Confirmed · Port Isaac · Harbour
The Platt and harbour
Portwenn's harbour square, where village life plays out in Doc Martin. Open to visitors; allow 20–40 minutes.
- On screen as
- Portwenn's harbour square, where village life plays out
- Series and episodes
- Series 1–10 · Series 1, Episode 1
- Access
- Open to visitors
- Time needed
- 20–40 minutes
- Where
- Port Isaac, Cornwall
On screen
How The Platt and harbour appears
The Platt is the open space above Port Isaac's slipway, and on screen it is the centre of Portwenn. It appears in the very first episode, Going Bodmin, during the village's lifeboat gala, and it returns again and again as the place where villagers gather, argue, gossip and watch the doctor go past. The harbour wall, the slipway and the cottages behind are among the most recognisable views in the series. Much of the comedy of Martin's daily rounds is staged in the lanes that run off this square.
The real place
What you can visit
This is a working harbour, not a set. Fishing boats are launched and landed from the slipway, the lifeboat station sits close by and the tide transforms the scene twice a day: at low water the harbour floor is sand and rock, at high water the sea fills it. You can stand on the Platt, walk out along the harbour edge and look back at the village for the classic view. Keep well back from the edges and from working gear, and watch the tide if you go down onto the beach.
The harbour edges are unfenced and slippery, and fishermen need the slipway clear. Check tide times before walking on the harbour floor.
Visit Cornwall: Doc Martin locations ↗Park in Cornwall Council's New Road car park (PL29 3SB) at the top of the village and walk down; the lower streets are steep, narrow and not suitable for visitors' cars. The walk to the harbour takes about ten minutes downhill and longer on the way back up. There are steps and steep gradients throughout, so a step-free route to every frontage cannot be promised. Bodmin Parkway is the nearest main-line station, with an onward bus or taxi.
Gallery
More views of The Platt and harbour
Common questions
Planning a responsible visit
Which episode shows the harbour first?
Series 1, Episode 1, Going Bodmin, which opens with the village's lifeboat gala on the Platt and around the harbour.
Can you walk on the harbour beach?
At low tide the harbour floor is exposed and people do walk on it. Check tide times, stay clear of boats and machinery and come back up before the water returns.
Where is the best photo of the village?
Stand on the Platt or on the path up Roscarrock Hill and look back across the harbour at the cottages. Early morning is quieter in summer.
Is there a toilet or café nearby?
Port Isaac has cafés, pubs and shops around the harbour. Opening hours vary through the year, so check before an out-of-season visit.
Plan your visit
Build it into the day.
The Golden Lion is on the harbour front for a drink or meal, and Fern Cottage is visible across the water on Roscarrock Hill.
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Map
Days out including this place
Continue with a prepared day out
Nearby
Continue through Port Isaac
Port Isaac
Portwenn, the fictional village at the heart of the series
See the location →
Fern Cottage
Exterior of Martin's home and surgery
See the location →
The Golden Lion
The Crab & Lobster, Portwenn's pub
See the location →Portwenn's shopfronts
The village shop and the fruit and veg shop
See the location →