In 2004, a British television series Doc Martin, starring Martin Clunes, began filming in Port Isaac, a scenic fishing village on the English Cornwall coast. The series, created by Dominic Minghella and produced by Philippa Braithwaite, is a spin-off from the Nigel Cole film Saving Grace, which featured Clunes as a supporting character, Dr. Martin Bamford.
For ten delightful seasons before ending in 2022, the whimsical story and setting came together to create a legend. “Having Doc Martin filmed in Port Isaac had a ripple effect,” says Danielle Harrison of the St. Endellion Parish Council. “Besides increased international and domestic tourism, local people were employed as supporting artists and crew members. Many of the regular cast became friends of residents and keep in touch. An ongoing Doc Martin Fund continues to support local projects for the senior and young people of Port Isaac.”
Doc Martin ran for 80 episodes. The title character is Dr. Martin Ellingham, a former London surgeon who is somewhat on the spectrum and who, after developing a blood phobia, abandons surgery and becomes a general practitioner in fictional Portwenn. His emergency calls, of which there are a strikingly high number for such a small town, are invariably funny. As he races on foot to the scene of one accident, “mean girls” jeer and call him a “tosser”, which is English slang for being, well, you know, a tosser.
Portwenn evolves, of course. Mark (Stewart Wright), the town constable, is replaced by PC Joe Penhale (John Marquez). Doc’s first receptionist, Pauline (Katherine Parkinson) is succeeded by Morwenna (Jessica Ransom). When Martin’s sweetheart, school-teacher Louisa (Caroline Catz), becomes pregnant, the couple marries—on the 2nd attempt, a few seasons later. Then Doc Martin receives a tempting offer of a practice in London and asks Louisa to accompany him. When she refuses, he is determined to go without her, eventually realizing family is more important than career.
In the meantime, another doctor, Diana (Joanna Scanlan), was sent to replace Ellingham. A casual visit from Martin causes Diana to self-destruct, and almost immediately Portwenn patients begin queuing outside Martin’s office for him to resume treating them. At long last, he has won their seal of approval.
After the series ended, Port Isaac (population 791) experienced a tourist boom. Every day, Doc Martin pilgrims come from around the world — Mississippi, in my case, to prove a point.
Why do we come? Is it because Doc Martin’s setting is not just an admittedly bucolic background but an indispensable part of the story?
Michael Meakins, who played an extra in six episodes, told me: “I wasn’t there at the beginning. I was living in Spain and I came back at Season Four. Port Isaac was an inspired choice for the setting.”
On the show, Ellingham, being on the high-functioning autism spectrum, skips chit-chat and concentrates on medical issues. In an interview on British TV show This Morning, Martin Clunes described his character as a “protagonist who doesn’t like anybody and nobody likes him, and then go from there….”
Initially, Portwenn patients resented Doc Martin’s absence of a bedside manner, but his expert diagnoses and treatment eventually made up for it. Meakins elaborates: “I suppose you could say everything is forgiven because he is a wonderful doctor.”
Exterior scenes were shot around Port Isaac while interiors were filmed at sets in the nearby town of Delabole. Tour guide John Browne describes how scenes were sequentially handled: “Louisa’s being filmed inside the school in Portwenn with a class of children. She says, ‘Let’s go outside now.’ When she goes to the classroom door, they cut filming. In Port Isaac they film her bringing the kids out the door and they exit through the Old Schoolhouse blue gates.”
The first location tourists seek out is Fern Cottage, Doc Martin’s fictional surgery (as the British refer to a doctor’s office), a compact, two-story house located cinematically on a hillside above the village. For television fans, this modest, unassuming surgery is the beating heart of Portwenn. Climbing steep, single-lane streets, visitors are treated to views of hilltops where cattle graze untended, a break-water harbor, and seagulls everywhere.
Local residents, according to Meakins, developed a deep regard for Martin Clunes. “Between takes it seemed that Martin was always chatting to people with dogs because he loves dogs! The director would say, ‘Martin, Martin, come on. We need to retake.’ And he’s still talking to the dog owners.
“Doc Martin has been very good for the village. The fact is, the series is a worldwide phenomenon. We’ve got buses coming from Iceland, from America. Interest doesn’t seem to be waning at all!”
A sense of welcome is present at every corner. Cottages cluster around a church, obstructing its entrance, and a sign instructs visitors to “Enter at the rear.” Hospitality awaits at sites such as the Golden Lion Pub and Old School Hotel, where scenes were filmed.
Port Isaac’s steep hills are a challenge, but spectacular views reward footsore pilgrims.
A brilliant TV series and the ideal setting converged here. And for fans, the spirit of Doc Martin will forever haunt Port Isaac’s streets, as he rushes to an emergency, serious-faced, arms stiff at his side, shouting “Out of my way!”
The inevitable U.S. remake, titled Best Medicine, developed by Fox and starring Josh Charles, is expected to premiere in 2026.
Lawrence Wells is author of three novels, two auto-biographies, and a frequent contributor to WONDERLUST