Cornwall isn’t just the backdrop to Poldark, it is the story. From smuggling coves and windswept moorland to historic harbours and cliff-edge mines, the landscapes became characters in their own right.
Where Was Poldark Filmed?
Poldark was filmed almost entirely on location across Cornwall, using real harbours, beaches, mines and moorland. Many places doubled for fictional towns such as Truro, Nampara and Nampara Cove.
Below, each location is listed with:
- Why it was chosen
- Exact filming scenes
- What it stood in for
Charlestown Harbour
Used in Poldark as
- Truro
- Falmouth
- St Mary’s, Isles of Scilly
What scenes were filmed in Charlestown Harbour?
- Captain Andrew Blamey’s home and harbour
- Verity Poldark’s elopement
- Ross meeting the exiled Mark Daniels (Series 2)
Charlestown’s remarkably well-preserved Georgian harbour has long caught the attention of location managers. As well as standing in for Poldark’s Truro, it also plays the role of Falmouth, where Captain Andrew Blamey lives and sails from. His apparent Falmouth residence overlooks Charlestown’s inner harbour, from where Verity Poldark famously elopes with him to the disapproval of her family. Charlestown beach and slipway also double as St Mary’s on the Isles of Scilly in Series Two, in scenes that see Ross meet the exiled Mark Daniels.
Charlestown
Gunwalloe Church Cove (National Trust)
Used in Poldark as
- Smuggling coves
- Exterior of Dwight Enys’ cottage
What scenes were filmed in Gunwalloe Church Cove?
- Night-time shipwrecking scenes (Series 1)
- Smuggling sequences
- Clifftop views of Dwight’s home
Gunwalloe’s dramatic twin coves, Dollar Cove and Church Cove, relived their smuggling past when the Poldark cast arrived to film night-time shipwreck scenes for Series One. Overlooked by the tiny church of St Winwaloe, the cove also provides the setting for Dr Dwight Enys’ clifftop cottage, which stands further along the coast towards Loe Bar and Porthleven. The isolated setting and historical associations made Gunwalloe an ideal location for Cornwall’s darker, more dangerous storylines.
Gunwalloe beach Cornwall
Botallack Mine
Used in Poldark as
- Wheal Leisure
- Wheal Crowns
- Wheal Grace
What scenes were filmed in Botallack Mine?
- Mining operations
- Coastal cliff-top confrontations
- Exterior mine sequences
Clinging to the cliffs of west Cornwall, Botallack Mine provides one of Poldark’s most dramatic industrial backdrops. Its engine houses and ruined buildings feature as several fictional mines, including Wheal Leisure and Wheal Crowns, reinforcing the ever-present danger faced by Cornwall’s miners. As part of the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site, Botallack adds both visual power and historical authenticity to the series.
Levant Mine
Used in Poldark as
What scenes were filmed in Levant Mine?
- Ross and Francis debating steam engines (Series 2)
Just northeast of Botallack lies Levant Mine, home to Cornwall’s only working steam beam engine. In Poldark, its buildings are used as Tressiders Rolling Mill, most notably during Series Two when Ross and Francis debate the revolutionary potential of Richard Trevithick’s engines. While the scene appears to take place inside the engine house, the actors were green-screened into the setting during filming.
Holywell Bay
Used in Poldark as
- Open coastal settings
- Horse racing terrain
What scenes were filmed in Holywell Bay?
- Ross, Demelza and George Warleggan confrontations
- Horse races between Dwight Enys and Caroline Penvenen
Holywell Bay’s vast sweep of golden sand and rolling dunes makes it one of the most recognisable beaches in Poldark. With Gull Rock rising from the sea, the bay hosts several emotionally charged encounters between Ross, Demelza and George Warleggan, as well as the dramatic horse-racing scenes involving Dwight and Caroline. Its scale and openness lend themselves perfectly to moments of rivalry and tension.
Poldark Filming Locations in Cornwall 12
Bodmin Moor
Used in Poldark as
- Nampara (exterior)
- Miners’ cottages
What scenes were filmed in Bodmin moor?
- Ross Poldark’s home
- Jim Carter’s cottage
- Ross meeting Demelza (Episode 1)
The wild expanse of Bodmin Moor is used extensively throughout Poldark, most notably for the exterior of Ross Poldark’s home, Nampara. The moor also provides the setting for miners’ cottages and Dr Dwight Enys’ original home. In the opening episode, Ross first encounters Demelza here, near the village of Minions, marking the beginning of their story against Cornwall’s harsh and unforgiving landscape.
Minions in cornwall mines
St Agnes Head (National Trust)
Used in Poldark as
What scenes were filmed in St Agnes Head?
- Cliff-hanger endings (Series 1 & 2)
- Horseback riding scenes
St Agnes Head, crowned by the iconic Wheal Coates engine house, plays a central role in Poldark’s most dramatic moments. The clifftop location doubles as Nampara Valley and provides the setting for pivotal cliff-hanger endings in both Series One and Two, where the physical danger of the cliffs mirrors the emotional stakes faced by the characters.
Wheal Coates Tin Mine
Porthgwarra
Used in Poldark as
- Fishing cove
- Smugglers’ hideaway
What scenes were filmed in Porthgwarra?
- Ross swimming watched by Demelza
- Pilchard fishing scenes
- Mark Daniels’ escape tunnel
Once a thriving fishing cove, Porthgwarra’s secluded beauty made it ideal for some of Poldark’s most memorable moments. Ross’s swim, watched silently by Demelza from the cliffs above, was filmed here, along with pilchard fishing scenes and the smugglers’ tunnel used by Mark Daniels to escape capture.
Porthgwarra beach cornwall
Porthcurno Beach
Used in Poldark as
What scenes were filmed in Porthcurno Beach?
Porthcurno’s soft white sand, turquoise water and steep granite cliffs provide the setting for Nampara Cove. In Series Two, the beach appears in a dream-like sequence where Ross and Demelza walk together along the shoreline, offering a rare moment of calm amid the wider drama.
porthcurno Beach looking over to pedn vounder
Kynance Cove
Used in Poldark as
What scenes were filmed in Pedn Vounder Beach?
- Opening sequence of Series 2
- Ross marched away after his arrest
With its serpentine rock formations and turquoise waters, Kynance Cove features prominently in sweeping aerial shots and clifftop riding scenes, including the opening sequence of Series Two. The cove is also used following Ross’s arrest, as he is marched away towards Truro jail.
Poldark Filming Locations in Cornwall 13
Bedruthan Steps
Used in Poldark as
- Dramatic coastal backdrops
What scenes were filmed in Bedruthan Steps?
- Wide establishing shots of Cornwall’s north coast
Bedruthan Steps, with its towering sea stacks and raw Atlantic backdrop, is used for wide establishing shots that emphasise the scale and drama of Cornwall’s coastline, reinforcing the sense of isolation and grandeur that runs throughout the series.
Bedruthan steps
Predannack Wollas
Used in Poldark as
- Open clifftop riding terrain
What scenes were filmed in Predannack Wollas ?
- Ross Poldark’s horseback charges
- Long-distance travel and pursuit scenes
The wild, windswept headland of Predannack Wollas, lying between Kynance Cove and Mullion, provided the perfect setting for many of Poldark’s horseback charges. With its exposed cliffs, open grassland and wildflower-strewn paths, the landscape captures the raw, untamed character of Cornwall’s south coast, allowing riders to move freely across the terrain while emphasising speed, urgency and isolation.
Park Head & Porthcothan Bay
Used in Poldark as
- Clifftop riding routes
- Nampara coastline
What scenes were filmed in Park Head & Porthcothan Bay?
- Ross galloping on horseback along the clifftops
- Coastal scenes representing Nampara
The dramatic clifftops at Park Head, near Porthcothan on Cornwall’s north coast, offer sweeping views towards the sea stacks of Bedruthan Steps and were used for horseback riding scenes featuring Ross Poldark. Below, the wide sandy beaches at Porthcothan double as part of the Nampara coastline, providing a softer contrast to the rugged cliffs above while maintaining the sense of openness and exposure that defines the area.
Poldark Filming Locations in Cornwall 14
Penberth Cove
Used in Poldark as
What scenes were filmed in Penberth Cove?
- Home village of Sam and Drake Carne
- Rural fishing village scenes
Penberth Cove, a small and secluded fishing village between Porthcurno and Mousehole, was used as the village of Sawle, where Demelza’s brothers Sam and Drake Carne live. Owned by the National Trust, the cove remains largely unchanged, with a handful of working fishing boats and a large historic capstan once used to haul boats ashore. Its quiet, working character made it an ideal stand-in for a modest Cornish settlement.
Turnaware Point
Used in Poldark as
What scenes were filmed in Turnaware Point?
- Covert landings (Series 3)
Turnaware Point, on the Roseland side of the River Fal, is best known for its real-life association with the D-Day landings. In Poldark, it takes on a different role, doubling as a French coastal location in Series Three during scenes involving covert landings. Its quiet shoreline and expansive estuary views allowed the production to convincingly recreate a continental setting without leaving Cornwall.
Loe beach cornwall
