Movie locations in Cornwall
Cornwall is well known for its stunning coastline, great beaches and laid back lifestyle, but what is less well known about this magical little county is that it’s also been used as a location for many successful movies. Whether it is movies about Cornwall itself, or films where dramatic coastal locations have been required, the county has delivered. Here our some of our favourites, which you should check out next time you’re visiting the land of surfing and the humble pasty…
Jamaica Inn
This film, based on the book by Daphne du Maurier, was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and filmed at the Jamaica Inn and surrounding Bodmin Moor. The film tells the tale of a gang of smugglers, who have their headquarters at the Inn and regularly extinguish guide-beacons, to wreck ships so they can steal their cargoes. A young lady comes to stay at the Inn and becomes embroiled in the gang’s activity, when with the help of a lynched gang member, she finds herself in a race to stop them from wrecking a ship more important than all the others. The Jamaica Inn is a historic and haunting spot to visit and the moor is well worth a walk afterwards to really take in the atmosphere of what this area would have been like, when Cornwall was a wild and lawless land.
Saving Grace
This British comedy film is about the adventures of a recently widowed woman, who turns her passion for Horticulture into a plan to pay off her late-husbands debts and save her house. Grace begins to grow a potent type of Marijuana, which she plans to sell to raise the vital funds she needs. Saving Grace was filmed in the lovely north coast town of Port Isaac and a few scenes in nearby Boscastle. Port Isaac is well worth a visit, and if you are a fan of the film you will be pleased to spot many a familiar location from the movie. The village is a lovely place to stay if you want to explore the Camel Estuary area as well, so take a look at holiday cottages in Port Isaac to find some great accommodation options for a holiday.
Pirates of The Caribbean
The town of St Ives was a-buzz last year when the crew for Pirates of the Caribbean turned up to film scenes for the movie On Stranger Tides. Although the rest of the movie was filmed worldwide, in California, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and various other UK locations, Cornwall was proud to take part. St Ives is a lovely spot for a getaway and although you may not recognise it in the actual film, what other tiny seaside town can claim to have been part of a worldwide film that took over $350 million in its opening week!
Twelfth Night
In 1996 Director Trevor Nunn came to Cornwall to film his version of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night at various locations around the county. Locations included Padstow and Lanhydrock House on Bodmin and the film starred Helena Bonham Carter. The story of shipwrecked twins only becomes more complicated when they both land on shore believing the other dead and a complicated love story ensues, involving several key players of the Court and the twins. It is no surprise that they came to Cornwall to film this historic film, as indeed in its day Cornwall was the site of many a wreck on its rocky shores. Padstow is a great location for a holiday now and Lanhydrock House, now a National Trust property makes a great day out for the whole family.
Cornwall has captured the mind of many a film director and we are sure it will capture yours too! So get down there and get exploring some of the film locations that have made Cornwall visible to the world.
