Port Isaac’s story is there for all to see, in its higgedly-piggedly roofscape and winding streets. Its conservation area designation means that the centre of the village is remarkably undeveloped, giving you a real sense of life in the past. Thanks to a certain sea shanty group, Port Isaac’s maritime heritage is celebrated to this day.

Discover our guide below to Port Isaac Arts and Heritage.

The History of Port Isaac.

Port Isaac has been a port since the Middle Ages. It began life as a trading port (with a bit of a side hustle in pilchard fishing), shipping goods such as slate, coal and timber in and out of Cornwall. When the railways came, Port Isaac’s role as a trading port declined and it focused on fishing instead.

Of course, the railways also brought tourism to Cornwall, and the village was quick to make the most of its natural assets. As well as holidaymakers, Port Isaac also began to attract film crews, drawn by the unspoilt lanes and cottages as well as the traditional harbour.

Film is Port Issac.

To many viewers, Port Isaac is actually Portwenn, adopted home of the grumpy Dr Martin, as played by Martin Clunes in the ITV drama. Doc Martin fans flock to Port Isaac in search of famous locations, and you can certainly pick up a lot of Doc Martin merch among the gift shops.

However, Doc Martin was not the first TV series to bring Port Isaac to our screens. The original 1970s adaptation of Winston Graham’s Poldark novels carried out filming in Port Isaac, and Fore Street features in Rosamunde Pilchers’ The Shell Seekers. The village also appears in movies Saving Grace, Oscar & Lucinda and Amy Foster. Then of course, there’s the real-life stories of the Fisherman’s Friends…

Fisherman’s Friends in Port Isaac.

One aspect of Cornwall's maritime heritage is alive and well in Port Isaac. Several years ago, some friends began to meet up to sing old sea shanties of an evening, either in the pub or on the Platt. This was initially to raise money for charity, but their fame spread, and now everyone has heard of the Fisherman’s Friends. 

Record deals, TV appearances, festivals and gigs followed their “discovery”, and there have now been two feature films about these unlikely but likeable rock stars (filmed in Port Isaac, of course). A new musical about the group launched the renovated Hall For Cornwall theatre in Truro in 2021. Look out for the free Port Isaac Shanty Weekend in October.

Art in Port Isaac.

Port Isaac’s coastal beauty attracts artists, and like every good Cornish village, it has a wonderful and eclectic selection of independent art galleries. Take home a holiday memory with an original piece or print by Port Isaac artist Sam Littlechild, available in Secrets Gallery on Fore Street.

Katie Childs’ Cliffside Gallery on The Terrace is also her working studio, and a welcoming place to visit. The Dempsey Gallery (also on Fore Street) sells Zennor-based Martyn Dempsey’s contemporary works. For ceramics, visit Port Isaac Pottery, housed in the old Sunday School (next to Chapel Cafe).