Looking for Doc Martin in Port Isaac?
Grumpy and with no bedside manner whatsoever, Doc Martin is a cult hero. Doctor Martin Ellingham, the star of the ‘Doc Martin’ TV series, played by Martin Clunes, has fans worldwide due to his comic timing and snappy one-liners. In fact, the series, which has been going since 2004, has fans worldwide due to its beautiful mix of supremely comic and deliciously heartfelt moments.
And what do fans of a TV series do? They head to the filming locations to see the scenes for themselves. As such, Port Isaac, which itself plays the fictional village of Portwenn in the series, has become a hugely popular tourist hotspot over the past few years for those megafans who want to see as many places that ‘Doc Martin’ was filmed as possible. And, of course, there are indeed many places to see in this quaint Cornish village.
Due to its popularity, a number of tour companies have popped up over the past few years to give visitors the full filming locations experience. You’ll have to search online to see who’s organising what on your visit but we recommend going solo and just asking around when you get to Port Isaac. You’ll be told about Fern Cottage, which was used as Doc Martin’s surgery and is about 100m up the hill from the harbour. You’ll discover The Old Schoolhouse Hotel that was used as the village school. You’ll find Mrs Tishell’s pharmacy and Louisa’s house in Fore Street. It’s all here. You just have to explore.
After checking out the filming locations in the village (and maybe the Fisherman’s Friends film locations too), you can then travel to neighbouring Port Gaverne which was used for many exterior shots. And then there’s Doyden Castle in Port Quin and St Nonna’s Church in Altarnun that are not too far from Port Isaac but were also key moments in the series. We recommend staying in Port Isaac though. Aside from its history and charm, you can relive your most special ‘Doc Martin’ memories and see where it was all filmed. Are you ready to step up?