Port Isaac, known as Portwenn, location for filming “Doc Martin” TV series…What a site to see!

As we approached Port Isaac, the filming site for the TV series, Doc Martin, the scenery took our breath away.

Fascinating Fact of the Day About Port Isaac, Cornwall*:

From this site: “Port Isaac is a small fishing village on the Atlantic coast of north Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The nearest towns are Wadebridge and Camelford, both ten miles away. Port Gaverne, commonly mistaken to be part of Port Isaac, is a nearby hamlet with its history.”

We began watching the first 62 episodes of the popular British TV Series, Doc Martin, over eight seasons. Based on popular demand, the series was renewed for season 9, which begins on TV here in the UK on September 25th.

We’ll be able to watch the first four episodes while we’re here in England on the TV and will stream the remaining four episodes after we get settled into our following location.

Although beaches and ocean access are abundant in Cornwall, the constant cool weather may prevent locals and tourists from visiting the beaches.

Oddly, Doc Martin reminds me of the US TV series Seinfeld, in that it was referred to as the “show about nothing.” Doc Martin has this same characteristic.

It’s somewhat of a mindless show requiring little contemplation, but the subtlety so prevalent with the British, along with their typical sense of humor, often “tongue in cheek,” makes this show a gem.

We fell in love with all the quirky characters, including Doc Martin, masterfully played by well-known British actor Martin Clunes who has had quite an illustrious career. For more on this series, please click here.

Not only are the ocean views outstanding, but the rolling patchwork countryside also has much to offer.

The series is masterfully described as follows:

“Is there a dyspeptic doctor in the house? Successful surgeon Dr. Martin Ellingham abruptly leaves his London practice to become a general practitioner in the sleepy fishing village of Portwenn, where he spent the holidays during his youth.

But his luxury car and lavish wardrobe immediately rub the locals the wrong way, and once they get a load of his abrasive attitude and lack of bedside manner, he quickly alienates most of the townsfolk.”

During our world travels in 2012, we found we could relax and get out of our heads if we watched a few favorite shows when we didn’t have evening plans either on my laptop or on a flat-screen TV (if available) using our HDMI cord.

With the inability to access some US TV series for streaming, we found we could more readily download many popular British shows. One of the British shows that set us on this path (along with “Downton Abbey”) was “Luther,” a gripping police drama starring Idris Alba, a fantastic actor. From there, we were hooked.

There are numerous shops, restaurants, and tourist-related businesses lining the streets of Port Isaac.

At least half of the shows we watched over the past seven years have been British-made, with many of our friends from the UK recommending a variety of shows which we ultimately enjoyed.

One of the reasons we chose to stay in St. Teath, Cornwall, was its proximity to the location where Doc Martin was filmed. With the massive number of tourists we knew would be in Port Isaac, we weren’t interested in staying in a holiday home in the sleepy town.

Yesterday, we witnessed an unbelievable tourist infusion which must be difficult for the residents until it slows down during the colder winter months. We ran into a few difficulties once we arrived after a 25-minute drive from our holiday home.

A pair of seagulls resting atop a parked car.

One was the fact there were virtually no available parking spaces. If we had waited at the few parking lots close to the town, we might have been able to get a spot eventually.

But the more significant issue was “me.” Should we have been able to find a parking place in one of the lots (nothing available in the center of town), I would not have been able to make the long walk up and down the steep hills required to get into the town.

After all, it’s only been a few weeks since I could walk without excruciating pain. It will take time for me to build the strength and muscle tone to tackle such a trek.

From this site: Looking at Port Isaac first, it is an actual commercial fishing harbor from yesteryear, when it was the center of attention for the Pilchard industry. In the heyday of Blue shark fishing from the south coast, it was nothing for sharking enthusiasts to drive to the north shore to get some tubs of Pilchard for use as rubby dubby, as the oil exuded by this small fish is second to none when attracting predators. The pier at the end was built during the reign of Henry the Eighth, and while the town dates back 700 years, it was during the 18^th and 19^th centuries that the town’s prosperity was assured with the handling of ocean-bound cargo like salt, coal, wood and of course all manner of sea fish, crabs, and lobsters. In 1869, the Port Isaac lifeboat was established with a lifeboat called “Sarah and Richard” that had to be dragged through the narrow streets for launching. In the 1960s, the RNLI put in the inshore lifeboat, and since 1967 it has the new” D” coastal model. Today, the picturesque narrow streets and alleys are home to cake shops, souvenirs, and eateries, with general tourism, boosted to celebrity status with programs such as “Poldark,” Saving Grace,” and “Doc Martin.” Out in Port Isaac Bay, there are reputed to have been over 1000 wrecks, a testament to the winter and sometimes summer storms that rumble in off the Atlantic. Many of these would have been sailing ships at the mercy of the wind, whereas today, the age of motor power sees far fewer mishaps.

I am working on it daily with all the hills we encounter when we’re out and the walking around the house and ground, along with the 15 to 20 flights of steps I do each day, intentionally going up and downstairs for added exercise.

When we couldn’t find a parking spot and realized that most of the buildings shown in the Doc Martin series were only accessible on foot, we resigned ourselves to the reality that the only photos we’d be able to take were those we could manage from the car.

On a few occasions, Tom was able to find a place to pull over for a minute or two while I got out of the car to take photos of the ocean and massive cliffs in the area.

This is one of our favorite ocean views in Port Isaac.

After driving around for an hour or more, we finally headed out of Port Isaac on the road to explore the countryside a little further. It was a pleasant drive.

Although we were disappointed not to have captured some of the photos we’d intended, we had a good time exploring, as usual, especially on a sunny day. More Port Isaac photos will follow in the next few days.

Today, it’s raining again, and we’ll stay put while researching future travels. Right now, we feel we’d like to wait until we get to the US in 58 days, where we’ll be staying for two months until we head to India.

Our heartfelt prayers and memories for those in the US who lost loved ones during the 9/11 attack 18 years ago as of today.

Photo from one year ago today, September 11, 2018:

Many species can share a space in harmony. For more photos, please click here.

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