Confirmed · North Cornwall coast · Landscape
St Agnes Head
The Nampara valley and clifftops in Poldark. Open to visitors; allow 1–2 hours.
- On screen as
- The Nampara valley and clifftops
- Access
- Open to visitors
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Where
- St Agnes, Cornwall
On screen
How St Agnes Head appears
St Agnes Head gives the series the land around Nampara: the purple heather, the coast path and the long drop to the sea that you see when Ross walks or rides home. It provides the setting rather than the house itself, which was a private farmhouse with interiors built in a Bristol studio. Here the story and the real place line up more closely than usual, since Winston Graham imagined Nampara on this stretch of north Cornish coast between St Agnes and Perranporth.
The real place
What you can visit
St Agnes Head is a National Trust headland north of the village of St Agnes, with heather and gorse, an old coastguard lookout and views along the coast to Godrevy lighthouse on clear days. Grey seals and seabirds are often seen from the cliffs. The coast path runs south to Wheal Coates and Chapel Porth, about an hour's walk away. There are no facilities on the headland itself; St Agnes village has pubs, cafés and shops.
The cliffs here are high and unfenced, with old mine workings inland: keep to the path, particularly in wind, and keep dogs on leads during the seabird nesting season.
National Trust: Poldark's filming locations ↗There are small free parking areas along the clifftop road west of St Agnes village (Beacon Drive). From there the coast path is a short walk away. The ground is uneven and exposed. To link it with Wheal Coates, walk south on the coast path or drive the few minutes to the Chapel Porth car park.
Common questions
Planning a responsible visit
Is St Agnes the real Nampara?
St Agnes Head supplied the Nampara valley and clifftop scenes, and Winston Graham set Nampara on this stretch of coast, but the farmhouse itself was filmed elsewhere on private land.
Can you walk from St Agnes Head to Wheal Coates?
Yes. The South West Coast Path links them in about an hour, passing the old mine workings above Chapel Porth.
Is there parking at St Agnes Head?
Yes, small roadside parking areas on Beacon Drive above the cliffs. They fill on fine summer days.
Plan your visit
Build it into the day.
Wheal Coates and Chapel Porth, a short walk or drive south.
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Map
Days out including this place
Continue with a prepared day out
Nearby
Continue through North Cornwall coast
Wheal Coates and Chapel Porth
Derelict Wheal Leisure and clifftop gallops
See the location →
Holywell Bay
Warleggan beach
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Park Head and Porthcothan
Riding headland and a Nampara beach
See the location →