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Poldark built its entire identity on sweeping cliffs, old mine houses, and coastlines that feel like they’ve seen more storms than people.
The story is set in 18th-century Cornwall, but the real hook is how those locations shape the mood of almost every scene.
And the Poldark production didn’t fake it. They went straight to the real places that carry the same grit and weight the books describe. Fans still ask where the show was filmed because the landscapes almost feel like another character, a stubborn one that doesn’t soften just because the camera rolls.
So this breakdown goes through the exact spots the team used, why they work so well on screen, and how these areas continue to matter long after filming wrapped. Together, these places built the world Ross and Demelza moved through, step by step.
Where was Poldark filmed: Revisiting key locations
Cornwall: The heart and muscle behind the series
Cornwall is the place the Poldark team leaned on the most, and honestly, once you see the cliffs and old mines, you get why. The area is full of mining history, and the production used that to ground the show in something real.
Botallack Mine near St. Just stands out. Those engine houses on the cliff became “Wheal Leisure,” and the sharp drop into the sea gave the scenes more weight than any studio build ever could. Levant Mine added another layer. The real beam engine there helped the mill scenes look like something pulled straight from old mining records.
Beaches around Porthcothan Bay and Holywell Bay shaped many of the softer, emotional beats. The kind of spots where characters breathe for a second before everything collapses again.
Bodmin Moor, especially around St Breward, became the backdrop for Nampara. A farmhouse that feels like it has seen better days, which works well for Ross' whole… energy.
The moor also gave the production room for those long horse-ride shots. A bit windy. A bit wild. Pretty much perfect.
Why Cornwall worked so well on camera
Cornwall’s “Tin Coast” has a look you don’t get anywhere else in England.
Sharp cliff edges. Atlantic waves. Old mine stacks cling to rock like they refuse to give up. The grit of the landscape matched the grit of the story. A lot of mining shows struggle because the locations feel clean. Poldark didn’t have that problem.
Bodmin Moor added a different type of quiet. Not peaceful, quiet but more the empty kind. It helped build the sense of isolation that follows Ross and Demelza through the early seasons of Poldark.
Holywell Bay and Porthcothan were used over and over, partly because crews could rely on the natural light there. The dunes also helped hide modern signs of life. Charlestown Harbour stepped in whenever the show needed an old-world port. The tall ships docked there made the port scenes easier to shoot without heavy VFX.
And if you’ve ever walked through Charlestown, you know it naturally looks like a period set. Some towns just save the crew effort in Poldark.
Homes, cottages, and inland spots that filled out the world
The farmhouse used for Nampara sits near St Breward. It looks weathered, but not fake-weathered. That matters more than people think.
Inside shots came from sets, but the exterior gave the editors the breathing room they needed. It blends into the moor as it grows out of it.
A lot of smaller cottages across Bodmin Moor were filled in for miner homes and village clusters. These weren’t glamour spots. They played the everyday life of Cornwall with mud, stone, and uneven paths. That unevenness helped Poldark feel lived-in rather than polished.
Other filming spots fans still visit
Porthgwarra is a smaller spot but shows up in moments that fans still talk about. One of those places the crew liked because it stays quiet most days. Gunwalloe Church Cove gave them the space to stage shipwreck scenes without fighting tourist crowds.
Kynance Cove is one of the most photographed beaches in Cornwall, and the production didn’t waste the chance to use it. The colors there don’t need filters. Some harbours around Padstow and the Penwith peninsula filled out the shipping and trade world of the story. Those areas in Poldark carry a strong fishing culture, which helped the show maintain authenticity without overbuilding sets.
Why these locations still matter today
The mining sites around Cornwall already had historic value, but the show pushed more eyes toward them. Fans still visit the cliffs around Botallack to see the ruins that shaped the Poldark family story.
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Tourism boards in Cornwall even created routes for visitors who want to walk the same paths Ross rode on horseback. These visits help support preservation work, especially for old mine structures that fight constant coastal erosion.
The locations don’t feel like theme-park recreations. They’re real places with real history, which is probably why the show landed so well visually. And for people who watch Poldark with half an eye on the scenery, visiting these places often hits harder than expected. The landscape keeps its character whether a camera is pointed at it or not.
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