Port Isaac is a small and picturesque fishing village on the Atlantic Coast of north Cornwall. The nearest towns are Wadebridge and Camelford, both ten miles away. Port Gaverne, commonly mistaken to be part of Port Isaac, is a nearby hamlet that has its own history. The meaning of the Cornish name is “corn port”, indicating a trade in corn from the arable inland district. Since the 1980s the village has served as backdrop to various television productions, including the ITV series Doc Martin.
The centre of the village dates from the 18th and 19th centuries, from a time when its prosperity was tied to local coastal freight and fishing. The port handled cargoes such as coal, wood, stone, ores, limestone, salt, pottery and heavy goods which were conveyed along its narrow streets. The pilchard fishery began here before the 16th century and in 1850 there were 49 registered fishing boats and four fish cellars.
Fishermen still work from the Platt, landing their daily catch of fish, crab and lobsters. The historic core of the village was designated a Conservation Area in 1971 and North Cornwall District Council reviewed this in 2008 with the endorsement of detailed Port Isaac Conservation Area Appraisal document and a related Conservation Area Management Plan. Today the village also now has around 90 Listed buildings (all Grade II).
The village has become home, for part of the year, to designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and actress Julie Peasgood. Port Isaac is the home of many working artists, such as Barbara Hawkins and her husband Bill Hawkins, and Kenny Brundle. Many are inspired by the coastal views and picturesque location. Port Isaac is home to the group Fisherman’s Friends, sea-shanty singers.
