Charlestown: Step into Cornwall's Historic Maritime Village (2024)

  • Destinations
  • The South Coast

Porth Meur

    A historic port and film set

    Charlestown: Step into Cornwall's Historic Maritime Village (1)

    Charlestown: Step into Cornwall's Historic Maritime Village (2)

    Charlestown Harbour

    A beautiful view over the main harbour.

    Once a thriving working port, constructed to export copper and china clay, Charlestown's principal industry is now as a film set and to welcome visitors who want to follow in the footsteps of sailors from the past. Beautifully preserved, the pretty pastel fishermen's cottages line the harbour, with a nice range of places to eat, drink and shop dotted around as well.

    Georgian character

    A charming Grade II listed harbour and a Poldark connection are just a couple of the reasons that you'll want to head to Charlestown. The beautiful harbour and surroundings retain much of their Georgian character with beautiful period properties sitting side by side with traditional stone fishermen's cottages and harbourside inns.

    Built by local landowner Charles Rashleigh, hence Charlestown, he needed a port to ship copper from Cornwall to South Wales and also to bring coal in. It later went over to China Clay and the remains of the shuts can be seen on the east side of the harbour.

    Nowadays tourism is the main business in Charlestown with a nice selection of shops and café’s scattered around the harbour.

    History & Heritage

    The Shipwreck Treasure Museum is a must visit whilst in Charlestown, providing a unique insight into the history of Charlestown and with an opportunity to venture through underground tunnels that were once used to load clay onto ships moored in the harbour. You will also be able to view the largest private collection of shipwreck artefacts in Europe, with nearly 8,000 artefacts from over 150 shipwrecks.

    Meanwhile, around the harbour you might be lucky to view visiting craft or Charlstown's very own Anny, a Danish tall-ship built in the 1930s. The long-term plan for the harbour is to create a base for all manner of traditional and sailing vessels, with a view to helping young people become part of a multi-talented and flexible crew for the crafts based here.

    Charlestown: Step into Cornwall's Historic Maritime Village (7)

    A Starring Role

    Leading film website IMDb list over 20 films and tv series that have been shot at Charlestown. Perhaps the most famous these days is Poldark, but it can also be seen in the award winning Cornish film Bait, Tim Burton's 2010 version of Alice in Wonderland, the 1976 war film, The Eagle has Landed and Mel Gibson's Apocalypto, where it doubled as a Central American harbour!

    It's also been used for a recent episode of Dr Who, featured in BBC's sci-fi drama Tripods in the 1980s and before that in the historical series The Onedin Line.

    You may be lucky to catch filming taking place when you visit, and who knows which stars might be walking around?

    Plan your trip

    Everything you need to know to plan your perfect trip to Charlestown

    • The M4, M5 and M6 motorways have made travel to Cornwall simple and straightforward, while within Cornwall itself, the A30 and A38 continue to improve with fast dual carriageways. Follow the M5 to Exeter, and join the A30 and then take the A391 to St Austell (just past Bodmin). Once in St Austell, follow the A390 until you see signposts to Charlestown, signposted off Mount Chales roundabout. Parking can be found in the village, but is limited.

    • National Express serves Cornwall from destinations throughout the UK. Connecting services to Cornwall are available from Bristol, Birmingham and London. The nearest coach stop to Charlestown is St Austell. From here you can pick up a local bus or taxi.

    • Great Western Railways operate high speed services from London Paddington, South Wales and the Cotswolds to Cornwall, including sleeper services from London Paddington. Cross Country Trains (Arriva Trains) operate services into Cornwall from the Midlands, the North and Scotland. The nearest train station to Charlestown is St Austell. From here you can pick up a local bus or taxi.

    FAQs

    View all
    • The Rashleigh arms is owned and managed by St Austell Breweries.

      st Austell
    • Leading film website IMDb list over 20 films and tv series that have been shot at Charlestown. Perhaps the most famous these days is Poldark, but it can also be seen in the award winning Cornish film Bait, Tim Burton's 2010 version of Alice in Wonderland, the 1976 war film, The Eagle has Landed and Mel Gibson's Apocalypto where it doubled as a Central American harbour!

      It's also been used for a recent episode of Dr Who, featured in BBC's sci-fi drama Tripods in the 1980s and before that in the historical series The Onedin Line

    • The historic harbour has been home to many old ladies of the sea over the years. These days it is home to a number of vessels, the main one being the Anny of Charlestown, a topsail schooner built in Denmark in 1930. There are also a couple of Looe luggers, a Bristol Cutter and several other historic boats. Of course, being boats, means they may not always be at Charlestown, and there's always a chance others may be visiting.

      Best thing to do is go down and have a look?

    View all

    Charlestown: Step into Cornwall's Historic Maritime Village (10)

    Your weekly dose of Cornish cheer!

    When you can’t be in your favourite place all the time, catch up on the latest stories, upcoming events, holiday ideas, and offers with a newsletter straight to your inbox. Terms and Conditions / GDPR compliance: by providing personally identifiable information Visit Cornwall will use it to provide you with ongoing information about their products and services. No one from Visit Cornwall will rent, sell or lease this personally identifiable information to other companies or individuals.

    • Charlestown: Step into Cornwall's Historic Maritime Village (11)

    • Charlestown: Step into Cornwall's Historic Maritime Village (12)

    • Charlestown: Step into Cornwall's Historic Maritime Village (13)

    Stay connected

    Find us on socials and stay connected with the Cornwall you love.

    We use cookies to personalise content and ads and to analyse our traffic. You consent to our cookies if you continue to use our website. (Privacy Policy)

    Charlestown: Step into Cornwall's Historic Maritime Village (2024)

    FAQs

    Are the tall ships in Charlestown? ›

    Gaze up at the masts of the tall ships, walk the walk of a sailor and imagine you're heading out to sea. The historic harbour of Charlestown is the perfect destination to discover Cornwall's rich and mysterious seafaring heritage.

    Who built Charlestown Cornwall? ›

    + Charlestown was built by the founder of the local china clay industry Charles Rashleigh. + The harbour was used to transport copper and china clay throughout the world. + Today the harbour is still busy with regular visits from tall ships and film producers.

    Was Pirates of the Caribbean filmed in Charlestown? ›

    Charlestown has long been a natural film set and has featured in many films. It was shortlisted along with its resident tall ships for the original “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie and has hosted many of the Hollywood greats.

    Why is Charlestown called Charlestown? ›

    The name of the village was changed in order to honour Charles Rashleigh and became Charlestown. Charlestown began to flourish, and the population grew, bringing the need for more cottages, an Inn, a hotel, a chapel and eventually a church.

    What TV series was filmed in Charlestown Cornwall? ›

    • Alice in Wonderland. 20101h 48mPG. 6.4 (445K) Rate. ...
    • Poldark. 2015–2019TV-14. 8.3 (37K) Rate. ...
    • The Three Musketeers. 19931h 45mPG. 6.4 (60K) Rate. ...
    • Frontier. 2016–2018TV-MA. 7.1 (24K) Rate. ...
    • The New World. 20052h 15mPG-13. 6.7 (91K) Rate. ...
    • Mansfield Park. 19991h 52mPG-13. ...
    • The Eagle Has Landed. 19762h 3mPG. ...
    • Poldark. 1975–1977TV-MA.

    Why is Charlestown so important? ›

    On June 17, 1775, Charlestown was the site of one of the most important battles of the Revolutionary War. American patriots delivered a devastating blow to the British army in the Battle of Bunker Hill. Nearly the entire town was destroyed during the battle and wasn't rebuilt until after the war ended.

    What is Charlestown called now? ›

    A History of Charles Town, South Carolina

    From 1670 to 1783, the city was known as Charles Town then Charlestown. No "e" on the end. At the end of the American Revolution in 1783, the name was shortened to Charleston, which has been in use ever since.

    What ship is in Charlestown MA? ›

    USS CONSTITUTION is located inside Boston National Historical Park, part of Charlestown Navy Yard in Charlestown, Massachusetts.

    What is the big ship in Charleston South Carolina? ›

    The ship notably recovered the Apollo 8 astronauts and capsule in December 1968. The USS Yorktown was decommissioned in 1970 and placed in reserve. In 1975, this historic ship was towed from Bayonne, NJ to Charleston, SC to become the centerpiece of Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum.

    Was Frontier filmed in Charlestown? ›

    Maryna said: “He is shooting down in Charlestown. The team contacted me because they wanted some studio space to shoot a portrait for series three of Frontier. “The photographer was famous and has taken lots of pictures of movie stars. They were very quick and discreet.

    Top Articles
    Latest Posts
    Recommended Articles
    Article information

    Author: Ms. Lucile Johns

    Last Updated:

    Views: 5267

    Rating: 4 / 5 (61 voted)

    Reviews: 84% of readers found this page helpful

    Author information

    Name: Ms. Lucile Johns

    Birthday: 1999-11-16

    Address: Suite 237 56046 Walsh Coves, West Enid, VT 46557

    Phone: +59115435987187

    Job: Education Supervisor

    Hobby: Genealogy, Stone skipping, Skydiving, Nordic skating, Couponing, Coloring, Gardening

    Introduction: My name is Ms. Lucile Johns, I am a successful, friendly, friendly, homely, adventurous, handsome, delightful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.