Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A short walk inland leads to the tiny Norman
Church of St Materiana
, in a windblown spot
above Glebe Cliff. Below the castle is a small rocky beach with a hollow cavern that's in-
evitably been dubbed
Merlin's Cave
. It's only accessible at low tide.
After the natural splendour of the Tintagel headland, the village itself is a bit of a let-
down, with a smattering of frilly tea rooms and souvenir shops. It's worth looking around
the
Old Post Office
(NT;
01840-770024;
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/tintagel-old-post-office
; Fore St; adult/child
10.30am-5.30pm)
, a 16th-century Cornish longhouse that was once the village
£3.60/1.80;
post office.
converted corn mill in Trebarwith, 2 miles from Tintagel. It has eight elegant rooms in
calming creams and dark wood. They're a little quaint, with some old beams and poky
corners, but the inn's smart pub and restaurant make up for any shortcomings.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Port Isaac
A few miles southwest of Tintagel is the teeny fishing harbour of Port Isaac, a cluster of
cobbled alleyways, slender opes (alleys) and cob-walled cottages collected around a medi-
eval harbour and slipway. Though still a working harbour, Port Isaac is best known as a
filming location: the Brit film
Saving Grace
and the TV series
Doc Martin
have both used
the village as a ready-made backdrop (a sign near the quayside directs tourists straight to
Doc Martin's cottage
).
More recently, the village has hit the charts thanks to the
Fisherman's Friends
(
www.fishermansfriendsportisaac.co.uk
)
, a group of local shanty singers whose albums
have become global hits.
A short walk west leads to the neighbouring harbour of
Port Gaverne
, while a couple of
miles west is
Port Quin
, now owned by the National Trust. Local folklore maintains that the
entire fishing fleet of Port Quin was lost during a great storm in the late 17th century. The
remaining families, including some 20 widows, were all subsequently relocated to Port
Isaac.
Sleeping & Eating
Old School Hotel
HOTEL
££
