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Film & TV Locations Around Cornwall

Film & TV Locations Around Cornwall

With many places in Cornwall having such picturesque, and sometimes dramatic, landscapes, it’s no surprise that it’s been a popular location for film and TV dramas. We’ve been seeing the Cornish coast, and a few inland destinations, on our screens for years! You might recognise some of the more famous shoot locations, but there may well be a few you don’t know about yet…

During your stay at our cottages near Falmouth, why not explore some of the iconic scenery for yourself? The history of Cornwall on screen goes back almost a century (and possibly further), with much of it changing very little between now and then. Afterwards, you can retreat to your cottage for a cosy evening watching or re-watching the film you’ve just ‘visited’!

One Of The Earliest

The very famous adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s 1936 novel ‘Jamaica Inn’ was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and released in May 1939. It’s a classic of Cornish literature so was naturally filmed on location at Bodmin Moor. You probably passed the sign on your way down the A30, because the inn remains a popular stopping place to this day. We promise it’s a little less ominous when experienced in full-colour, but there are several rumours of hauntings, so you never know!

Music Royalty

In 1967, The Beatles filmed part of their Magical Mystery Tour in the town of Newquay and its surrounding beaches. There is a plaque erected in the town centre to commemorate their visit to Porth Beach, Huer’s Hut and Watergate Bay! This local project documents where they visited and shows stills and video clips to set the scene…

21st Century Blockbusters

Skipping ahead to more recent productions… James Bond’s epic ‘Die Another Day’ (2002) begins with opening shots of huge waves in Hawaii. However, much of the ‘coming ashore’ scene was actually filmed at Holywell Bay on Cornwall’s north coast!! Why not visit the National Trust managed beach to climb the towering sand dunes and perhaps stop for an ice cream?! Producers also used cleverly angled shots of the Eden Project’s famous geodesic domes to portray the villain’s sci-fi-esque Ice Palace. Worth a re-watch of the film to see if you can spot the resemblance!

British acting queens Dame Judi Dench and Dame Maggie Smith also came to Cornwall in 2004 for the shooting of ‘Ladies in Lavender’. Their fictional cottage was filmed at Prussia Cove between Helston and Penzance, and scenes were also shot at Cadgwith fishing cove on the Lizard Peninsula.

2011 saw two big-budget movies, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides’ and ‘World War Z’ both filmed in Cornwall, bringing Brad Pitt, Orlando Bloom, Johnny Depp and Keira Knightley down to the South West! Pirate scenes were filmed in St Ives, and the zombie apocalypse thriller saw Falmouth Harbour become a ‘safe zone’ to escape the undead!

TV Favourites

Many viewers will recognise the enduring setting of the Doc Martin TV show which began in 2004 and centres on the quintessentially Cornish village of Port Issac. Because it’s a contemporary drama, it’s so recognisable that you might half expect to see Martin Clunes strolling around on his way to the surgery! We just recommend parking at the top of the village and walking down… don’t get stuck driving on those teeny tiny streets!

Richard Curtis’ Romantic Comedy

In 2012, Richard Curtis’ rom-com ‘About Time’ was set and filmed between London and Cornwall, with Portloe on the Roseland occupying most of the air time. The fictional family live a picturesque coastal life at Porthpean House, scrambling down the cliff for afternoon tea on a regular basis! The house also featured on Rick Stein’s TV programme about Cornwall where they discuss its cultural history.

Mining ‘Poldark Country’

Of course we have to mention the hugely successful historical drama ‘Poldark’ (2015-2019) which has been filmed on location all over Cornwall. In the far West, Botallack Mine near St Just provided the setting for the Poldark family mines. A little closer to our cottages is Chapel Porth, near St Agnes where gallops along the rugged Cornish clifftops were filmed with gorse, heather and engine houses in the background. The National Trust describe how they: “worked with the designers to advise on how the mine would have looked on the surface in the late 18th century – a difficult task as there are no photographs from that period and not many images.” The crew built new timber structures, including winches to haul buckets of ore to the surface, although some roofs of the engine houses were recreated digitally by the visual effects team.

St Pirans Day and Cornish History - Chapel Porth Beach

Contemporary TV Series

The BBC’s ‘Beyond Paradise’ was one of the UK’s most popular dramas of 2023, and although the plot says it’s set in Devon, the show is actually filmed in Looe! You’ll recognise the iconic harbour walls leading down to the beach where numerous police chases inevitably end up with someone falling in the water at least once a series…

New Productions

After the huge access of Raynor Winn’s autobiographical book, ‘The Salt Path’ starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs has been filming on location along Cornwall’s coast, ready for its release in cinemas this May. Particularly recognisable from filming photos are Padstow, Newquay and Rame Head, as the couple walk their way around the entire South West Coast Path after being made homeless in midlife. We can’t wait to see the finished film!

Just Released…

There was also a whisper of celebrity sightings last summer as ITV’s new four-part psychological thriller ‘Playing Nice’ brought BAFTA nominated James Norton and Downton Abbey’s Jessica Brown Findlay to Cornwall for filming. Jubilee Pool in Penzance and Mawgan Porth near Newquay both feature heavily in the miniseries, and you can see them caught up in all the drama on the small screen now!

To find out about holiday cottage availability for your dates and group size, choose your filter options on the ‘Our Cottages’ tab of the website. If we can be of any extra assistance in booking your stay with us, please do let us know!