unless you are staying in Cornwall, it is impossible to do a day trip here! (Unless you are staying somewhere like Exeter or Bristol, then it’s possible. The roads are small and Cornwall has no motorways (major interstate highways) in the county.
- By Car: I will say this over and over again. You NEED A CAR when you are exploring Cornwall. It’s just easier.
- By Train: The closest train station is Roche and it’s about 11 miles away. You can get a train with one change from London Paddington and it will take about 4 1/2 hours… so plan on staying the night.
- By Bus: You can take the 96 bus route and get off at the Port Isaac stop, however, the bus runs 4 times a day and there’s no major stops on the route, so you will definitely have to make a few changes.
Where to Park
The closest parking lot is off New Road, however, it’s the long stay parking lot, so a lot of guests from the holiday cottages in the area will park there overnight and the spots are limited. If it’s after 11am, I wouldn’t bother trying to get a spot.
If you are lucky enough to get a space in the closer parking lot, you have a 10 minute walk to the harbor.
The main parking lot is called “The Main Car Park” (how convenient?). It’s on the right side after you pass the “Welcome to Port Isaac” sign.
Unfortunately, it’s about a 20-25 minute walk to the harbor, however, if the New Road parking lot is full, this is your ONLY option.
Luckily, the view is amazing with Tintangel in the distance. This area has also been used as a filming location for Doc Martin!
There are also bathrooms (20 pence charge) and a small cafe if you want some refreshments before making the trek to the harbor. I recommend these bathrooms over the public ones by the harbor.
I just think they are cleaner, newer, and well kept.
Walking to the Harbor
Start your walk into town by turning right out of the parking lot. It’s not the most scenic walk (compared to the winding, tiny streets around the harbor) and you won’t even be able to see the harbor yet, but ya gotta do it!
When you come to the awkward intersection, you will see a fork on the left side of the road.
The road on the left (Back Hill) is a steep incline, but goes straight to the entrance of the Old School Hotel. BUT, take the road on the right (Fore Street – see picture below).
It’s a gentle slope down to the harbor (a little bit longer distance) and it passes two filming locations, so you won’t have to back track (you would with the other road).
Continue walking down the street and you will come to your first filming location on the corner! (If you parked in the New Road parking lot, instead of walking the streets, follow the coastal path along the cliff side and you will end up here)!
The Cornish Cove (76 Fore Street)
This hasn’t been used as a filming location too much, but it was used in series 8! It’s the perfect stop after you’ve finished exploring and you want some scones and tea! YUM!
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ALSO, if you didn’t take the coastal path down, then you need to turn around and check out the view point. You don’t get a full view of the harbor, but you will get your first glimpse of the Doc’s house and the dramatic cliffs surrounding the harbor.
Louisa’s House (25 Fore Street)
Continue walking down the hill a few feet (literally) and Louisa’s house (pre-Martin marriage) is on the right side.
It’s called Sea Cove Cottage and you can actually rent out this holiday home (minimum stay is one week)! The views of the harbor from your private patio are perfect.
Port Wenn School
Staying on Fore Street, you will come to the Old School Hotel. This is the location for the Port Wenn school. To get to the “front of the school”, continue walking down Fore Street and you’ll come to an entrance for a parking lot. (The Boathouse -super cute shop BTW- is on the corner).
Make that turn into the parking lot and you’ll see where all the filming for Louisa’s school takes place.
Don’t forget to check out the viewpoint here of the harbor. You’ll also get a better shot of Doc’s house and Bert’s restaurant.
The Crab and Lobster
Head back onto Fore Street and you will come across The Golden Lion.
Fun fact: It’s the ONLY pub in the village.
You’ll even see the Crab and Lobster sign hung up outside during filming!
This pub played a major role in the latest season… literally every episode!
If you walk down the alley on the left side of the entrance then you’ll come to the tiny beer garden with the canon. This has also been used a filming location. The upper floor balcony has also been used a few times.
Aunt Ruth’s House
Back track onto the street and you’ll come to a hard right curve. Instead of following the street down to the harbor, go straight down the pathway to the left of The Krab Pot (which apparently has the best crab sandwich EVER).
Follow it down to the end, the alley will get very narrow (just under 50 cm narrow) and you’ll squeeze through the other side.
This alleyway is appropriately named Squeeze-ee Belly Alley and it was used back in the smuggling days when smugglers were evading the revenue men.
They tended to be a little bit larger in size and couldn’t fit down the alleyway.
On the other side of the alley is a beautiful row of cottages (which has also been used as background scenery in Doc Martin), turn left and you’ll see another major Doc Martin filming location – Aunt Ruth’s cottage is the white house facing you.
Who can forget the episode where Martin keeps visiting the house because he’s worried about Ruth and thinks she’s showing early signs of dementia when it was actually a gas leak and she has A LOT of cats roaming around here AND her neighbor is hiding a seal in the bathtub!
The Harbor/ The Platt
Back track and continue on Fore Street. You have finally made it to the harbor!!
This area has been in multiple scenes throughout the series. I can’t even name them all because this harbor makes an appearance in EVERY EPISODE!
They have even filmed in the actual harbor during low tide.
The Pharmacy
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Across from The Platt is Harbour Treats AKA the pharmacy (or chemist). This is the only major filming location that uses the inside for interior shots.
They have a sign in their window that encourages you to take photos of the inside, outside, and ask as many questions as you want about filming. HOW FUN!
Also, the ice cream is verrrrrry tasty!
Bert Large’s Restaurant
Before the Crab and Lobster had a starring role in the later seasons, Bert had his restaurant!
Unfortunately Bert’s restaurant is not an actual place where you can eat, but it’s someone’s house. You can’t walk down to the patio area, but you can get a sneak peak of it if you look past the side of the gate.
If you haven’t figure out how to get here yet, just start walking up the road/hill that’s to the left side of the harbor (if you’re looking at it) and you’ll see the roof of the white house peaking out from the side of the cliff on the right side. Still not sure if you’ve made it? Look for the gate labeled ‘Halwyn House’.
Doc’s House/Practice (4 Roscarrock Hill)
I saved the best for last! It’s also the furthest point away from the parking lot!
The Doc’s House, known as Fern Cottage in real life, is also another holiday cottage that you can rent out for a week (or even just a night)… the average night is £220.. which isn’t bad for a two bedroom house that sleeps four.
Continue walking up the hill a few more feet and you will run right into the Doc’s house (on the left side), or you’ll run into all the people taking pictures outside of the Doc’s house. Either way you can’t miss it!
I took a picture with the crowded streets (I’m normally super patient and wait for a clearing), I needed you guys to see how busy it can get! I love visiting a location early, before the tour groups arrive and the hustle and bustle starts, but sometimes that’s not always reality. *THIS IS A WEEKDAY*
Fun Fact: The toilets on the right side have been used as an exit to the bakery and then again, in a different episode, as actual bathrooms.
If you are having any issues finding it, either ask someone in village or check out google maps on your phone, it’s already marked as the Doc’s House! And when you start walking up the street, there’s a sign that says you’re gettin’ closer to the Doc’s house!
Portwenn Tour Guide
There’s a super cute map that you can purchase (£2.00) in almost every store in Port Isaac. It just has a few of the major filming locations pin-pointed on the map, but it’s a fun souvenir to take back with you.
Tips and Fun Facts
- Allow 2 1/2 hours to walk around, explore, take pictures, and get to and from the parking lot. If you stop for lunch, dinner or afternoon tea then add an extra hour onto your schedule.
- Michelin star chef, Nathan Outlaw, owns a restaurant at the front of the harbor, Outlaws Fish Kitchen. It is apparently a favorite of Martin Clunes and the rest of the cast.
- Most of the interior scenes (with the exception of the pharmacy, the Crab and Lobster, Louisa’s house in the earlier seasons) are filmed just a few miles outside of Port Isaac in a converted barn.
- The Fisherman’s Friends is an acapella group that sings sea shanties. Not only do they have a record deal with Universal Music, but they have their own movie! (It’s available on Amazon Prime right now and it really shows off Port Isaac!) One of the band members, Jon Cleave, owns the Boathouse souvenir shop and even wrote his own novel, Nasty Pasty, which they sell in the store.
Once you’ve finished exploring, you can take the same route back to the parking lot!
If you’re a fan of the show, everywhere you turn is a Doc Martin filming location and even if you aren’t a fan of the show, Port Isaac definitely needs to be added to your Cornwall bucket list.
Wondering if or why you should visit Cornwall? I’ve got 10 reasons for you to visit Cornwall!
And if you’re heading to Cornwall already, check out my tips!
Have you visited Port Isaac? Are you a fan of ITV’s Doc Martin? Let me know in the comments below!
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