Charlestown

Charles Rashleigh had this harbour built between 1791 and 1801 to ship china clay, designing it from nothing with a dock, a lock gate and a village for the workers, and naming it after himself. The clay trade left, and because nothing was redeveloped the port survives as an intact Georgian industrial harbour, which is why it is used constantly as a filming location: Poldark, The Eagle Has Landed, Alice in Wonderland and dozens more, with tall ships moored in the dock adding the period rigging. The Shipwreck Treasure Museum runs through tunnels once used to move clay to the ships. The harbour is a working dock with a lock that opens on the tide, so the water level inside changes and vessels sit on mud at low water.

Highlights

• The Georgian dock - a purpose-built 1801 harbour with its lock still working.
• The tall ships - square-rigged vessels moored in the dock for filming and charter.
• The clay tunnels - passages used to load china clay, now a museum route.
• The planned village - workers' housing built with the harbour.

When to go

April to October; tall ships are not permanently in the dock and their presence depends on charters and filming. Filming closes the harbour to the public at short notice several times a year.

Things to know

Whether ships are in the dock is a matter of luck, and the harbour without them is a small stone basin. Filming closures are frequent and unannounced. Parking is limited and charged, and the beach is shingle.

Nearby

The Eden Project and Heligan are short drives; St Austell lies inland.