Take a trip down to Cornwall and soak up the sea views.. just don’t expect to see Ross Poldark
From the gorgeous scenery of Kernow's coastline to the brooding beauty of Bodmin Moor, this ancient mining county will stir the heartstrings, with or without Aidan Turner
I WON’T say that a group of us drove all the way to Cornwall just to try to catch a glimpse of Aidan Turner with his top off.
After all, we did stop off at Stonehenge on our way to Poldark Country, the ancient mining county of Kernow.
But after that, it was Poldark all the way.
Our holiday home in St Austell even had a cinema room, the perfect place to rewatch the first season of the BBC1 series, while enjoying the complimentary bottle of wine.
But we were also keen to see the show’s sights — and one person in particular.
St Austell, midway down Cornwall’s southern coast, is just down the road from Porthpean beach, but also very close to quaint Charlestown, which doubles in the series as 18th-century Truro and Falmouth. Have lunch in the pub and watch crazy people in wetsuits swim in the sea around the harbour walls.
Then join the other Poldark/Aidan Turner tourists buying sea urchins on the shore, collecting handmade shell souvenirs and taking endless pictures of views you cannot find anywhere else. We then headed inland to Bodmin Jail, where Aidan, as Ross Poldark, was banged up.
Imposing Caerhays Castle is also well worth a visit.
Heading farther north, past Bodmin, there’s the miner’s cottage at St Breward, used in series one, and the iconic crossroads in the first-ever episode at Minions.
Heading south-westerward down the Cornish peninsula, there’s Truro and a chance to stop for another pub meal (do you see a theme in good Cornish cuisine?).
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For mining heritage, it is highly recommended you take the time to travel down to the Tin Coast, on the far-western tip of Cornwall between Pendeen and St Just — but not before dropping down to the south coast to explore Kynance Cove, the filming location for Poldark’s cottage Nampara.
Though you could spend a whole day at Kynance — even going for a stroll along the famous Queen Charlotte wreck beach of Gunwalloe — there’s probably still time to head down to St Just and mine for some history.
First, there’s a break for a spot of pub lunch and then it’s off around National Trust’s Bottalack, where you can touch the mine owned by Aidan’s character in the show.
Then, to learn more about the local industry of yesteryear, check out the Levant Mine and Beam Engine, site of the former tin and copper mine and its steam-powered engine which was used to pump water from the mine.
For a touch more adventure, Blue Chip Holidays can organise a Poldark-inspired horseriding lesson on Bodmin Moor and along the stunning Cornish coastline.
There are also shooting, archery and falconry experiences, and foraging and survival training with expert guides.
Other treats include a private-dining experience, spa treatment or jewellery-making lessons.
Sadly, we failed miserably to find any of the Poldark actors roaming about with their shirts off, let alone the main man.
Even when we specifically went looking for the brooding mine owner, along the clifftops of his favourite haunt St Agnes Head.
Luckily, though, the scenery was almost as gorgeous as Aidan.