Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2015 / January 2016 | Page 31

INTERVIEW
country living offers which is instilled
in the family. “I never advise anyone
because we’re all different, but I seem to
have got pretty lucky – she’s pretty nice,”
he smiles. “Also she begged to go to
boarding school so a lot of the teenage
problems we might have had have been
absorbed by professionals.
“I went to boarding school and the
thought of her doing the same just broke
my heart, but she was desperate to go
and it’s been the best thing. She’s an
only child and craves the company of her
peers and other girls. She’s got a really
nice circle of friends.”
Although Emily spends time away at
school, the family have ensured that
they’re all very much part of the local
community. Martin and Philippa founded
Buckham Fair, now an annual August
Devon institution. There’s a pony and
horse show, local fodder, charity appeals
and fairground rides at the familyfriendly event.
Country living lies at the heart of the
Clunes residence, and that extends to
holidays too. Looking back at his own
childhood, a passion for the life was
already fully formed. “I used to go to the
Isle of Wight as a kid all the time. I would
hitch down there and go camping. I love
it,” he says. Today, Clunes has his own
transport and another excuse to visit: his
older sister lives on the Island.

“I’ve been doing
really well with big
horses – I’ve got two
Clydesdales who I’ve
started riding so I’m
really happy not to
work!”

It’s been over five years since Clunes
presented the Isles of Britain documentary
series, where he started with the
Shetlands, travelling south along the
west coast and visiting the isles of Scilly,
Guernsey and so on. The Isle of Wight
being a familiar destination, it would be
the perfection location to pick up the
series, but with the turn of the year fast
looming, Clunes is reluctant to tell what
2016 holds for him. “I don’t have a great
deal planned,” he says, returning instead
to the subject of his new love. “I’ve been
doing really well with big horses – I’ve got
two Clydesdales who I’ve started riding so
I’m really happy not to work!”

The gorgeous draught horses take
priority and a lot of his time for now, but
we suspect Clunes won’t be away from
our screens for too long. He did find time
this year to play Sherlock Holmes creator
Arthur Conan Doyle in Arthur & George.
Another venture produced by his wife
Philippa, the three-part series is based
on Julian Barnes’ novel and took him to
the Midlands, a set further from home.
The actor says he hasn’t ruled anything
out though and considering Doc Martin
is filmed every other year, all he’ll say on
the matter of his return is “we won’t know
until the dust has settled”.
Of course Clunes isn’t the only famous
person to prefer the rural lifestyle to city
bustle. Blur bassist Alex James swapped
the rock star lifestyle to pursue an artisan
cheese-making business in Oxfordshire,
while musician Sting’s Tuscan winery has
been in operation for some 20 years.
For Clunes – actor, presenter and now
farmer – it’s clear that tending to Britain’s
rolling landscapes is more than just a
pastime, and as any rural dweller will tell
you, there’s always something to be done.
Now he admits he sometimes needs a
helping hand. “We have adaptable help.
If I can fix a fence or something I will, or
use the tractor. But obviously when I’m
not there we need help. Ultimately there’s
hard times at the end and light times at
the end.”

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