Doc Martin Was Here: A Walking Tour of Port Isaac's Portwenn
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About the Tour
About the Tour
Port Isaac is one of Cornwall's most photographed fishing villages, and it's easy to see why television came calling. On this walking tour, you'll follow in the footsteps of the famously grumpy Dr. Martin Ellingham through the real streets of Portwenn, discovering how this working harbour village became one of Britain's best-loved TV locations.
The tour starts near the South West Coast Path entrance, where you'll head down Fore Street Hill into the heart of the village. Along the way, you'll spot Louisa's various houses from different series, Mrs Tishell's pharmacy, which relocated several times across the show's 10 series, and the Victorian schoolhouse where Louisa taught, with its sweeping views across the harbour to the Doc's surgery beyond.
You'll pass Morwenna's house, Aunt Ruth's cottage, and the tucked-away corners used for patient visits, before reaching the harbour. Here you'll find The Golden Lion, the real pub behind The Crab and Lobster, and learn about The Fisherman's Friends, the local shanty group who became famous singing on this very slipway. The tour ends at Fern Cottage, the iconic surgery exterior that launched a thousand photographs – a private residence, so you'll want to stay on the road, but unmistakable from the moment you see it.
On this 40-minute tour, you'll have a chance to:
- Recognise Cronk House from Series 1, where a key scene with Louisa and young patient Peter Cronk was filmed
- Step inside The Golden Lion, the 1700s harbourside pub that doubled as The Crab and Lobster throughout the series
- Find the stone archway known as the Mote, used as The Crab and Lobster's entrance in several scenes
- Discover how Bert's Restaurant terrace was filmed on the clifftop, using the harbour views as its backdrop
- Learn how PC Mark Mylow's police station moved around Portwenn across different series
- Hear how Doc Martin filmed here from 2004 to 2022, bringing global attention to a village with roots stretching back to the 14th century
- And of course, the Doc's Surgery, to finish the tour.
Whether you're a devoted fan or simply curious about the village behind the show, this tour brings Portwenn to life one cobbled corner at a time.
Port Isaac is in a valley so there are some steep hills on all sides.
Tour Producer
Tour Producer
Penelewey Tours
Hi, I’m Becky Frost, a proud Cornish storyteller and founder of Penelewey Tours and Penelewey Audio Story Tours, also known as PAST. I create immersive walking audio tours and GPS guided audio experiences on the VoiceMap platform, bringing history, culture, and place vividly to life across Cornwall, the South West of England and beyond.
I specialise in historical walking audio tours, indoor audio guides, and place based storytelling for heritage sites, cultural organisations, cities, and coastal towns. My work covers research, scriptwriting, narration, and delivery of audio tours from concept through to launch, ensuring each experience is authentic, accessible, and thoughtfully paced.
As a fisherman’s daughter raised by the sea, storytelling has always been part of my world. My work is rooted in landscape, memory, and the voices of ordinary people, those whose stories are often walked past rather than truly heard. Through carefully researched and locally voiced audio tours, I invite listeners to slow down and connect with the layers of history beneath their feet.
My greatest fascination lies in the Celtic period, shaped by the movement of people, ideas, trade, and shared culture, alongside Cornwall’s long history of resilience and its ongoing fight to retain identity and land. These themes run quietly through my work, blending local history with wider European narratives in a way that feels grounded and human.
I have been commissioned to create audio interpretation for one of Cornwall’s most significant historic religious buildings, alongside developing audio tours for towns, cities, and coastal places across the region. Accessibility and inclusivity sit at the heart of everything I do, audio tours allow people to explore independently, at their own pace, using their own devices, supporting different learning styles and access needs.
My narration is delivered in a clear English accent with a soft Cornish tone, warm, calm, and welcoming, designed to feel like walking alongside a local rather than being lectured. I write, research, and voice my tours myself, ensuring clarity, care, and authenticity from start to finish.
We don’t walk past history with audio tours, we walk through it.
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Preview Location
Preview Location
Location 29
Conclusion: Fern Cottage - Surgery
This is Fern Cottage, better known as the Doc’s surgery, and one of the most iconic locations in the entire series.
Take a moment here, because this is the place everyone recognises. This is where patients queue outside, wh... Read More
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Major Landmarks
Major Landmarks
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Port Isaac
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Fern Cottage (aka Doc Martin's surgery)
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The Buttermilk Shop (aka Portwenn Chemist)
Getting There
Getting There
Route Overview
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Start location6 Overcliff, Port Isaac PL29 3RZ, UK
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Total distance1km
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Final location4 Roscarrock Hill, Port Isaac PL29 3RG, UK
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Distance back to start location420.56m
Directions to Starting Point
We start the tour at the top of the village by the small St Endellion car park next to Nathan Outlaws restaurant.
There is a larger car park at the very top of the village as you drive in, and only a 10 minute walk to the starting point.
Show Directions
Tips
Tips
Places to stop along the way
The Old School is perfect for a spot of lunch and of course the Golden Lion pub. There are numerous places to crab a traditional Cornish Pasty or Crab sandwich, and I highly recommend grabbing a drink from the Mote and sitting on the slip.
Best time of day
You can do this tour any time of day, but I suggest looking at the opening times of the Golden Lion to get the full experience of the show.
Precautions
Port Isaac is in a valley and there are quite steep hills all around. The village can be very busy in peak season so be aware of other people as you tour.
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