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NEWSLETTER 02 |
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THE INFAMOUS ‘SQUEEZE BELLY ALLEY’ IN PORT ISAAC, RECORDED IN THE 1978 GUINNESS BOOK OF RECORDS AS THE NARROWEST IN THE UK. |
Hello again from Wes,So I’m here again…. The first newsletter seemed to go down well, thank you for all your messages. I opened my old shop ‘ May Contain Nuts’ in 2012 and the Doc Martin series 6 was filmed the following year. I loved the buzz in the village from the crew and the excitement from the visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of the cast. I found out quickly that if you wanted to meet Martin Clunes all you needed was a dog! He would literally stop to pet them all. During filming parts of the village were taken over by the crew and cast for their accommodation and refreshment, whilst other places were used for authentic Cornish locations featured in the show. Probably the most popular location for filming was the Surgery, Fern Cottage on Roscarrock Hill. This little two up two down holiday let over looking the harbour has people peering through the windows probably most days of the year. Only the front door was ever used in filming as the inside shots were filmed at the studio on Roscarrock Farm. Many other buildings were also used and you can purchase a tour guide of the village pointing out the locations. In 2015 for series 7 ( episode 3) a scene was filmed in my shop with Ruth and Louisa and myself serving them coffees. They spent all morning filming for a few seconds on tv, but it was great. I still get texts from people to say they’ve seen me in the repeats. As long with the Doc Martin locations Port Isaac has a number of very interesting houses and locations in the village. Temple bar otherwise known as Squeeze belly alley links Dolphin Street and Fore Street. At its narrowest part it measures just 18” and is one of the narrowest thoroughfares in the world. |
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THE BIRDCAGE |
This quirky 3 storey, 5 sided cottage can be found just off Rose Hill and is a former cobblers. When I posted about this cottage on Facebook, Tony Angell told me that the cobbler was John Lark and he remembers as a child him sitting outside mending shoes. When John Lark died a trapdoor had to be cut into the floor to remove his coffin as the stairs were too narrow. The cottage was then purchased by Tony’s godfather, Alex Gorton and later when he passed away it was left to the National Trust. |
WALK AND TALK |
If you are interested in the local history there is the Walk and Talk tours which run daily and takes its visitors to various points of interest in the village as well as The filming locations for Doc Martin fans. |
AND FINALLY … |
I hope you’ve enjoyed your Summer and maybe had a chance to visit Cornwall. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any comments or questions… it’s lovely to hear from you all…. Wes |
NEWSLETTER 03 |
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Obernberg Am Brenner |
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Life after ‘May Contain Nuts’Hi again… Thank you for all the messages and comments from the last newsletter it’s been encouraging to receive them, so thank you. I took on my shop ‘May Contain Nuts’ in February 2012, and then spent a month or so fitting it out and getting it ready to open. In that first year we were open every day except Christmas Day, and that gave us a good idea of the days, months and times that were worth us opening. Port Isaac has quite a long tourist season and we soon learned that being open from half term February through to November most years and usually a couple of weeks over Christmas and the New Year period was perfect for us. I was very lucky over the years to have lots of people to work alongside me and help out in the busier months and lots of customers who returned year after year. As summer was our busiest time we always tried to get away for our holiday during the winter when we weren’t as busy and have been fortunate enough to travel to a few countries including Australia, Thailand and Cambodia. When my lease ended in January 2023 the one thing I was looking forward to was having more time to travel; so the first thing I did was to go on a snow shoeing trip to Austria. My friend Wendy is a tour guide and it turned out she had a last minute space on the tour. Two weeks later and I was off to Obernberg am Brenner approx 30 km south of Innsbruck. I have skied a couple of times but It’s the first time I’ve snow shoed and we enjoyed an amazing week walking up mountains in amazing weather. The first day was getting used to walking in the snow shoes and learning how to locate and dig someone out of an avalanche (luckily these skills were never needed). Each day we climbed to the summit of a mountain and on one day, which happened to be my birthday, we drank hot chocolate with hazelnut liqueur and sledged down. Next year I’m hoping to go back to Austria with a walking holiday during the summer months. Alongside the shop I also ran my own website and supplied welcome hampers to ‘John Brays’ holiday cottages. I have been able to continue with these two businesses and if you have or are planning a trip to Port Isaac you may stay in a property with one of our Mackerel jute bags filled with delicious Cornish treats. The website still offers our Doc Martin merchandise plus unique Port Isaac gifts and Cornish treats which we can send worldwide. It’s really nice still being able to offer these items as it’s something that I worked hard on over the years to set up. Harbour Treats ( Mrs Tishalls Pharmacy) now stocks the Doc Martin merchandise at the bottom of the village. I also decided I wanted a job change and spoke to another friend Sheelagh who has her own gardening business ‘Garden Girls’. We plant, weed, design and maintain lots of gardens in and around the Port Isaac area and I’ve been working with her ever since. I really enjoy working outside and being active, plus it’s great learning new things and seeing the gardens change over the seasons. Of course in Cornwall it’s not always sunshine as we do get a few spates of drizzle here and there, but working in the rain isn’t to bad either. What’s also nice as I’m in the village a lot I quite often bump into customers from the shop and familiar faces who return each year. I also have more free time at the weekends and on Sundays I meet with a couple of friends and we go on an early morning dog walk. We like to walk around Pentire Point and the Rumps. If you get the chance it’s a stunning place to go with lots of wildlife and The Rumps is the site of an Iron Age fort. I try to post photos from our weekend walks and my dog Stan on Instagram and Facebook. I hope you have enjoyed hearing a little about what I have been up to this year. I like keeping in touch and hearing about what you have all been doing too. Until the next time, Wes |
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WALK AND TALK |
If you get the chance when visiting this quaint little Cornish village, take the ‘Walk and Talk’ tour. Not catering just for the Doc Martin fans, the tour takes its visitors to various points of interest in the village as well as talking in depth about its historical importance over the last 700 odd years. |
AND FINALLY … |
Don’t forget to treat yourself to a pasty, cream tea (jam first, we’re not from Devon!), Cornish Ice cream, a freshly caught crab sandwich and/or a Doom Bar while taking in the sights and soaking in the atmosphere of the famous port that is Port Isaac. |
NEWSLETTER 04 |
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PORT ISAAC AT LOW TIDE |
Hello againI can’t believe it’s November already! The year seems to have flown by. October has been a busy month. My daughter and I travelled to Barcelona in the first week. It was a first for both of us and we spent a busy few days trying to see as much as we could have of this amazing city while also getting a couple of hours relaxing in the sun on the beach. While lying on the beach with the little waves gently lapping the shore it made me ponder on how different our tides are in the UK. Many people ask me questions about the tides when I post pictures of our high and low tides in Port Isaac, as other countries don’t experience such tides, so I thought I’d try and explain briefly (for anyone who doesn’t know). |
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Tides are the rise and falls in sea level caused by the gravitational force exerted on the earth by the moon and the sun. On the “near” side of the Earth (the side facing the moon), the gravitational force of the moon pulls the ocean’s waters toward it, creating a bulge or high tide. This also happens on the opposite side of the earth. Spring tides happen just after every full and new moon, when the sun, moon and earth are in line. That’s when lunar and solar tides line up and reinforce each other, making a higher high tide. Neap tides occur when the moon is in the first or third quarter – when the sun, earth and moon form a right angle causing a lower low tide. There are two high tides and two low tides every 24 hours and 50 minutes. High tides occur about an hour later every day. Tide Gauges exist in many ports and harbours around the world, and record the height of the rising and falling tide relative to a reference level, called a “benchmark”, on the land nearby. The UK have some of the most extreme tides in the world. On the Spring tides the sea can come right up over the road by the lifeboat station. Many of the properties at the bottom of the village have a flood gate to put across their doors to stop the sea coming in. In extreme cases the waves have been known to crash through the port side doors in the Golden Lion flooding the pub and also to come through the closed windows of some of the cottages more exposed to the elements. On a Neap tide the sea can sometimes go out just beyond the break waters. This is a great time to explore the rock pools and also the old store pools, where fishermen used to keep their catches and pirates stash their rum supply. If the tide is low enough it’s possible to see the remains of the original pier and breakwater constructed during the reign of Henry VIII. The breakwaters that stand today were built in 1926. Tide times are available for people to check when the high/low tides will occur and at what height. This is important if you’re out on the water or even taking a trip to the beach. People sometimes get cut off as the tides can come in quite fast without people being aware. Other factors play apart too on the tides including the shape of the shoreline and the time of year and weather conditions. |
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PORT ISAAC HIGH TIDE |
Into NovemberOn 28th October our clocks went back an hour meaning I no longer have to leave the house in the dark in the mornings which is great but that also means the sun sets earlier and as I now work outside, it will mean shorter working hours… (so not such a bad thing either!) I do enjoy the change in seasons. Cornwall doesn’t usually get as cold as the rest of the UK, but it can get a lot of rain. As I mentioned before on Sundays I walk with a couple of friends and our dogs. Today we walked around Pentire and stopped for coffee where indulged in some homemade biscuits overlooking the Rumps. On our break we had the pleasure of being treated to a huge rainbow which my friend David managed to capture just before we got caught in the rain on the way back to the car. |
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PENTIRE RAINBOW credit: @davidspinkphotography |
I usually post pictures of our walks and views from my days on my Instagram docmartininportisaac and Facebook accounts Doc Martin in Port Isaac if you’d like to see more Cornish scenery. Thank you to everyone who comments or sends messages, it’s lovely to hear from you all. I hope you all have a great month and I’ll be back soon Wes |
Walk and talkIf you get the chance when visiting this quaint little Cornish village, take the ‘Walk and Talk’ tour. Not catering just for the Doc Martin fans, the tour takes its visitors to various points of interest in the village as well as talking in depth about its historical importance over the last 700 odd years. |
And finally ….As we are heading towards the end of the year, why not treat yourself to a 2024 Port Isaac calendar or a lovely jigsaw of the village to keep you entertained while you batton down the hatches during in the colder months. Both are on sale on our website, and featured just below for your easy reference. |
NEWSLETTER 05 |
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PORT ISAAC CORNISH PILOT GIG |
Hello from Wes,I wanted to tell you a little this month about Cornish pilot gigs. You may have seen these boats out rowing while visiting Cornwall or around the South West coast. Port Isaac have three pilot gigs, Unity, Corsair and Roscarrock in red and blue. These 32 foot long, 6 oar-rowing boats are traditionally built from Cornish narrow-leaf elm and are clinker-built. This is a method of boat building where the edges of the hull planks over lap each other. Pilot gigs are recognised as one of the first shore based lifeboats with rescues being recorded as far back as the late 17th century. The original purpose of these boats was to transport a pilot out to incoming vessels so they could be safely brought into dock. The gigs would race each other to get their pilot to the vessel first ensuring they got the job, and ultimately the payment. The oldest gig still in use is the Treffry, built in 1838 by William Peters of St Mawes and still owned and raced by the Newquay rowing club. Nowadays the pilot gigs are used primarily for sport. There are over 29 gig clubs around the coast of Cornwall and The Isles of Scilly. Many clubs host their own regattas which involves clubs competing against each other in races. May bank holiday each year hosts The World Pilot Gig Championships on St Mary’s, Isle of Scilly. First held in 1990, the event attracted a few local teams. Years later it has grown massively with over 100 gigs attending and thousands of rowers and spectators flocking to the small island from all over the south of England, the Netherlands, Ireland, France and beyond. So keep an eye out when you’re at the coast for the pilot gigs, you may see the crews out training or get to watch one of the races. It’s great fun, but hard work which usually results in plenty of blisters! |
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FINISHING LINE ISLES OF SCILLY |
WALK AND TALK |
If you get the chance when visiting this quaint little Cornish village, take the ‘Walk and Talk’ tour. Not catering just for the Doc Martin fans, the tour takes its visitors to various points of interest in the village as well as talking in depth about its historical importance over the last 700 odd years. |
AND FINALLY … |
Don’t forget Royal Mail Christmas postal deadlines are fast approaching. I do try to get all orders posted within a few days however, I cannot be held responsible for the parcels once they leave me, so please give yourself plenty of time especially if you are ordering from abroad. |
NEWSLETTER 06 |
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HAPPY NEW YEAR |
Hello from Wes,I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas! I’d like to start by wishing you a very happy and healthy New Year. This year marks my 30th anniversary of moving to Cornwall. I came here in 1994 after a friend who’d holidayed in Cornwall showed me her photos and I decided this was the place I wanted to live, my mind was made up! I’ve never regretted my decision and I feel very lucky to be a part of it all. I previously worked in advertising at The Cornish Guardian and Pirate FM before opening my shop ‘May Contain Nuts’ in 2012. 2023 bought some major changes into my life. Firstly with the shop closing after 10 years, and then with my daughter leaving home to pursue her career in Bristol. Alongside gardening with a friend I still run the Doc Martin Merchandise site which I do on my own from a little office at home. I’m very grateful to everyone who follows me on social media and my loyal customers. As a small independent business every sale means a lot so thank you for your continued support this year. Stan, my dog, had to have a operation so over the festive period he was feeling sorry for himself in ‘the cone of shame’ (it’s what we call the collar he has to wear to stop himself licking the wound). He’s had his stitches out now and healing well. Myself and Lillie enjoyed a fairly quiet Christmas together, we decided to go out for Christmas dinner which was a lovely treat as obviously there was no cooking nor washing up! After which we then spent the rest of the holiday eating our body weight in cheese! This New Year I plan to ring it in with friends. I’m not a great one for New Year resolutions but in 2024 I’d like to travel a bit more, continue and improve my CrossFit training and to just have more fun. Whatever you goals, resolutions and wishes are for 2024, I wish you a healthy and happy one! Wes x |
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STAN ENJOYING HIS CHRISTMAS CARROT |
WALK AND TALK |
If you get the chance when visiting this quaint little Cornish village, take the ‘Walk and Talk’ tour. Not catering just for the Doc Martin fans, the tour takes its visitors to various points of interest in the village as well as talking in depth about its historical importance over the last 700 odd years. |
AND FINALLY … |
I always send orders tracked / signed via The Royal Mail. I will send you a tracking number to follow your parcel. Unfortunately sometimes parcels take longer than expected to arrive so please allow plenty of time for your order to arrive. |
NEWSLETTER 07 |
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FOUR SEASONS IN A MONTH |
Hello from Wes,Well we’re a month into the new year already. I hope it has started well for you all. We have had a real mixed bag of weather throughout the first month of 2024. Early in January we had some beautiful sunrises, then we’ve had A LOT of rain, a lot of wind and even a flurry of snow! Cornwall tends to have milder temperatures than the rest of the UK due to its position and the effect of the Gulf Stream, so snow can be a bit of a rarity. I remember last time we had any amount of snow was November 2018. It was my daughter’s first driving lesson as she set off with the instructor. Shortly after leaving there was a sudden heavy snow fall which caused a lorry to jack knife on one of the main roads and she was stuck in traffic for the next 8 hours! Luckily this didn’t put her off learning. There is also a snow scene in season 10 of Doc Martin but this was filmed using artificial snow. |
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PORT GAVERNE |
The next little cove along from Port Isaac is Port Gaverne, pronounced Gay Verne. The name Gaverne is believed to have originated from ‘Karn Hun’ a local Cornish word meaning rocky haven. Historically Port Gaverne existed as a port for sand and slate from the local mine at Delabole and for the local fishing catch, particularly pilchards. Sand from the beach was rich in lime and used as fertiliser on Cornish soil. It is noted by historian John Maclean that in 1872 woman and children earned a good income by harvesting the sand. In 1807, The Delabole slate Co. quarried a road from the mine at Delabole to the harbour at Port Gaverne enabling the export of goods on sailing ketches as they were too wide for the harbour at Port Isaac. In 1859 it was recorded that about 1,000 men were employed, raising about 120 tons of slate per day. This was cut and hauled 6 miles (9.7 km) to Port Gaverne where it would be loaded onto ships. Thirty wagons, pulled by over a hundred horses, would load a sixty-ton ship. Loading slates was often done by women, as the men were out fishing and women still helped with stowing the slates through to the 1890s. In 1895 the transport of slate switched to rail when the North Cornwall rail line to Wadebridge opened. The pilchard trade continued, until the fishing catches reduced, forcing the boats to move away. Although the appearance of the hamlet has changed little in the last two centuries it now relies on tourism with most of the properties being second homes or holiday lets. You may recognise the National Trust owned property above which for a few years was used as the police station in Doc Martin.
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PORT ISAAC WALK AND TALK |
If you get the chance when visiting this quaint little Cornish village, take the ‘Walk and Talk’ tour. Not catering just for the Doc Martin fans, the tour takes its visitors to various points of interest in the village as well as talking in depth about its historical importance over the last 700 odd years. |
AND FINALLY … |
A note for your diary…. PORT ISAAC SHANTY FESTIVAL 19-21st April 2024 |
NEWSLETTER 08 |
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We spent many happy hours at the beach |
Hello from Wes,I have not written a newsletter this month, instead I have sad news to share with you. In under 3 weeks my wonderful dog Stan went from being a normal healthy 11 year old ‘puppy’ to being diagnosed with Lymphoma and falling asleep on 28th February. He was such a lovely, gentle, happy dog and a great friend to me and I am devastated to loose him. He will leave a huge hole in my life.
Wes x |
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Enjoying the beach and cliffs at New Polzeath |
WALK AND TALK |
If you get the chance when visiting this quaint little Cornish village, take the ‘Walk and Talk’ tour. Not catering just for the Doc Martin fans, the tour takes its visitors to various points of interest in the village as well as talking in depth about its historical importance over the last 700 odd years. |
AND FINALLY … |
I always send orders tracked / signed via The Royal Mail. I will send you a tracking number to follow your parcel. Unfortunately sometimes parcels take longer than expected to arrive so please allow plenty of time for your order to arrive. |
NEWSLETTER 09 |
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The Fishemans Friends singing on The Platt Port Isaac |
Hello from Wes,I’d like to start this month by saying a huge thank you to everyone who sent me texts and emails about Stan. It’s been a lonely month and I’ve missed him terribly, but your messages have meant a lot to me. We’re now at the start of Spring and unfortunately the weather in Cornwall hasn’t improved much… We had hail earlier today and it’s still raining a lot! Hopefully as the month goes on the weather will improve especially as April is the month for Port Isaac’s Shanty Festival. So I thought I’d tell you a little about sea shanties. Sea shanties were originally sung to motivate men working on ships. The square rigged vessels needed groups of men to work in teams, and by singing together they helped to keep a rhythm to keep them in time whilst hauling ropes or setting the sails. Sea shanties as we know them today flourished during the 19th century although earlier examples of a sea shanty can be traced back to at least the 16th century. Ships crews were often multi ethnic as sailors were recruited from around the world so many cultural and mystical influences went into the making of sea shanties. Commonly, the shanty would have a shanty man. He would sing a line of the song to a group who would respond with the chorus whilst hauling on the rope. A good shanty man is said to be worth 4 extra hands on the rope for selecting the appropriate song for the job in hand. Short drag shanties for hard bouts of pulling. Halyard – long haul for longer periods of pulling. Capstan and Pumping for periods of easier but continuous effort. Steam ships started to replace sail in the latter half of the19th century and the work on board changed hence no need for the teamwork and singing. Shanty singing went on to became a popular pastime in Cornwall. Port Isaac’s Fisherman’s Friends used to sing regularly in the pub or on The Platt during the summer months for the visitors. In 2010 they were spotted by someone in the music industry and signed a record deal. Later a feature film was made based around their story attracting international attention and gaining new shanty fans around the world. Port Isaac Shanty Festival 19th – 21st April 2024 www.portisaacshantyfestival. Wes x |
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The Fishermans Friends on The Pyramid stage Glastonbury |
WALK AND TALK |
If you get the chance when visiting this quaint little Cornish village, take the ‘Walk and Talk’ tour. Not catering just for the Doc Martin fans, the tour takes its visitors to various points of interest in the village as well as talking in depth about its historical importance over the last 700 odd years. |
AND FINALLY … |
I always send orders tracked / signed via The Royal Mail. I will send you a tracking number to follow your parcel. Unfortunately sometimes parcels take longer than expected to arrive so please allow plenty of time for your order to arrive. |
NEWSLETTER 10 |
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Padstow Maypole MayDay |
Hello from Wes,I wanted to tell you about a festival that takes place in Padstow every year in May. Padstow May Day is one of Cornwalls oldest and most interesting traditions. The festival takes place on May 1st every year (unless it’s a Sunday when the celebrations move to the 2nd). The exact origins of the festival are unknown but is thought to be connected with the ancient Celtic Festival of Beltane, paying tribute to the fast approach of Summer. Inhabitants of the town traditionally dress in white with either red or blue and lead a Hobby Horse ‘Obby Oss’ on a procession through the streets. The Oss has an oval frame covered in a black oil skin with a small horse head and snapping jaw. It is led by a Teaser also dressed in white and carrying a painted club. Before World War I there was only one Hobby Horse in Padstow, ’The Old Oss’, but in 1919 the blue ribbon Oss was introduced. May Day in Padstow starts at Midnight on April 30th when the inhabitants sing the night song at The Golden Lion then they move around the town singing into the early hours. The next day the town is dressed in greenery and flowers are displayed around the maypole in the centre of town. The children join in with junior Osses and the May song is sung accompanied by accordions and drummers. The processions begins with the appearance of the Blue Oss followed by the Old Oss and are led separately around the town. Later in the evening the Osses meet at the Maypole and dance together before returning to their respective stables and the crowds sing The Obby Oss death farewell until the resurrection the following May eve. Wes x |
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The Maypole celebration in Padstow |
WALK AND TALK |
If you get the chance when visiting this quaint little Cornish village, take the ‘Walk and Talk’ tour. Not catering just for the Doc Martin fans, the tour takes its visitors to various points of interest in the village as well as talking in depth about its historical importance over the last 700 odd years. |
AND FINALLY … |
I always send orders tracked / signed via The Royal Mail. I will send you a tracking number to follow your parcel. Unfortunately sometimes parcels take longer than expected to arrive so please allow plenty of time for your order to arrive. |
NEWSLETTER 11 |
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The Pump in Middle Street |
Hello againWell here we are again, I honestly don’t know where the time is going this year… I’ve been busy gardening with my friend Sheelagh and everything is going mad! At least we’ve seen a bit of sun and had our shorts on! Hopefully this better weather will last. Along with the gardening, I started a summer evening job in the village in the Fish and Chip and shop. It’s great as I always enjoyed meeting customers … quite a few remember me for my shop… and I like keeping busy and working in the village. A lot of places in Cornwall rely on the tourist trade and people have to earn money whilst there are visitors about. Winter can be very quiet and often that’s when the locals take their holidays. Whilst walking down Back hill the other day I saw a photograph from Port Isaac Heritage. It showed a scene from the Port Isaac drought of 1955 of villages collecting buckets of water from the pump on Mine Pitt Corner opposite St Peter’s Church. Running water arrived in the village in the 1930’s and before this people collected their water from one of the two pumps in the village or from Wells in the village. Some cottages had their own Well which was sometimes in the kitchen of their cottage. The water pumps were used up until the 1950’s. Even after mains water was installed, many villagers still used the pumps as they preferred the taste of the water and the mains water tended to be brown. Both pumps were sealed off in the 1970’s. If you get he chance to visit Port Isaac spend some time wondering around the lanes looking at the pretty cottages, there’s lots of history still to see. Until next month, Wes x |
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Collecting water in the drought of 1955 Photo from www.portisaacheritage.co.uk |
WALK AND TALK |
If you get the chance when visiting this quaint little Cornish village, take the ‘Walk and Talk’ tour. Not catering just for the Doc Martin fans, the tour takes its visitors to various points of interest in the village as well as talking in depth about its historical importance over the last 700 odd years. |
AND FINALLY … |
I always send orders tracked / signed via The Royal Mail. I will send you a tracking number to follow your parcel. Unfortunately sometimes parcels take longer than expected to arrive so please allow plenty of time for your order to arrive. |
NEWSLETTER 12 |
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Dolphin Street |
Hello againAs you may have noticed the website is on hold for a short while as firstly I’m taking a little time off, and secondly with the enormous help of my friend Sophie (farfalle.online) we are updating the site / moving to a new location. So please be patient and we will be up and running as soon as we can be…. Just recently I have borrowed a book, ‘A short Guide to Port Isaac’ by Robin Penna and it has some great information regarding the houses and narrow streets of Port Isaac and I’d like to share some with you. Dolphin Street has a real mix of properties including small cottages and Victorian town houses. Dolphins gets a lots of mentions with place names such as The Dolphin, Dolphin House, Little Dolphins and Bottlenose cottage to name a few. The name of the street comes from the old inn, Dolphin Inn now Dolphin Cottage. The original building was set back from the street and to create a bar a brick extension was added which aligns with the front of temple cottage next door. St. Sampson’s was possibly named after a sixth century Irish missionary, who travelled across to Fowey, where there is a church dedicated to him. The cottage has steps leading up to the former ‘chapel’ front door. The ground floor was a former cellar housing the lamplighters equipment. The square iron lamp brackets can still be seen on the corners of some of the cottages. Another interesting property is Bark House. Fishing nets were ‘barked‘ here in tubs of a hot tree bark solution to preserve them. In 1950, the upstairs was used as the Labour exchange. Today the property is a holiday cottage. I hope you have enjoyed hearing about some of the properties in the village as much as I have reading up about them. Until next month…. Best wishes Wes x |
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Bark Cottage . Dolphin Street |
WALK AND TALK |
If you get the chance when visiting this quaint little Cornish village, take the ‘Walk and Talk’ tour. Not catering just for the Doc Martin fans, the tour takes its visitors to various points of interest in the village as well as talking in depth about its historical importance over the last 700 odd years. |
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