After much anticipation, and nearly 40 years since it was last broadcast, we’ve seen Poldark return to our screens.
The BBC series is based on the novels by Winston Graham, who lived in north Cornwall for three decades. So, staying true to its roots, much of the new series has been filmed in Cornwall with some of the locations just a short drive from us here at The Olde House.
We’ve picked out a few locations, so our guests can visit and see the natural set in all its glory.
Padstow area
Spectacular views over The Camel Estuary and Tregirls Beach are beautiful backdrops for some of Poldark’s cliff top scenes, and nearby beach Porthcothan (below) becomes the fictional Nampara Cove. The fishing village of Padstow is a 20 minute drive from The Olde House and is the ideal place to visit if you love food; it’s home to a handful of Rick Stein’s restaurants and Michelin starred Paul Ainsworth at Number 6.
Photo: Adam Gibbard/Visit Cornwall
Bodmin Moor
The cast and crew spent a lot of time on Bodmin Moor whilst filming in 2014. This is where you’ll see the exterior of Ross Poldark’s cottage, Nampara, and lots of scenes of the cast on horseback. Bodmin Moor is 16 miles from The Olde House, and is a great day out for those who love walking. An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the moor is home to Brown Willy, which is the highest point in Cornwall.
Photo: Ellie Michell
St Agnes Head
St Agnes Head becomes Nampara Valley in the show, and its engine houses on the cliff top reflect Cornwall’s rich mining heritage. The location is a little further down the coast, and 30 miles from The Olde House, but the area is home to beaches Chapel Porth and Trevaunance cove so it makes for a good beach day out.
Photo: Adam Gibbard/Visit Cornwall
Other filming locations around Cornwall include Charlestown, Church Cove Gunwallow, Porthgwarra, Botallack to Levant and Truro. You can see the full details on the Visit Cornwall website.
Other film and TV locations
Cornwall’s beautiful scenery has been the setting for a whole host of TV programmes and films. The dramatic coastlines, sandy beaches and rolling countryside means that the county works so well as a natural setting. Here are a few more:
Doc Martin
The small fishing town of Port Isaac is the setting for ITV’s Doc Martin, starring Martin Clunes. During filming, Port Isaac is the fictional town of Portwenn, where surgeon Martin Ellingham is the village’s GP. Port Isaac, a quaint traditional Cornish village, is less than a 15 minute drive from The Olde House.
Jamaica Inn
An adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier’s Jamaica Inn, the BBC period drama follows the life of Mary Yellan, and was filmed in locations all over Cornwall. Bodmin Moor, Holywell Bay, Fowey and the Jamaica Inn in Bodmin all feature in the three-part 2014 series.
About Time
A large proportion of Richard Curtis’s 2013 film was set at Porthpean House, which is perched on the cliffs near St Austell. Stars including Rachel McAdams and Bill Nighy were filmed in and around the house, and scenes included the area’s stunning views over the ocean.
The Witches
The grand Headland Hotel was the setting for the 1990 adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Witches. The famous red brick hotel overlooking Fistral Beach in Newquay hosted stars Rowan Atkinson and Anjelica Huston during the filming, and you’ll recognise the surroundings in the cliff top scenes.
Bad Education movie
It hasn’t hit our screens yet, but we know that Jack Whitehall has been in Cornwall to film scenes for his upcoming film, the Bad Education movie. The comedian has been on location in the fishing villages of Padstow and Mevagissey, so keep your eyes peeled for its release date.
