Interior scenes for the series were shot at The Bottle Yard Studios in Bristol. This is a working production facility and not open to the public, so there is nothing to tour, but it explains why many indoor moments look distinct from the wild exteriors. Travellers building a Poldark itinerary can comfortably skip Bristol and focus on the location shoots further west.
The Short Answer
Poldark was mainly filmed on location across Cornwall, England, using real coastlines, beaches, mines and moors. Botallack Mine stood in for Wheal Leisure, Charlestown Harbour doubled as several ports, and Bodmin Moor held the Nampara cottage exterior. Interiors were shot at The Bottle Yard Studios in Bristol, with additional scenes at estates in Wiltshire and Gloucestershire.
The BBC series, broadcast from 2015 to 2019, leaned heavily on genuine Cornish landscapes rather than studio backlots. Producers used National Trust coastlines, working harbours and open moorland to build the late 18th-century world of Ross Poldark, which is why so many filming sites remain easy to visit today.
Most locations sit along the Cornish coast between St Agnes and Land's End, with a handful of inland outliers. The National Trust manages several of the key sites, and a working harbour, a private manor and two historic estates round out the picture.
Every Location At A Glance
| Location | Where | What was filmed | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Botallack Mine | St Just | Wheal Leisure, Wheal Crowns, Grambler mine scenes | Free to see |
| Charlestown Harbour | St Austell | Truro harbour, Falmouth, St Mary’s Isles of Scilly, elopement and smuggling scenes | Free to see |
| Gunwalloe Church Cove | Helston | Night-time shipwrecking and smuggling scenes (Series 1) | Free to see |
| Bodmin Moor near St Breward | Bodmin | Nampara cottage exterior, horseback riding scenes | Free to see |
| Porthcurno Beach | Penzance | Nampara Cove scenes, beach walks and dramatic sequences | Free to see |
| Holywell Bay | Newquay | Beach encounters, horse races, wishing well scenes | Free to see |
| Levant Mine | St Just | Tressiders Rolling Mill | Free to see |
| Chapel Porth | St Agnes | Clifftop gallops and horseback riding scenes | Free to see |
| Great Chalfield Manor | Melksham | Killewarren (Caroline Enys and Dr Enys home) | Ticketed |
| Chavenage House | Tetbury | Trenwith (Poldark family home) | Ticketed |
Filming Locations Map
10 locations. The map loads when it scrolls into view.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Location By Location
Location 02
Botallack Mine
Cornwall, St Just Free to see
Filmed here: Wheal Leisure, Wheal Crowns, Grambler mine scenes
The Crowns engine houses at Botallack, near St Just, doubled as Wheal Leisure, Wheal Crowns and the Grambler mine, with CGI enhancements for the series. Today it is a National Trust site with free or membership access, and the engine houses remain visible from the coastal path. Walking the cliff trail gives the clearest sense of how the mine appeared on screen.
Location 03
Charlestown Harbour
Cornwall, St Austell Free to see
Filmed here: Truro harbour, Falmouth, St Mary’s Isles of Scilly, elopement and smuggling scenes
This working harbour near St Austell stood in for Truro, Falmouth and even St Mary's on the Isles of Scilly, hosting elopement and smuggling scenes. Tall ships are often moored here and film sets are sometimes still present, making it one of the most atmospheric stops. Access is public, and visitor berthing is available for those arriving by boat.
Location 04
Gunwalloe Church Cove
Cornwall, Helston Free to see
Filmed here: Night-time shipwrecking and smuggling scenes (Series 1)
The National Trust beach at Gunwalloe, near Helston, was used for the night-time shipwrecking and smuggling scenes in Series 1. Visitors today find parking, toilets and summer lifeguards, with dogs restricted seasonally. The cove sits below a church right on the sand, which gives it the moody, exposed character the production wanted.
Location 05
Bodmin Moor near St Breward
Cornwall, Bodmin Free to see
Filmed here: Nampara cottage exterior, horseback riding scenes
The exterior of Nampara cottage is a private farmhouse on Bodmin Moor near St Breward, and it is not open to the public. The moor itself is open access land with hiking and riding trails, and the horseback riding scenes were shot across this landscape. Admire the farmhouse from a distance, then explore the moor on foot.
Location 06
Porthcurno Beach
Cornwall, Penzance Free to see
Filmed here: Nampara Cove scenes, beach walks and dramatic sequences
Porthcurno Beach, near Penzance, represented Nampara Cove across multiple seasons, hosting beach walks and dramatic sequences. It is a popular National Trust area with white sand and steep access, and parking is limited, so arrive early in peak season. The beach sits close to the Minack Theatre area, making it easy to pair with other sights.
Location 07
Holywell Bay
Cornwall, Newquay Free to see
Filmed here: Beach encounters, horse races, wishing well scenes
Holywell Bay, near Newquay, provided the backdrop for beach encounters, horse races and wishing well scenes. The National Trust beach offers a large car park, sweeping dunes and surfing, so it works well for families combining a filming stop with a day out. The dunes and Gull Rock offshore are easy to recognise from the show.
Location 08
Levant Mine
Cornwall, St Just Free to see
Filmed here: Tressiders Rolling Mill
Levant Mine, near St Just, played the Tressidders Rolling Mill. Now a National Trust site, it features a working beam engine and offers underground tours, giving visitors a rare look inside a real mine rather than just an exterior. It pairs naturally with nearby Botallack for a full mining-district day on the Cornish west coast.
Location 09
Chapel Porth
Cornwall, St Agnes Free to see
Filmed here: Clifftop gallops and horseback riding scenes
The National Trust beach and cliffs at Chapel Porth, near St Agnes, were used for the clifftop gallops and horseback riding scenes. There is a car park and a cafe on site, which makes it a convenient stop. The cliffs here look much as they did on screen, and the South West Coast Path runs through the area for longer walks.
Location 10
Great Chalfield Manor
Wiltshire, Melksham Ticketed
Filmed here: Killewarren (Caroline Enys and Dr Enys home)
Great Chalfield Manor, near Melksham in Wiltshire, served as Killewarren, the home of Caroline Enys and Dr Enys. The manor was reportedly chosen because it is still lived in by the original family. It is a National Trust property with limited opening hours and guided tours, so check times before travelling from Cornwall.
Location 11
Chavenage House
Gloucestershire, Tetbury Ticketed
Filmed here: Trenwith (Poldark family home)
Chavenage House, near Tetbury in Gloucestershire, stood in for Trenwith, the Poldark family home. This Elizabethian manor is a private house that opens for tours, and its interiors appeared in the series alongside the grounds. It is the main filming site outside Cornwall and Wiltshire, so it suits travellers already touring the Cotswolds.
Where It Is Set Versus Where It Was Filmed
The series is set in late 18th-century Cornwall, and it was filmed almost entirely in the real Cornwall that the story describes. That overlap is unusual for period drama. Coastlines, engine houses and moorland seen on screen are genuine Cornish locations, with studio interiors in Bristol and estate exteriors in Wiltshire and Gloucestershire filling the gaps.
The Studio Side
The Bottle Yard Studios in Bristol handled interior scenes. The facility is not visitable, and no tours operate there, so the studio matters mainly for understanding how the production was assembled rather than as a destination.
Tours That Visit These Locations
Guided tours collect travellers from Cornish bases and string the main filming sites into a single day, which helps given how spread out the locations are. Private options suit fans wanting flexibility on pace and stops.
West Cornwall Locations Drive
West Cornwall Tour with Poldark Filming Locations
A guided drive around west Cornwall's filming locations, covering the coast-heavy cluster of sites in one outing.
From$1212Check availability
Full-Day Private From Newquay
Private Full-Day Tour of Poldark Filming Locations from Cornwall
A private full-day itinerary of Poldark filming locations departing from Newquay, priced on enquiry with the operator.
From$565Check availability
Private Pickup Tour From Launceston
From Cornwall: Private Poldark Tour with Pickup
A full private day with hotel pickup from the Launceston area, currently listed at $1,085.68 per booking with four reviews recorded.
From$1086Check availability
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Visit The Poldark Filming Locations?
Yes. Most Cornish sites are public or National Trust land with free or membership access, including Botallack Mine, Porthcurno Beach, Holywell Bay and Chapel Porth. Two exceptions are the private Nampara farmhouse exterior on Bodmin Moor and the ticketed estates, Great Chalfield Manor and Chavenage House.
Where Is Nampara Cottage In Real Life?
The Nampara cottage exterior is a private farmhouse on Bodmin Moor near St Breward. It is not open to the public, so visitors should view it from a distance. The moorland around it is open access and offers hiking and riding trails used in the series.
Which Harbour Appeared In Poldark?
Charlestown Harbour near St Austell stood in for Truro, Falmouth and even St Mary's on the Isles of Scilly. It is a working harbour with tall ships, and film sets are often still present on the quayside.
What Mine Was Used For Wheal Leisure?
Botallack Mine near St Just doubled as Wheal Leisure, Wheal Crowns and the Grambler mine, with CGI enhancements added in post-production. The Crowns engine houses are visible from the National Trust coastal path today.
Are The Poldark Sites Outside Cornwall Worth The Trip?
Great Chalfield Manor in Wiltshire played Killewarren, and Chavenage House in Gloucestershire played Trenwith. Both are ticketed and open only at limited times, so they suit travellers already passing through those counties rather than a dedicated journey from Cornwall.
Do You Need A Car To See The Locations?
Independent travel without a car is difficult because the sites spread across the Cornish peninsula. Guided tours from Cornish bases solve this, and private options with pickup let travellers set their own pace and stops.
Poldark's Cornwall is unusually faithful to its source material, and that rewards travellers who make the drive west. Pair Botallack and Levant Mine for the mining story, add Charlestown for the harbour scenes, and walk the beaches at Porthcurno, Holywell Bay and Gunwalloe to cover the series in a well-planned long weekend.
