Top 8 Poldark Filming Locations

Hearing how Porthcurno and Kynance Cove beaches have been overrun with visitors this summer, I’ve decided to amend my original post and take these two locations out of my original Top 10 Poldark filming locations. It’s now a Top 8! While these two places are amongst my favourite spots in Cornwall, I would urge you to only visit them out of season to enjoy them at their most beautiful.

With the return of the ever-so-dashing Poldark to our screens, my mind wanders to the captivating beauty of Cornwall and the spectacular locations of this TV drama. While we have explored Cornwall numerous times over the years, Mr Skylark and I took on a chunk of the Cornish coast path last September. We spent 5 days walking from St Ives to Penzance. It was on this occasion that we were lucky enough to bump into the cast and crew of Poldark, who were filming on location.

Although Poldark has been filmed outside of Cornwall too, read on for my favourite Cornish filming locations and discover where we bumped into the cast and crew for a behind the scenes look at filming.

Top 8 Poldark Filming Locations in Cornwall

Bodmin Moor

Wild and windswept Bodmin Moor is the location of Ross Poldark’s cottage, Nampara. Many of the rugged, horseback scenes have been filmed on the moor. It’s not possible to visit Nampara itself as it is a private property, but it’s located in St Breward. Mr Skylark, whose family is from around this area, and I have enjoyed many fabulous walks (through every season) across Bodmin Moor. Particularly around the abandoned mines and intriguing rock formations at the Cheese Wring.

Park Head

The cliffs at Park Head offer spectacular views of Bedruthan Steps on Cornwall’s north coast. This is one of the locations of Ross Poldark’s clifftop canters. The neighbouring beaches of Porthcothan and Hendrawna feature as part of Nampara. The café at Bedruthan Steps is one of my favourite places to enjoy a Cornish cream tea.

St Agnes

St Agnes Head doubles as Nampara Valley and featured in the cliff-hanger scenes at the end of the first two series. While the mine itself is not one of the Poldark filming locations, Wheal Coates is an abandoned tin mine, dramatically located on the edge of the cliffs, carpeted with gorse and heather.

Levant Mine and Beam Engine

Levant is a National Trust owned mine dating back to the 1870s. It has been well preserved and houses the only existing working steam beam engine. It’s known as a submarine mine, where the lodes extended for over a mile out to sea. In Poldark, these buildings appear as Tressiders Rolling Mill. I was shocked to learn that workers would collect the arsenic, with only cotton wool stuffed up their noses, and a cloth over their mouths, for protection from this deadly poison.

Botallack 

The mines at Botallack are part of the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site. The mines at Botallack produced tin, copper and arsenic. The Poldark film locations of Wheal Grace and Wheal Leisure can be found here (West Wheal Owles). As well as the dramatically located Grambler (Wheal Crowns) – Francis Poldark’s mine, which he later lost to George Warleggan. Similar to the series, Wheal Owles was struck by a real-life tragedy in 1893 when floodwater trapped the miners underground.

It was here at Wheal Owles, that we came across the Poldark filming. After a long, long day hiking the SW Coast Path, we were stopped by a crewmember just before the mine, as they were about to shoot a scene. He escorted us across to ‘the other side’ while insisting that I didn’t dilly-dally. But I had good reason for dilly-dallying and I told him so. My feet were sore from walking 10 miles already that day…AND I’d just caught sight of Aidan Turner sitting up on the bank to my left! When we got to the other side, we found a group of onlookers (mainly female) watching the filming through their binoculars. Mr Skylark wasn’t as keen as me to hang around for a glimpse of Dr Enys, so we continued on our merry way.

While Wheal Owles is distinctly recognizable on-screen, it looks slightly different in real-life as it doesn’t have a roof. The production team CGI the roof for TV. Isn’t technology amazing?

Gwennap Head

Gwennap Head sits between Land’s End and Porthgwarra. This dramatic headland has beautiful views across the Penwith Peninsula and has featured as one of the Poldark  locations in a number of horse-riding scenes. NCI Gwennap Head coastguard station can be found here. We were curious about the giant red cone as we walked over the headland. We later discovered it’s to warn ships of the dangers of the Runnel Stone. Gwennap Head is an important migratory route for many sea birds such as fulmars, guillemots, razorbills and cormorants.

Porthgwarra

Once a thriving fishing cove, beautiful Porthgwarra is probably one of the most memorable Poldark filming locations. Because this is where Ross skinny-dips, whilst being watched by Demelza from the cliff top. It features again in a pilchard fishing scene. Porthgwarra is also the location of the tunnel where Ross kept his boat, used by Mark Daniels to escape. There’s a cute little café here if you’re feeling peckish. It stayed open during an overnight filming session, serving pasties to the cast and crew. Keep your eyes peeled and you may spot some seals swimming out at sea.

Penberth Cove

This picture-perfect, stone hamlet appears as the village where many of Dr Enys’ patients live. In more recent series, Penberth takes an even bigger starring role as the location of the home of Demelza’s brothers. Demelza and Prudie are seen rushing across the stepping-stones over the stream, to go to the aid of a lady giving birth.

To find out more about the Poldark filming locations, you can download an app from Visit Cornwall.

Are you a fan of Poldark and have you been to any of the filming locations in Cornwall? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below.

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