Does Cornwall have a problem with Tourists? We visit Doc Martin’s EMPTY village.

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

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[@milesbrown8016]

Awesome 👏

[@biddiemutter3481]

28:45 perhaps it's got a reputation for being unpleasantly crowded 😅

[@annaparry4045]

I think part of the problem with many British tourist destinations is that since the pandemic, when people were, originally, unable to to travel abroad prices were hiked enormously, only to be exacerbated by the cost of living crisis. I have regularly enjoyed UK self catering holidays for over 30 years, and the price hikes are astonishing. Quite honestly, it’s cheaper to go abroad.

[@thetoysurgeon]

We 5 Americans were there in Marazion, Cornwall in September 2023. We did 2 guided tours to most of the sites. After we hired a van we traveled to Port Issac and Tintagel before going to Lyme Regis. We did not find it too expensive and the people were very friendly. My sister loved Cornwall so much she wants to go back.

[@stefanstecyk8725]

Says a rich person.

[@thetoysurgeon]

@@stefanstecyk8725 Not rich at all. Saved up for 2 years. Can't be rich on a retired teacher salary.

[@leskirkland2894]

The trouble is that Cornwall wants their money but not the tourists themselves. Over charging and treating tourists as nothing more than cash cows, has driven people away.

[@lennybuttz2162]

That doesn't surprise me. The English aren't known for being welcoming or friendly I don't know they think that's a way to draw in tourists but it's crazy. You can still act friendly and nice without meaning it.

[@OMERICA-qq2dp]

unless they advertise with some of their prices and information less people will come ...

[@OMERICA-qq2dp]

ike do they have rental car service , boat tours too ..

[@sherelynwhite4130]

Good! The town will be the better for the lack of tourism!

[@leskirkland2894]

@@sherelynwhite4130 Fine. You are probably right but without tourists many areas have no alternative employment, so you are between the devil and deep blue sea. You want the tourists money but not the people. This is the result of the destruction of British industry and commerce began in 1980 by Margaret Thatcher.

[@rogerbarker165]

We visited Port Isaac the month before you guys, (September) and it was absolutely packed. We are from Australia and would have loved to have seen it on the day you were there. In fact, every place we visited in Cornwall was chocker block with people and dogs. It was quite daunting, really.

[@warpedweft9004]

It was the one place that was empty when we went there - most likely because of the torrential rain that day.

[@david45ross]

Be careful what you wish for, is a saying which I think is becoming a reality in Cornwall. Very quiet throughout Cornwall this year. Lots of properties on the market, and plenty of seating in those very expensive eateries for the locals. Whether you like it or not Cornwall totally depends on tourism. So sad it’s not more welcoming from the people who depend on it. Love your vlog

[@trudysimms1564]

Couldn't agree more, Cornwall is becoming a victim of its own success 😢

[@TGNWR98UD]

Cornwall has priced the ordinary Brit out. What used to be a "go to" holiday destination is now a luxury.

[@Prairiestar193]

Unfortunately you don't have to look far to see Cornish Facebook pages dedicated to moaning about tourists. It's sad that many of us feel so unwelcome despite supporting the local businesses when we're there.

[@adamroots3429]

​@@Prairiestar193well I've eaten at Tintagel Brewery, with all my family ,it was totally rammed with locals and long term incomers, some I've known fifty years or more.. It's not tourism that's ruined Kernow ,it's buy to let and property development and net green zero agenda ..ie disgusting windfarms and agri fields full of solar panels, just awful ...

[@TonyDean-y9c]

Cornwall quiet this year? Not where I live is hasn't been and still isn't.

[@Erika-Uwe]

Dear Sarah&Andrew , we went to Port Issac 6 years ago without knowing anything about Doc Martin , and we instantly fell in love with this beautiful place(my favourite in cornwall)it is just so tranquil and beautiful there(in spring ) and the people are so nice and welcoming.Thank you for showing, greetings from Hamburg.Btw ,Doc Martin quickly became one of our favourite series😂

[@milesbrown8016]

Genau 👍🏻

[@jeffreyroberts7438]

What Cornwall has a problem with is the ridiculous cost of accommodation and food!

[@robspalding819]

. . . and parking!

[@dawnbearman]

I first fell in love with Port Isaac in the 1960’s when it was a regular place to spend a day out when on caravan holidays to Cornwall with my Mum, Dad and Brother. We loved the north Cornish coast and came back every year for many years. I didn’t visit again for a long time but eventually moved to Hartland in North Devon and had a wonderful time revisiting all my favourite childhood places including Port Isaac. Nothing much seemed to have changed in the interim years and I still loved it. I wasn’t a Doc Martin fan so was a bit put out by the whole Doc Martin pilgrimage thing! Strangely though I’ve recently watch all ten series of Doc M and thoroughly enjoyed them, so I guess next time I visit I might well have morphed into a fan on pilgrimage 😂

[@ajmachin1134]

It's October - cold and wet - tourist season's over

[@crazylady61]

We holiday in North Cornwall 2/3 times a year and were in Tintagel/Boscastle area at the beginning of Oct this year, and we too found it quieter than usual for the time of year. Similarly Padstow pre-pandemic and just after the pandemic, was rammed and not that nice to visit due to the overcrowding, but numbers have fallen dramatically, making it pleasurable again. Port Issac was very quiet, but we find the locals not that welcoming (there is the odd exception), which is crazy as tourists are their bread and butter! On the up side, if tourism falls, property prices will fall and the local youngsters will stand more chance of getting on the property ladder...only to have no employment to pay their mortgages as businesses reliant on tourism will have closed...Come on Cornwall, you can't have your cake and eat it!

[@chrispig7748]

Such a lovely couple! Thanks for your video. I went there in the off season and yes, it was very quiet. We didn’t mind that and it was lovely to walk around in the evening with no people around.

[@barnsleyviking67]

Dear Sarah and Andrew, as a born Cornish man “Liskeard” your film on port Issac you did not take up about the fishermen friends filmed there in 2019 and 2022 I try and visit Cornwall as much as I can as I live in the South Yorkshire hills “Barnsley “. I always watch your videos as it helps me remember home. Where I was born, 😊 Love your videos and I have been a subscriber since 2022.

[@colinlambert882]

We had a holiday let near Bude for 25 years from the early 70s, and came down in May and October to do maintenance and enjoy off season. Port Isaac was a regular destination - to buy fish. It was so busy, that you parked down on the beach and bought fish direct from the boat. No worries about whether the New Road car park was full. On my first visit to Tintagel, I parked right outside the Old Post Office!

[@Tony-c6f2j]

I visited Padstow, Port Isaac, Boscastle and Polperro in June for the first time in 10 years and was shocked at the lack of visitors. I always take my holidays outside the school holidays, but even out of the main season it used to be busy. Whether it’s the economy, accommodation prices or recent poor summers to blame I don’t know. Holiday cottages have almost doubled in price and the quality of food on offer has definitely declined, from what was a very high standard. On the plus side it was easier to get around, park and get a table in pubs and restaurants. The landscapes and coastal walks are still fabulous, it’s still a wonderful place for walkers!

[@imagseer]

Poor summers and sky-high prices deter next year's visitors. The Covid times stopped people going abroad too.

[@grahamhill6340]

My wife and I visited Port Isaac in 2016 having come from Los Angeles... Over the years we've visited many movie/tv locations in Britain and the USA, and there's me a Brit who worked in HOLLYWOOD for some 40-years, kind of a busman's holiday right! It's always a two-edged sword when a lovely place like this becomes famous for being an iconic destination because of being on TV for so long. DOC MARTIN really put this Cornish seaside port on the map because it shot every part of the village, and the earlier original SAVING GRACE movie and later FISHERMAN'S FRIENDS movies that opened it up to the world... well, they were bound to create problems with the locals. For most of the community on top of the hill it didn't really do them any good, but those living and working down the hill saw both loved and cursed the disruption and the flood of tourists it brought. Cornwall loved the show and the money, and the local authority did too, but it also cost them in trying to accomodate with parking and traffic problems. To their credit DOC MARTIN's producers did as much as anyone could in helping the locals with support and money, but then comes the day when the circus leaves town never to return! It's kind of like Port Meirion in Wales that was made famous by the iconic 1960's show THE PRISONER... that "village" was a public venue from almost the beginning with hotel and holiday rentals, pottery and merchandising. They REALLY welcome tourists catering to day visitors and wealthier hotel guests. When we visited it was one of the FISHERMAN's FRIENDS singing group who gave walking tours and owned the Cornish Pie shop that was the main vocal speaker that you saw in numerous interviews and videos. Move/TV tourism has ruined so many beauty spots in the world, especially the exotic locations that cruise ships visit. But for places like Cornwall, tourism is their main industry... it's crowded narrow roads never get widened, the sheep and cows have all the room! Good presentation Sarah and Andrew...

[@RichardDCook]

I'm in SoCal as well, have done quite a bit of Hollywood work (the music side). A favourite tourist trip was doing one of the Game Of Thrones tours in Northern Ireland, and I hope they can keep up tourist interest now that the show is wrapped.

[@grahamhill6340]

@@RichardDCook Small world as they say... I had worked with Jerry Goldsmith and Elmer Bernstein to name just a few of the icons... as for Irish tourism, I remember the big money BALLYKISSANGEL brought in!

[@RichardDCook]

@@grahamhill6340 I made my living as a studio musician for a while, all sorts of projects (TV spots, TV shows, films, albums, video games, theme park atmosphere music) the biggest names were Hans Zimmer and Danny Elfman but most were lesser-known guys.

[@DJKSB58]

⁠@@grahamhill6340 Ballykissangel was one of my favourite shows

[@TravellingTorunn]

We were walking the coastal path and stayed overnight in Port Isaac in July 2017 without knowing very much about Doc Martin. We stayed at the Old School Hotel and loved it. They were filming series 8 at the time, and the village was packed with people. Of course, it was summer and the show was currrently being sent on TV. Perhaps people don't visit so much in October? I am sure fewer are walking the coastal path too in the autumn. I see now that the chain and the "Private Property" sign is removed from the entrance of the "Surgery". I guess that means that they are not as bothered by visitors as they used to be, and don't need to fence it off anymore. The village is beautiful and the views from the bench are great. I hope they get more vistors again in the warmer seasons. Thank you for again a lovely video. Torunn 🥰

[@kennethausten]

We avoid Cornwall now due to over popularity. It's was always rammed packed. Could not park. Only enjoyment was walking around the harbour. Restaurants were packed. Must admit very poor value from some of them. Never new much about Doc Martin. Was not aware at the time. It's the Holiday rental that's now seems to be a serious problem. I am from the South East of England , Margate. Moved around the UK for many years with my work. Moved again to MerthyrTydfil Wales 20 years ago. Fantastic place. Since retired. Thanks for the video.

[@geoffmower8729]

I love Port Isaac, and I love Doc Martin. We live in Australia and hope to make the long trip one day, it's on my bucket list. Thank you for your very informative vlog, very well done.👍🏻👍🏻

[@PeteCostello-p8o]

Been not long ago,was shocked to find a dead fishing village. No homes all holiday let's and second homes.so sad to see real Cornish communities gone.

[@UK_Patriot]

I live here and there’s a big Cornish Community?🤔🤔

[@TheWalnut47]

Thank you, Andrew and Sarah, for this episode; a very balanced appraisal of Port Isaac now the summer month's influx of visitors has eased. Greetings from Bodmin Moor, the remote bit, where we see/meet the occasional visitor - even in the height of summer!

[@goforitbeyourself.suekirk2165]

Port Isaac existed well before dr Martin and was always visited and will always be visited it’s a beautiful place x

[@Duffbeer3107]

I’ve been Port Issac both on and off season over the years and I wouldn’t say it’s made that much of a difference, like you said at the end it’s more the off season it’s deadly quiet. We went there February and barely anything was open, We only found the chapel cafe open. The thing that I find sad nowadays is the amount of holiday lets down by the slip, All unoccupied that time of year that’s why not many people around. We we two other couples at most. Where as up in the hill seems to be where all the locals live now. So a bit more lively. The summer still seems to be packed solid.

[@kennethausten]

Problem is many are going to Turkey for peanuts. . Our neighbour goes about 4 times a year for a week £250 . That includes everything. Where I spent £2000 going to Scotland with Hotels and restaurants. That did include the diesel fuel.

[@Saba15-t9d]

You can`t compare Turkey with Scotland, it`s two completely different countries. There`s so many different factors within a country to why things are expensive.

[@rodpettet2819]

I grew up in a small kentish seaside town and whilst the tourists were important we were so glad when they went home! In those days they came by train and would leave by 5pm.

[@taffythegreat1986]

You can’t beat the old comedies and dramas. Every one of them are classics. Love the videos 👍👍

[@laurasutton9126]

Port Isaac is one of my favorite places in Cornwall, is a beautiful village, with amazing views.

[@ianhayward3060]

We live in Dorset and it's always quiter out of season. Lots of shops close over the winter months.

[@amazinggrace4036]

Hi Sarah and Andrew….I loved that show….thank you for bringing us back to that pretty place. Quiet indeed! Hopefully it will pick up again….i would love to take a picture in front of the surgery….hopefully it was just a quiet day! Because those shops are lovely and eating places sad they are closed….i would still go just the same! Thank you for sharing…be well! 🙂

[@andrewarmstrong1017]

Love your vlogs...last weekend we stayed at Rosebud farm ,up the Rd from Port Issac, in our van...didn't pop down to the town as we thought it would be busy....Should have...😊...was there while filming one year....Bring back Doc Martin....that what I say....

[@jane-yz2yj]

I was passing though early September doing the SWCP, I stayed the night in the Slipway , a eyewatering price of over £200 for 1 night( the the most I've every paid to stay somewhere ) the village was quite busy, but always a table in the cafes, and no que for a pasty

[@lakeside_mandolin]

Quiet and beautiful? Sounds like my perfect type of holiday!

[@judybee]

On the whole I think most Cornish villages are quieter earlier in the year & in October...it's the reason we used to visit at those times of the year, when we were younger. I remember walking along from that car park & seeing baby seagulls on the cliffs & a huge ginger cat😺on the wall by the bench you stopped at! I did like Doc Martin but never did watch the whole of the series...my love of course was Poldark!💖 And I wonder if the interest in the filming areas has waned a bit surrounding that series too since its end? Charlestown for instance? The whole area around Port Isaac is just lovely at any time of the year. Just wish with all my heart I was well enough to come back & visit once again....but love watching your videos every week as I have done for a long long time now! 😊x J x

[@guitarlover302]

Unfortunately has become very expensive to holiday in Cornwall - we have a dog so she loves the beaches - car parking charges are ridiculous !

[@pilesofparagraphs]

Such a lovely place. Could be people's memories are short. We didn't get to visit Cornwall this year, hopefully next year. It will be interesting to see if it is less busy. Thanks so much for all you do.

[@peterdovey5182]

We have sky tv with 1000s of channels all rubbish .( i think so) but we always seem to drift back to watching Doc Martin, great family viewing.

[@colinbaker3415]

Surely this is a matter of timing. We visited in the last week of September and it was busy, not too crowded. we managed to get the last parking space in the upper level of New Rd carpark mid morning. More of the shops and restaurants were open, not packed out, and we heard a few different accents. So the draw of the Doc is still there ,but perhaps not in chilly October. And don't forget both Doc Martin and Fisherman's Friends are still available on streaming for a new audience.

[@trudysimms1564]

The Padstow speedboat Man says the only people visiting Cornwall from September are 'The newly weds and the nearly deads!' which tickled me as we went in September and I suppose we are airing on the nearly dead side although he diplomatically referred to us as newly weds!😂

[@traceystickland-mottram8021]

Sarah and Andrew if you could visit in season and see if there is a genuine downturn in visitors or if it's a seasonal thing.

[@rivergladesgardenrailroad8834]

October is way out of season guys.

[@Bobbisox-wo7zu]

Think there's a bit of over dramatising.....

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

We feel that generally this year it has been quieter here. And interestingly, this report came out this week, www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8ekwn46k62o. Port Isaac has been more robust because of the Doc Martin link but it was so quiet. We visited Perranporth the day before and the town was much busier. It has much more to attract tourists, more pubs, surfing, large beach and a larger resident population but still a stark contrast. Just wish we had filmed Perranporth! Sarah :)

[@EllenPetersson-zs8wc]

Tx so much 😊 beautiful way to start my day. Coffe and Cornish walking trails ❤

[@staciewood2296]

I love Doc Martin. My husband and I both would love to visit this village. I wonder what is going on, why there isn’t anybody there. I do appreciate you both showing us around the village. The views are just gorgeous to see. We hope to take a trip that area someday.

[@suzichesney7818]

Your films of Cornwall will help the villages 👍

[@1st1shot]

I was there summer of 2023 and it was plenty busy in the high season.

[@kerrybutler5908]

We are from Salt Spring Island, Canada. We drove around Cornwall and enjoyed Port Wien and Tintagel years ago. I went through " Squeeze belly" lane . I understand the name has been changed since then. I have a picture of my wife standing in the doorway of the " surgery". There were few tourists and the local people were friendly. The costs were the same as elsewhere. I am sorry to hear it has changed for the worse.

[@helenbosworth5950]

Sarah and Andrew thank you for the beautiful port Issac video loved it not been since 1986 going to have to go yes got come back Doc Marin series 11 I miss it watch repeats itv3 still

[@SusanTurner-yo9lf]

We have been holidaying in Port Isaac for the last ten years and will continue to do so. Unfortunately for the last few years the cost of holiday rentals has risen dramatically which must have something to do with declining visitors.

[@sugakookie6303]

I loved watching Doc Martin. I always wanted to go see Port Issac…Last of the Summer Wine was awesome too…

[@Zenajs]

Some friends and I stayed for a week on Port Isaac, in early September, - I think it was called Dolphin House and had previously been the Dolphin pub, the years before it was filmed (2003?). I remember it being fairly busy, but not so busy that we couldn't get a table in the pub. With or without the doc, it's a beautiful village and we still visit often. We stayed at the Old School Hotel in the summer of 2021. We loved The Doc Martin series.

[@kennethausten]

this is the best time it seems to visit now. My wife is a retired chef and said that's extortionate £95. Pasties from Warren's in Trago mills Merthyr are the same price

[@1gerard47]

How many pasties for 95 pounds?

[@Glyn69]

Visited Cornwall as a family since late 1950's I discovered Port Issac about 25 years ago while on Business at Sharp's Brewery in 1994 as it was owned by Bill Sharp, then I must say i prefer visiting out of season in late September when the crowds have gone . Im sure there will be a tale off of visitors since the program finished. Some visitor used to visit purely to see them filming, etc. It will ve interesting when i visit when I get back in the Uk in January and also the price of accommodation local as well as Newquay at The Atlantic Hotel. Port Isaac still has a quent charm, which i like Thanks for the upload it brought memories of my last visit in 2019. Lovely video , thanks

[@davidgray5764]

We went Port Issac a few years ago and it had real buzz about. But this year is as gone, it was just as you are showing, empty. The problem is this was this was in August not out of season. Maybe it was just a quite day, but there really was no life in the place, just empty street. But we did get to watch some great sea rowing, as there was race on with about 8 teams and it was lovely weather. I hope we were just unlucky, as we loved it the first time we went.

[@jeanpearce8160]

Cornwall ia pricing itself out of the holiday market.I looked at places to stay over Christmas & the prices were really ramped up for Christmas week some by £100/£150.We love our beautiful country but the costs of hoildays here are getting to much for a lot of people.

[@KarlKeeley]

Have just started to follow you after visiting cornwall this year for the first time ever and we think cornwall is very beautiful and your videos are great and we visited port isaac and thought it was lovely and we must come back and visit cornwall as specialy port isaac Thank you Sarah And Andrew

[@cornishcoves9399]

Andrew and Sarah ...thank you for your vlog; this was my favourite area(Cornwall) to visit years ago when I went to England. It is nice to see that it has not altered too too much over all this time. Still the characteristic scenic views and eateries. It is not easy to hold on to history....good job.!sorry to see some the shops have closed though...that's too bad.

[@ColinIngrey-be4dk]

Hi, I really like your videos, keep it up please. My wife and I visited in early October and really enjoyed it. Lovely place, excellent lunch with locally caught fish. Would like to go again and possibly stay. Yes the Tv series helped to promote it but it’s so beautiful it “sells” itself. Loved it.

[@juliefitzpatrick3290]

Hi yes we still visit Holmfirth in Yorkshire ,lovely stone properties .

[@cynthiastogden7000]

Yes Last of the Summer Wine still attracts many even though many of the cast have passed on. A true Yorkshire grit place.

[@Gray-zi5bp]

A beautiful place and a brilliant programme Doc Martin..💯🇬🇧🇯🇲👍

[@cassyburton6813]

Hi, yes people do still visit Holmfirth it is very busy on weekends and throughout the summer!😊

[@Victoria-kl7su]

Doc Martin was popular but am sure people will be visiting Holmfirth in Yorkshire long after Port Isaac for TV nostalgia because Last of the Summer Wine was staple 1980’s teatime viewing - we went to Port Issac about 10 years ago but having never watched Doc Martin we actually went mostly for the scenery but also to see Lawrence Llewellyn Bowens house as my mum is a big fan of him, he has a holiday home there just toward the bottom of the hill opposite the pasty shop, it’s called Henry’s…I don’t think he’d mind this being mentioned as he has a clear glass front door window and if you look through it, as my mum insisted on, he has pots of paint stacked up by the front door with his initials on the top so he knows some people will know he lives there (at least sometimes) and will have a little nose through his window 😂. Unluckily for my Mum (but lucky for him maybe) he’d left a few days before we went there and so was not home as am sure my Mum, would otherwise have been knocking his door, for a chat!

[@M0NXF]

I live nr Hayle and this summer there was so many compaints from tourists about the inflated prices even the locals notice all the price increase in the summer tourists seasion. So many have said they will go abroud for there holidays as Cornwall is no longer value for money .

[@juliaogara8794]

Could the quietness be because locals have been priced out of the housing market and most properties are now holiday lets? I travelled down with a touring caravan from 2003 to 2019 inclusive. I have only stopped because my mother needs in house care and I'm an only child with no other family aside from my children. They're all boys so looking after their nans needier care is no an option. As always, you've given us another fabulous video and the weather is just what I am used to even though we travel for the first part of the school summer holidays, the weather used to go on its own but still we travelled the 5.5 hours plus.

[@shand1967]

I have been going to Cornwall for over 20 years for my holidays. I noticed in July that it very quiet, particularly Port Isaac but even Padstow was not a busy as usual. I stayed in Mousehole this year and we spent over £100 on parking alone, which I guess doesn't help the tourism economy. I live near the North Yorkshire coast and it was much busier than Cornwall.

[@Mr1967flyingv]

I thought Cornwall was getting pricey when I last visited back in the 80’s.

[@Likeasir-77]

We were there in early June and it was packed! Needed reservations at any restaurant for dinner, otherwise the waits were long. After seeing your video, we are thinking of returning in October to visit during a quieter time! We always stay at Slipway😊

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

😂 June is a favoured month for visitors without commitment to school terms! As you can see, October is quieter although a bigger resort will have more open like restaurants and pubs etc. But if you like it quiet, Port Isaac in October is the choice! Sarah :)

[@KathyGutierrezlythauslvr]

Immensely enjoyed your vlog on Port Isaac! Thank you both for your interesting and informative videos with a personal touch. 😊

[@JoeCoastal]

Hi you two. I was in Port Isaac in September and it was crazy busy, with so many people interested in doc Martin locations. I really struggled getting the shots I needed for my own video. (Not edited yet) I suspect the Port Isaac you found this time has more to do with the whole cornish problem with second homes and air bnb's. I know you've highlighted that before. My own experiences of visiting Cornwall before April or after September is that a lot less is open and food is only be served for a limited window. This makes it less inviting which in turn means even less will be open. A viscous circle. By the way I knicked some facts from your previous isaac video to use in my own. Does it work to say thanks and sorry in the same sentence? 😁 as I say it's not edited yet but you do get credited for your unknowing contribution. Thanks for another great video.

[@lynnoorman2144]

Brilliant video, guys! I might go visit Port Issac again, now, if it is not sooooo packed. Imo Cornwall is in the process of killing off it's 'Golden Egg' of tourism by sky high prices of accommodation ( one sea front caravan I know of was £3000 - yes, I do mean thousands - pet week); food in restaurants and take aways; attractions ( I understand that Flambards has closed?). Plus over crowding. The cash cow may be dead but perhaps, if prices drop, it will return to walkers ; surfers; and ordinary families coming for a break. So a modest living might be earned.

[@sherelynwhite4130]

How wonderful that the tourists have left!! I live in hawaii, and it's a scourge on our lives to have these people congregating and milling around and taking up space on our island. I know we should all be so lucky to travel and experience the world, but it is really a burden on the towns that have to take the burden of tourism.😢

[@GemFacets]

We were shocked at the price rises to stay at the place on the north coast where I have holidayed since my childhood (I'm now 55). Instead we chartered a yacht in greece for a fortnight. It was cheaper, all in. Only just, but there you are. Cornwall has made it abundantly clear that it doesn't want us.

[@Christophers-Assorted-Stuff]

Actually, I think they are gearing up to cater for rich people in the main. What with outrageous restaurant and holiday accommodation prices, Stupid prices to camp, even just a tent can be more than it cost us for a self catering cottage now. Old hotels etc being knocked down and turned into multi million pound luxury homes for stars of TV, film, sport and the like.

[@scottgordon1781]

985 k is a lot , for most folks . While in a cool spot , where do you park your Range Rover ? Inside ? Frontage can be deceptive . Absentee owners , use the place a few weeks a year ?

[@npr1300A8]

Ultimately, the real power behind government will introduce by stealth 15 min cities and severe restrictions on travel. People who don't know about these plans need to pdq. I enjoyed your presentation. Thank you.

[@user-Juneybee53]

Gosh it's gone back to how it was years ago before Doc Martin when we used to go down . Trouble is people would of got used to the money coming in and now it's drying up some will be bound to struggle. Shame. Sadly nothing lasts for ever in that way so I guess other ideas will have to be thought of 😊

[@JulieAdams-td4xx]

I have heard that Cornwall has had 3 bad tourist years due to the unreliable bad weather. Many properties are up for sale. Accommodation is expensive but hardly surprising when energy and Council Tax is so high. Many small businesses are struggling. Very sad.

[@sherelynwhite4130]

Oh wow! I just found your youtube channel, and i'm smitten! Subscribed!🌺🙋‍♀️

[@Missfrankiecat]

I'm not sure any quietness in Port Isaac is due to Doc Martin finishing. I visit N Cornwall several times a year and I thought it was noticeably quiet this year - especially noticeable in August. Unfortunately Cornwall is very expensive now - prices at London, or even higher levels and service levels noticeably lower (I think Cornwall is still struggling to find sufficient man-power in the low paid, seasonal service industries. Catering primarily to the very well off on holiday is never going to be a sustainable business model for an area with typically unreliable weather and unable to provide a high level of service. The other factor is the selling off of land/houses to the out of county multi-home owners who reduce rental properties and leave properties empty for most of the year. As a huge Cornwall lover, it is sad.

[@tamayagarner1542]

I think its good that the village has levelled out and is not so full of tourists.

[@bonitawyke7259]

Would love the quiet.. no problem here!

[@PhilipInCoventry]

Living in Coventry, I'm very conscious of the filming sets for "Keeping up Appearances", the home of Onslow, in Stoke Aldermoor in contrast to the home of Hyacinth in Binley Woods. Even though the comedy is still viewed on catch up channels, there is very little interest by the public when passing any of the locations. Cornwall at least has its own delights. It's s long walk to any sea front from Binley. So enjoyed your re-visit & assesment. Thank you.

[@daviddowning8411]

According to Rightmove sold Fern Cottage sold in March 2023 for £900.000. It’s now a holiday rental, around £300 a night! 😂

[@f1kwa399]

We took our American friends there when they were filming, just wonderful, and not as crowded as you might expect. Personally I’d avoid all of the car parks, walk a little further, there’s too many horror stories about the car parks and the locals told me they believe the charges are keeping people away.

[@Bobperkowski]

We live near Mendocino California where they filmed East of Eden and Murder She Wrote and The Russians are Coming and Racing With The Moon. The films bring a few tourists but the beauty of the place. The tranquility compared to city life is what people come for. The seafood as well. Port Issac should put small badges in the sidewalk commemorating scenes from Doc Martin. After all they filmed 20 years!

[@maureenrhysjones4643]

Lovely! Thank you both.

[@beammeup8458]

Cornwall has priced itself out of my market. AirBnB prices are ridiculous... my travel budget is £25 per night in Asia, okay Hong Kong £50 ...BUT £75 to £100 for a simple room in Cornwall... forget it ! It is not an exotic holiday destination ... it's a trip to the beach .... if I go at all I commute in from Plymouth ...

[@susanharvey4235]

We visited in 1999 on our first holiday together while visiting my husbands grandad. Only been together a couple of months and now married 23 years. Always been a special place before Doc Martin. Also stayed at the Slipway for our joint 50th birthday celebration in 2018 which was lovely but much busier !!!

[@nickwebb9290]

Another excellent video you two 😁 Having just watched your video I went to Google Maps and guess what? The venues like Golden Lion etc were all noted as “Less busy than usual” and this is on a Friday evening. However I suppose it’s worth bearing in mind this the end of October.

[@cebusapella9125]

Hi Sarah and Andrew - another great video! I have to say I've never watched an episode of Doc Marten, but I do love Port Isaac. I think tourists have deserted Portwenn to go to Shipton Abbot - Looe was packed last summer. (I've never watched an episode of Beyond Paradise, either, mind, despite living in Looe - not having a TV helps!). Anyway, thanks for the entertaining video, I always look forward to them.

[@TrevRaynsford]

I visited Port Isaac in July last year. Despite the damp weather, there were a lot of people there.

[@cathrynbagley8005]

We were in Cornwall in September but didn't bother going to Port Isaac 'cos we thought it would be heaving and parking the camper would be hard.

[@evie.3625]

It makes me cross when I read people saying that Cornwall had priced itself out for everyone. Yes, even for us locals! We go out visiting when holidaymakers have gone home. We walk our dogs on the beaches and clear up after them (well, most of us) we go beach cleaning, which holiday makers are welcome to help with, but I’m sick of hearing people complaining about us, saying how rude we are and how expensive everything is. We have the highest water rates in the entire country, we are expected to be accommodating to all sorts of bad tempered and rude people in the shops, we were invaded during Covid by second home owners. Why shouldn’t we be a bit tetchy when we hear/read people moaning about our beautiful Duchy. Most people who live here now are incomers, who stick it out for 3/4 years then go after getting the highest price possible for the house they bought and changed beyond recognition. In fact people come here because of quiet little towns and villages and then change it, beyond recognition, to the place they left. My children struggled to buy their own homes because prices had gone up so much. Developers have been allowed to build and build and the little rabbit hutches and tiny gardens are going for well over £300.000 here, no Drs surgeries built though and with all the incomers we need more surgeries. Need I go on? It’s just nice, even in the bad weather to get out into our beautiful Cornwall and roam. (Take a pasty or sandwiches though, most restaurants are too expensive)

[@etherealbolweevil6268]

I always enjoy the Communiqué from the Truro Overlords come June - to summarise "Summer is coming, as a resident who pays for services all year round, do not forget to NOT USE Water because the tourists need all the water, do not forget to NOT USE the NHS because the tourists will use all the NHS, Do not use the roads because the tourists will use all the roads, public transport, etc etc etc." There is never an "All clear you are permitted to use services again" communiqué because you cannot use the services which have collapsed. A good tourism season is said to be when there are 1,000,000 tourists in a place which struggles to cope with the 550,000 residents.

[@KeithSaville-tj5id]

I'm an incomer who has lived here for 32 years and I fully agree and sympathise with you. That's exactly what happens in the part of Cornwall that I'm lucky to live in. I'm here for life although at the age of 77 going on 78 I don't know how much longer that will be.

[@eddiegreenham6626]

My wife and I were there a month ago the 3rd visit in 10 years a lovely place..🥰

[@vickialschuler816]

Heading to Cornwall and Devon on a garden tour next May and looking forward to seeing Port Isaac along the way.

[@jennywilde6578]

It was as packed as always when I was there in mid September. That was a sunny Saturday though.

[@jakeg1421]

Don’t forget there is a ‘cost of living crisis’ in the UK and it’s midweek! Just like Kingsands and Cawsands in East Cornwall, empty out of season and the houses, second homers have taken over the two villages! 🥺 🙏👍

[@dougie1325]

Out of season Ports Isaac is just falling in line with most other tiny Cornish harbour towns, busy in the summer and quiet in the colder months. Towns like St Ives will always be busier given its size and more going on, plus it has a number of beaches. Personally I like that it's not rammed all year. Most months Padstow has a good balance of visitors, though a total nightmare July and August.

[@Lily-Rose-b5t]

It hasn't stopped raining here in Cornwall for the past 3 years!

[@captainplatinum]

Cornwall people are hostile to outsiders, disrespectfully referring to them as emmets.. They put up signs during the pandemic saying people were not welcome . They are hostile in many places . Demographically it is poor yet their prices are extortionate for parking , accommodation and services . It has nice views on the coast but dilapidated inland . Much better value for money to go abroad . Been there once or twice but if you’ve seen it once that’s it. The for sale signs are flying up as the standard of living declines . It will soon be Blackpool 2 , but with nicer scenery .

[@trevorphillips3055]

I grew up in Cornwall from 1970 to 1987. We moved there from Dorset and were only just beginning to be accepted towards the end of our time there. Hostility to outsiders is not a new thing. Some of the true Cornish are short-sighted and don't see if it wasn't for tourism they'd have nothing.

[@captainplatinum]

@@trevorphillips3055 absolutely 💯

[@rickzelle8245]

My wife and I were there October 19-23, 2024. Were you there at the same time? We loved the fact that it was not crowded, but we also wondered about some of the places that were closed. We assumed it was because of the season. It was cool to see the tide come up into the streets on that Sunday evening. We hope to go back when we can stay longer. (We hit Aberdeen, Shetland, Cornwall and Dublin over two weeks)

[@buds8423]

Went back to Uk after Covid and wow. Transportation has gotten bad! (And that’s after visiting during strikes and ‘rail jumpers’ in past ). Got impression tourists not wanted, so won’t be back…

[@steveray8056]

Hi Sarah and Andrew. Love your tours and walks around Cornwall. My wife and I visited Post Isaac in September 2016 and enjoyed our visit to Doc Martin land. Yes, it was busy as it was “shoulder season” for tourism. Your video is in October and I think you are too late to see all the visitors who have gone to sunnier locales for vacation. Please send a delicious Cornwall pasty 😂😂😂

[@petermyles3669]

We visited on the same day as yourselves, we did see you. We were disappointed with the appearance of the village having visited many times before. We thought it all looked a little shabby. The Slipway cafe/restaurant definitely wasn't inviting We thought it was closed. We did do the photo outside the Docs house though!

[@TheFowey]

This is a lovely time of year

[@skippyripley1239]

Cold & damp ...get a a life...

[@tracycharalambous5223]

It still looks a lovely place to visit. Am I wrong or did they film Fisherman's Friends there too? Still on my bucket list for future walking holidays. Thanks for another lovely podcast. ♥️