Port Isaac & The Witchcraft & Magic Museum (England)
On to the next destination. We left Falmouth and headed north, toward the town of Barnstaple. Along the way, we made a few stops.
First, the Cornish fishing village of Port Isaac. This charming little town became a huge tourist destination because of the TV series "Doc Martin". In the series, the town is called "Portwenn" but it is primarily filmed here in Port Isaac.
I binge-watched the entire "Doc Martin" series before I left on the trip. Michael had already seen it and he thought that I would like it and I did.
I was prepared for there to be a ton of people but I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't near as crowded as St. Ives.
There are several locations used in the filming of "Doc Martin" but the most iconic is the house where he lives and has his medical practice. You can see it from a distance before you get to it. It is the small house to the left of the large one in the center -
There is a long stroll up to the house that goes through the town streets. Along the way, are shops and tantalizing views of cottage gardens -
Here I am, in front of the "Doc Martin" house -
Venturing past the house, was a steep climb and a pathway that led along the cliff with panoramic views -
A video that I took from the cliff top -
Back on the road again, we headed to Boscastle and the Museum of Witchcraft & Magic. The museum houses a unique collection of over two thousand artifacts pertaining to British magical traditions.
After departing the bus, we took a long walk to the museum along a beautiful stream -
The museum was started by Cecil Williamson (1909-1999), who had a lifelong interest in magic and the occult. As a child, he was bullied in school and visited a local witch, who showed him how to cast a spell on his bully. Shortly after that, the bully broke his leg in a skiing accident and stopped the harassment.
Williamson opened the museum in Boscastle in 1960 after unsuccessfully trying to establish one years earlier in Stratford-upon-Avon due to local opposition.
In 1938, Williamson was hired by the MI6 (Secret Intelligence Service) to investigate the occult interest of the Nazis. He went to become a film director, screenwriter and editor. He was friends with occultist Aleister Crowley and Gerald Gardner, who brought Wicca to public attention.
The Museum in now operated by Simon Costin, founder of The Museum of British Folklore.
Of course I loved this statue of Pan -
(Visted May 18, 2005)
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