On Location: A Guide to Visiting the UK and Ireland's Best Film and TV Sights

By Peter Naldrett

For popular-culture vultures, there really is no better guide to Britain's best TV and film locations than On Location.

With their historical charm, scenic beauty and diverse cities, the United Kingdom and Ireland have proved to be popular backdrops for film and TV directors over the decades. Whether it be the period piece Bridgerton, the gritty drama Game of Thrones, the adrenaline-fuelled Mission: Impossible series or the sci-fi trailblazer Doctor Who, the UK and Ireland have been on hand to lend buildings, countryside and natural features to some of the most gripping on-screen moments.

On Location presents some of the finest destinations around the British Isles to appear in cinema and on TV, and details exactly how you can go about visiting them. Attractions range from London's bustling city centre,
home to many James Bond movies, to secluded stately homes that have hosted elaborate productions of Pride and Prejudice, and offbeat urban buildings featured in well-loved shows such as Only Fools and Horses and The Young Ones. Featuring over 100 TV shows and blockbuster films, this guidebook is sure to keep even the most
obsessive film buff occupied for years.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
• Release date: Jun 22, 2023
• ISBN: 9781844866311

Peter Naldrett

Peter Naldrett is a freelance writer specialising in travel and the outdoors. He has written a number of guidebooks as well as four books in the Dog Walkers' Guide series. He has also written for magazines such as Geographical, The Big Issue and Dalesman as well as The Daily Telegraph. He is the author of Days Out Underground, Around the Coast in 80 Days, and Treasured Islands, all published by Bloomsbury. When not writing and travelling, Peter teaches geography at a South Yorkshire secondary school. @PeterNaldrett

Book preview

Dedication

I would like to thank Nicola, my leading lady, for all her amazing help and support. Thanks also to Toby and Willow for delivering a great performance in their supporting roles. Not too shabby.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

SOUTH ENGLAND

The Jurassic Coast

Bletchley Park

Tilbury Fort

Chartwell

Warner Bros. Studio Tour

Eltham Palace

Beaulieu

The Friars – Aylesford Priory

London: Tower Bridge

London: St Paul’s Cathedral

London: The Savoy

London: The Royal Courts of Justice

London: Natural History Museum

London: The Cinema Museum

London: Notting Hill

London: The British Museum

London: Westminster

The London Underground

James Bond’s London

Oxford

The Historic Dockyard Chatham

SOUTH-WEST

Cornwall’s Mining Landscape

Antony

Greenway

Tyntesfield

Bristol

Bath

The Bill Douglas Cinema Museum

MIDLANDS

Chatsworth House

Sutton Scarsdale Hall

Lincoln Cathedral

Kedleston Hall

Packwood House

Lyme Park

Quarry Bank Mill

Cleethorpes

NORTH ENGLAND

Derwent Valley

Liverpool

Whitby

Morecambe

Ribblehead Viaduct

Tan Hill Inn

Carnforth Station

North York Moors Railway

Whitley Bay

Alnwick Castle

Sycamore Gap

Cragside

Timperley

Durham Cathedral

York

The Lake District

Ulverston: The Laurel and Hardy Museum

Beamish: The Living Museum of the North

Blackpool

Sheffield

WALES

Bodnant Garden

Portmeirion

Henrhyd Falls

Dyffryn Gardens

Barry

Dunraven Bay

Freshwater Bay

Cardiff

SCOTLAND

Tobermory

Edinburgh

Glenfinnan Viaduct

Dumfries and Galloway

Dunnottar Castle

St Andrews

Glasgow

The Outer Hebrides

Shetland

Eilean Donan Castle

NORTHERN IRELAND

Derry

The Giant’s Causeway

The Dark Hedges

Game of Thrones Studio Tour

Castle Ward

Belfast

IRELAND

Trinity College, Dublin

Kilmainham Gaol

Dublin

Skellig Michael

Film List by Region

Image Credits

INTRODUCTION

‘You want to go and see some steps?’

It was while spending time in Washington, DC, that I realised I’d well and truly got the bug for visiting film locations. I’d been enjoying a bike ride to the neighbourhood of Georgetown with the rest of the family and insisted that we go look at the concrete steps descending from Prospect Street. This – now heavily graffitied – passageway is known as ‘The Exorcist Steps’, thanks to its starring role at the end of William Friedkin’s extraordinary horror film. The character of Father Damien Karras (Jason Miller) fell down here, the success of the film transforming the scene from simple stairway to cult selfie spot. And it wasn’t just me. In 2015, the city’s mayor unveiled a plaque commemorating the scene and recognising the passage as a tourist attraction. Elsewhere on the trip, I found myself saying ‘That’s the Washington Monument where Spiderman rescued his classmates’, ‘this is the museum in Night at the Museum 2’ and ‘this is where they filmed Forrest Gump!’

Growing up in Sheffield, I’d always been fascinated when my city appeared on the big and small screen. Along with the rest of my junior school class, I was terrified when the city was obliterated in Threads. As I got older, I laughed and also felt sad at the portrayal of The Full Monty, went to have a nosy when the cameras rolled in for This is England, picked out landmarks in Four Lions and loved the city’s scenes in Doctor Who. Elsewhere in the UK, I’d been on trails to see Marvel film locations, gone in search of James Bond haunts, travelled to see stunts set up for Mission: Impossible and even driven the kids to see a new Star Wars series being shot at the coast.

Researching this book over the course of 18 months, visiting the locations and so sharing the joy of Britain’s many film locations has been a real pleasure, one of the most enjoyable writing projects I’ve embarked upon. It allows us – as viewers – the chance to be a bigger part of the production than simply watching it on the sofa or in the cinema. And, unless you’re an actor, extra or lucky enough to work behind the camera, it’s as close as most of us are going to get. So my travels have taken me back into the past, to period dramas set at Chatsworth House, to historic tin mines on the Cornish coast used in Poldark and the coronation of Elizabeth I at York Minster. I’ve ventured off to other worlds, writing about Luke Skywalker’s hideout off the coast of Ireland and discovering the surreal footage of a Scottish island used in 2001: A Space Odyssey. Dystopian locations have been visited, including those used in zombie flicks 28 Days Later and World War Z. There have been destinations of adventure, such as the many London settings where James Bond chased villains, the heritage railway used by Indiana Jones and Ethan Hunt, and the Edinburgh café where Wanda and Vision fought aliens with The Avengers. I’ve walked along beaches immortalised on film, such as the St Andrews stretch of sand used in Chariots of Fire and the coastal location in Wales where Dobby the house-elf was laid to rest in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. I’ve been to scenes of classic comedy, where the riot took place in The Young Ones, where Del Boy dressed as Batman in Only Fools and Horses, where the Derry Girls walked on the city walls and where John Cleese tried to make it to the conference in Clockwise. And there have been many trips into the realm of fantasy, travelling on a train over the viaduct bound for Hogwarts, seeing where the airship in His Dark Materials left Oxford, and walking on the road that linked the King in the North with King’s Landing in Game of Thrones. The blue door in Notting Hill. The phone box in Withnail and I. The headquarters of Torchwood. The jail where Michael Caine plotted The Italian Job. The cobbled streets walked by the stars of Downton Abbey and Call the Midwife. More bizarrely, the double-glazed window where the famous Everest ‘feather’ advert was filmed and the spot where Alan Bradley was killed by a tram in Coronation Street. Houses filled with gossip in Bridgerton.

The book is not exhaustive, of course. Every trip I went on, I learned about other great film shoots that took place. It’s just not been possible to include everything. And, with filming taking place every day up and down the country, there will be new scenes and new locations that become part of TV and movie history. Use this book to point you in the direction of some of the more famous locations, but seek out your own favourites, too. Research where your watchlist was filmed and pay the locations a visit. With any luck, you may come across the odd film crew on your journey, as I did when checking out Batman locations in Glasgow where Batgirl film crews were ready to roll.

We have certainly come a long way from the days when film crews in the town were seen as an inconvenience, something that stopped residents going about their business for a few hours. There’s now a lot of gravitas to being a film location. It can boost the reputation of your city and bring in much-needed tourist pounds. Places like Barry in Wales have received a huge financial boost from visitors on the back of Gavin & Stacey, while Bath is currently riding the Bridgerton wave. Country houses and attractions also see visitor numbers spike after a good appearance on screen; tourists went to Bodnant Gardens in their droves after it was in The Secret Garden. Cities like Liverpool now have a high-profile film office encouraging directors to choose their location. It’s a far cry from the days when a local councillor slammed the Chariots of Fire team for holding up traffic in St Andrews.

The level of CGI used can make it difficult to spot the actual location being used to shoot a film scene. It’s tricky to pick out Durham Cathedral straight away in the scene when Thor meets his mum at Asgard in Avengers: Endgame. You’d need an eagle eye to notice it was Liverpool and not New York in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. And you might presume Belfast was used to film ’71 when it was actually Sheffield, Leeds and Blackburn. Discovering more about where our favourites are filmed, then, also gives us an insight into how they were filmed, further fuelling our interest in the industry. And so keep on watching, continue to book cinema tickets, carry on subscribing. Enjoy the movies and TV shows that make you laugh, cry and be thrilled. And celebrate the places in Britain and Ireland that help to make them so special.

SOUTH ENGLAND

Across the south of England, filmmakers have made the most of both natural features and urban surroundings. The wealth of history in southern England gives directors great opportunities to film on location rather than spend money building sets. Bletchley Park, Tilbury Fort and Chartwell provide the backdrop for great historical dramas, while the Historic Dockyard at Chatham is the home of CALL THE MIDWIFE . London, of course, has hosted many big box office films, most wanting to make use of famous landmarks to set the scene. From THE THIRTY-NINE STEPS through to AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON , V FOR VENDETTA and SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME , London is a major draw for blockbusters. Out in the countryside in the south of England, a visit to the Jurassic Coast will allow you to see where great films like AMMONITE and THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT’S WOMAN were shot – and how Brad Pitt sought sanctuary from zombies in Lulworth Cove in WORLD WAR Z. There’s also the opportunity to get behind the scenes of some of the most successful films in the world-class Harry Potter Studio Tour – it’s heaven for fans wanting to see sets and props. And if you’re fascinated by the history of cinema, make a date at the Cinema Museum in London, where you can watch old films and take in a plethora of exhibits. And let’s not forget the vehicles that star in the films and TV shows we love. The car is often the star, and you can get up close to some of them at Beaulieu. The south of England certainly has a rich history of producing classic scenes for us to enjoy.

THE JURASSIC COAST

This long stretch of coastline on the south coast of England boasts a fascinating history and exceptional natural landforms

Don’t miss:

▸ The 95-mile stretch of beautiful coastline between Exmouth in Devon and Studland Bay in Dorset is famous for fossils and geological wonders – something that pulls in fans young and old. No wonder it’s been given the tantalising name Jurassic Coast and was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001.

▸ The stunning array of world-class natural landforms – from Lulworth Cove to Durdle Door and Chesil Beach – ensures it’s the first choice for many directors wanting an attentiongrabbing coastal location.

Getting there:

The Jurassic Coast lies south of the A35 (east) and A3052 (west).

BRAINS!

If you’re a fan of The Walking Dead and are used to zombies struggling along at a slow pace, Marc Forster’s World War Z will shake up your preconceptions with super-fast risen dead. Think Shaun of the Dead meets The Flash. Former UN agent Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) is sitting in Philadelphia traffic with his family when the city is overrun by terrifying zombies after an outbreak of a virus. He’s soon called back into service and the film begins a race to get a vaccine and keep him out of harm’s way. The final scene sees Brad Pitt arrive at a safe zone in Freeport, Nova Scotia. But guess what? It’s actually Lulworth Cove on the Jurassic Coast, where the Hollywood star arrived to seek sanctuary from the living dead on a small boat.

Lulworth Cove is best viewed from the clifftop walk. You can see how coastal erosion has carved out the cove, eating away an entrance of hard rock in the cliff and having a field day when it reaches the softer rock behind it.

World War Z (2013) DIRECTOR: Marc Forster. STARRING: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, James Badge Dale.

FORLORN ON THE COBB

John Fowles was a resident in Lyme Regis when he wrote The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1969), a gloriously postmodern novel set in the town during the middle of the 19th century. The screenplay for the movie was penned by Harold Pinter and it starred Meryl Streep as Sarah Woodruff and Anna, while Jeremy Irons plays Charles Henry Smithson and Mike. Taking on the postmodernism mantle, The French Lieutenant’s Woman follows two affairs – one between the characters and the other between the actors playing them. One of the most iconic scenes in the Golden Globe-winning film is shot on the Cobb, the harbour wall at Lyme Regis. During stormy weather, Charles spots Sarah Woodruff on the end of the Cobb and rushes to help her, calling out her actor’s name, Anna. It’s a wonderfully complicated and meaningful film, offering alternate endings to keep you on your toes.

The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1981) DIRECTOR: Karel Reisz. STARRING: Meryl Streep, Jeremy Irons, David Warner.

FOSSIL FLICK

Another thoughtful, brooding film that heavily features the Cobb and stretches of coastline near Lyme Regis is Ammonite. Kate Winslet stars as legendary 19th-century fossil hunter Mary Anning, selling items to tourists from a shop to fund her passion for looking for dinosaurs in the cliffs every low tide. Two key scenes are shot on the Cobb. The first is when Roderick Murchison (James McArdle) and his wife Charlotte (Saoirse Ronan) are taking a stroll, talking about how badly ‘melancholia’ is affecting her, and him deciding it would be unwise for her to travel with him to Europe. She then stays in Lyme Regis and romantically befriends Mary Anning, indulging in fossil hunting and much bedroom activity with her. The second key scene on the Cobb sees Kate Winslet’s character catch a boat to London, where she meets Charlotte again but goes against her plan for them to live together.

Ammonite (2020) DIRECTOR: Francis Lee. STARRING: Kate Winslet, Saoirse Ronan, Gemma Jones.

FALL GUY

The Cobb also takes centre stage in Persuasion, the 1995 adaptation of Jane Austen’s last completed novel. The scene sees Louisa Musgrave (Emma Roberts) take a tumble from the jetty and suffer a head injury.

Persuasion (1995) DIRECTOR: Roger Michell. STARRING: Amanda Root, Ciarán Hinds.

THE CLUE IS IN THE NAME

There’s only one place in the world where On Chesil Beach could have been filmed! The adaptation of Ian McEwan’s 2007 Booker Prizenominated novel simply had to be set on the lengthy shingle beach barrier stretching out from Portland. After a disastrous wedding night, virgins Florence (Saoirse Ronan) and Edward (Billy Howle) run away to the beach, where they have an almighty row. This lonely beach is the ideal setting for the scene. McEwan has said it was the only place in the UK where it could be set, with a stretch of water called the Fleet Lagoon on one side and the sea on the other to provide a solemn feeling of isolation. Filmed during chilly winds in October 2016, the acting conditions were cold and harsh, making the heated exchange even more remarkable.

On Chesil Beach (2017) DIRECTOR: Dominic Cooke. STARRING: Saoirse Ronan, Billy Howle.

BLETCHLEY PARK

Code-cracking centre crammed with mathematicians who helped to bring the Second World War to an end

Don’t miss:

▸ The chance to wander around the historic site of Bletchley Park and see the original buildings

▸ Exploring the story of the Enigma Code and how it was cracked right here

▸ A visit to the National Museum of Computing to see a working model of a Bombe machine

Getting there:

Close to Bletchley train station, Bletchley Park is found just off the A5, to the south of Milton Keynes. Satnav: MK3 6DS.

Bletchley Park: bletchleypark.org.uk The National Museum of Computing: www.tnmoc.org

THE CODEBREAKERS

Built as the Gothic-style home for Victorian politician Sir Herbert Leon, Bletchley Park played a key role in the nation’s fate when it became the centre for Allied codebreaking during the Second World War. In those crucial years, the Government Code and Cypher School based at the house listened in to German communications and cracked the cipher devices known as Lorenz and Enigma. This code-cracking genius gave Allied forces the tactical upper hand and is believed to have shortened the war by up to four years. Well-known mathematicians involved in the breaking of the codes included Gordon Welchman and Bill Tutte, but perhaps Alan Turing is the most famous. Turing was named as one of the 100 most important people of the 20th century by Time magazine and now features on the Bank of England’s £50 note.

The importance of what went on at Bletchley Park during the war was kept secret for three decades after the fighting ceased. By then, the site was being used by the Post Office, but the huts used by the codebreakers were in a bad state of repair and were due to be demolished in the early 1990s. Thankfully, a trust was formed to save the site from demolition and development. Bletchley Park is now open to the public every day so people can get a glimpse into the incredible work carried out here by the country’s top mathematicians. During the war, 75 per cent of people working at Bletchley were women – including many codebreakers.

There are several different exhibitions visitors can explore at Bletchley Park, with perhaps the most inspirational being in Hut 11A. It was here that Turing and Welchman designed the Bombe machine that cracked the Enigma code and allowed British intelligence to decipher important German messages without Hitler’s regime suspecting a thing. This historic building houses original blueprints and components, along with stories from the era. A working replica of the Bombe machine is on display at the National Museum of Computing, which is also on the Bletchley Park site.

Dealing with the Alan Turing story and the building of the Bombe machine, Oscar-winning The Imitation Game (2014) had some scenes shot at Bletchley in the same rooms where the mathematicians would work and take breaks. Cast members have spoken about the importance of being on site here and how the sense of history and importance fed into the performances in the finished feature. In particular, the pub scenes were filmed inside the house’s ballroom. However, don’t expect to see the exterior of the Bletchley Park house on The Imitation Game. Those scenes were filmed at Joyce Grove, near Henley-on-Thames, a house with its own links to the UK film industry. Built in 1908, Joyce Grove was home to Robert Fleming – grandfather to James Bond creator Ian Fleming, who spent much of his childhood there.

The crucial goings-on at Bletchley Park have also been referred to in many other productions for the big and small screen – even if the actual filming didn’t take place there. Foyle’s War had a character called Adam Wainwright (Max Brown), who was one of the staff employed at Bletchley. And Marvel’s Agent Carter series revealed that Peggy Carter herself (Hayley Atwell) worked there during the war.

The Imitation Game (2014) DIRECTOR: Morten Tyldum. STARRING: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode.

TILBURY FORT

This historic fort helped keep invaders at bay between the 16th century and the Second World War, and lately has become a Hollywood favourite

Don’t miss:

▸ Exploring the historic gun rooms

▸ Gazing out to the Thames from this important strategic defence

▸ Wandering among the brick buildings and picturing the TV and film scenes shot here

Getting there:

Tilbury Fort is to be found half a mile east of Tilbury, off the A126 and close to the Port of Tilbury. Satnav: RM18 7NR. There is a train station in Tilbury.

www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/tilbury-fort

FORTRESS TILBURY

It may have protected London from marine invaders since King Henry VIII’s days, but the fort at Tilbury arrived pretty late to the role of box office film setting. While other historic locations have been pulling in film crews for decades, it wasn’t until 2017 that the cast of Wonder Woman turned up and shot a key scene here. Plenty of CGI was needed to transform Tilbury on the River Thames into the Ottoman Fort seen in the film, but the distinctive brick walls throughout the fort are still recognisable.

The first fort here at Tilbury dates back to Tudor times, and extra fortifications were added by Queen Elizabeth I as the Spanish Armada was expected to invade. In August 1588, Queen Elizabeth herself turned up at the fort to deliver one of her most famous speeches, rallying the troops with an inspiring call to arms. She told the onlooking soldiers: ‘I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm.’ With its fortifications bolstered down the centuries, Tilbury Fort played a role in many famous campaigns. From the English Civil War to the Jacobite uprising, Tilbury was involved all the way, be it defending the capital city or housing prisoners taken during battle. Soldiers were stationed here until the end of the First World War, but today those arriving at this riverside fortress are likely to be tourists. Or, perhaps, A-list actors!

The English Heritage attraction opened up for the cast of Wonder Woman in December 2015, when filming took place on chilly days before Christmas. Ironically, the set was transformed into a much warmer scene in Turkey, where pilot and spy Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) managed to escape with an important stolen notebook. The brick walls and buildings of the fort were the perfect setting for the First World War scenes. Turkish flags and German biplanes were brought in among the props, although a lot of the extra footage was added in later thanks to CGI.

Wonder Woman (2017) DIRECTOR: Patty Jenkins. STARRING: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright.

TABOO SUBJECT

The walls and gun magazines at Tilbury Fort are also recognisable from the BBC miniseries Taboo, starring Tom Hardy. It took set designers three months to transform the site into 19th-century Wapping and several East London scenes were filmed here.

Taboo (2017) DIRECTOR: Various. STARRING: Tom Hardy, Leo Bill, Jessie Buckley.

CHARTWELL

Churchill’s home has been used in movies about the wartime prime minister

Don’t miss:

▸ Taking a tour around the gardens and seeing the lake Churchill helped design

▸ Enjoying a guided tour of the house, just like Gary Oldman when playing Churchill

▸ Timing your visit to see Mrs Churchill’s rose garden in full summer bloom

Getting there:

Leave the M25 at junction 6, then follow the A22 and A25 and follow the brown signs to Chartwell. Satnav: TN16 1PS.

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/chartwell

CHURCHILL’S CHARTWELL

Of all the actors who have portrayed Britain’s famous wartime leader on screen, only two of them were lucky enough to film some of the location shots at Chartwell, Churchill’s family home. The former prime minister himself said that any day not spent at Chartwell was a day wasted, such was his connection with and affection for this large house in Westerham, Kent. Churchill lived here from 1922 and the property, now looked after by the National Trust, has been maintained to match what it was like during his time. Visitors at this very busy property will be able to see Churchill’s collection of books, paintings and ornaments, which helped to inspire him during the often tumultuous times. When heading along to Chartwell, do save plenty of time to explore the well-maintained gardens. Churchill had a hand in designing the lake that still sits there today. Filming scenes in the rooms that Churchill used was helpful in creating the drama needed for both Darkest Hour and The Gathering Storm. Using the original setting helped the actors to adapt to their role and deliver the goods on screen. Gary Oldman won an Oscar for his role as the famous prime minister, and enjoyed a tour by National Trust guides to inform him about the house’s history.

Darkest Hour (2017) DIRECTOR: Joe Wright. STARRING: Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily James.

The Gathering Storm (2002) DIRECTOR: Richard Loncraine. STARRING: Albert Finney, Vanessa Redgrave, Jim Broadbent.

WARNER BROS. STUDIO TOUR – THE MAKING OF HARRY POTTER

A JOURNEY THROUGH THE WORLD OF HARRY POTTER

Don’t miss:

▸ Taking a close look at thousands of sets and props that appeared in the eight Harry Potter films

▸ Using green-screen technology to fly like a wizard on a broomstick

▸ Sitting down with loved ones to drink a Butterbeer

Getting there:

Warner Bros. Studio Tour London is signposted from junction 20 of the M25. Free parking is available on site. Admission is timed and needs booking in advance at www.wbstudiotour.co.uk

THE BOY WHO LIVED

Before the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London opened its doors to a wealth of Harry Potter exhibits in 2012, you really had to go to the United States to enjoy a movie experience that