22/09/2026
Charlestown is one of the most distinctive coastal spots in Cornwall, preserving a late Georgian world.
It exploded from a population of nine: Before the harbour was built in the 1790s, the area was known as West Polmear and consisted of just three cottages housing nine people. Local entrepreneur Charles Rashleigh built the port for copper and china clay exports and promptly named the new town after himself.
Hollywood’s go-to vintage port: Because the harbour remains practically untouched since the early 1800s (with no modern visual clutter), it is a famous film set. It stood in for Truro and Falmouth in Poldark, doubled as a Central American harbour in Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto, and appeared in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, Doctor Who, and Taboo.
Home to a secret underground clay tunnel: Beneath the village lies a network of historic underground tunnels. Workers used these chutes and tunnels to shoot china clay (known locally as "white gold") directly into the holds of ships docked below.
Europe’s largest shipwreck treasure trove: The local Shipwreck Treasure Museum houses over 8,000 artefacts from more than 150 shipwrecks. Among its claims to fame is the world's only intact barrel of coins ever salvaged from a sunken ship (the Admiral Gardner, which sank in 1809).
The "Gate Ho!" routine: Before modern machinery, the port relied on a local bell to signal workers. Whenever ships were coming in or out on the tide, the bell rang to announce "Gate Ho!", alerting hand-crews to manually open the lock gates.
A real-life tall ship hub: Unlike modern ports built for giant steel cargo ships, Charlestown's narrow entrance means only classic wooden vessels and tall ships can dock there. Ships like the 1930s Danish schooner Anny are regularly moored in the inner harbour.
