The British comedy series Doc Martin is a huge hit with PBS viewers. Being in Cornwall, I had to drop by the rugged little fishing port where it’s filmed.
The village of Portwenn in Doc Martin is played by the real-life town of Port Isaac. Strolling its scenic harbor, I remembered the fun I had interviewing the charming and engaging Martin Clunes (who plays Doc Martin) for my public radio show, Travel with Rick Steves.
While Port Isaac is portrayed on the show as a quiet time warp, in reality it’s chockablock with Doc Martin fans. And part of their pilgrimage is to hike up the far side of the village to this building, Doc Martin’s cottage.
You don’t need to go to Port Isaac to enjoy the charm of Portwenn and Doc Martin. It’s commonplace in Cornwall. Just looking out the window at this mesmerizing back-alley view from my B&B in Penzance, I had my own Portwenn…and it was plenty real.
Rick – this is the Pot Calling the Kettle Black; could just as easily be “Rick Steves fans Trample the Cinque Terre”, or “Steves viewers Congest Rue Clere”.
Mr. Steve’s I have a feeling you have no idea what you have done by saying this. My husband and I are great fans of yours but when bigger fans of Doc Martin. Port Issac is a beautiful place and the Doc Martin series which only films once every two years in Port Issac has done nothing but improve the economy of this beautiful fishing village.
Hello Steve,
I wish you could provide us with travel details on how to get to Port Issac, as well as where to stay and eat. I wanted to take my 87 year old Aunt but one friend of mine said that it’s not easy for the elderly to get around in much of Europe, UK, etc. She does have a difficult time walking but she just loves Martin Clunes in the Doc Martin series. She loves the town and the quaintness and quirkiness about the series. Is there a way for someone slightly handicapped to get around. Walking can be too much but she can walk. I have a scooter and wheelchair but I’ve hear that some places are too tiny or choppy for these things. Sincerely, Donna Keenan, Baton Rouge, LA
We went to Port Isaac last year. It was a 4 hour drive from Newberry, where we were staying, it is not easy to get to and you have to have a car. We spent a couple of hours there and then went to Tintagel and back to our B and B. We still talk about how everyone there had a smile on their faces. We enjoyed a great lunch and sat at a table with 2 Londoner’s and their dogs who had driven down. It was a wonderful day and we have spoken of it often.
Yes, Doc Martin is a great show and the scenery is great too. I like that Father Brown show on PBS even better, it’s well written and scenic as well.