Where is your local walk which was in a film?
Or your holiday walk where a film was made?
Have you googled – ‘films in ….’. Numerous choices come up. Holiday cottage sites thrive on how close they are locations.
Local to me:
Wilton House, Wilton near Salisbury.
https://www.wiltonhouse.co.uk/visitor-information/
The Crown, Bridgerton, Johnny English Reborn, Tomb Raider,
Lacock A village used in numerous film and TV dramas e.g. Downton Abbey, Pride and Prejudice, Wolf Hall. Below is a link to things for children to do there.
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wiltshire/lacock/visiting-lacock-with-family
Salisbury Cathedral and the houses on West Walk are favoured locations, and a walk away And Lee’s “Sense and Sensibility” used Mompesson House.
Norfolk, Holkum.
The last scene in ‘Shakespeare in Love” is Holkum Beach Norfolk.
https://www.holkham.co.uk/visit/things-to-do/plan-your-visit/holkham-beach/
https://www.visitnorfolk.co.uk/post/films-and-tv-at-holkham-norfolk
London
I used to work in film and tv production as a runner then assistant director. Most of the locations we used were in empty office blocks, smart office blocks at weekends, quiet streets in Merton, south London, or the East End.
A weekend in the Sumer was significant because the location manager did not realise one of the largest flower markets in the UK, Colombia street market, took place on a Sunday, the day we were filming three streets away.
The production office for one film was the Pump House in Rotherhithe. A few times I filmed in grand, private houses, pleased to not to have to open to the public because of the money from films. (Most have to do both.) However, I digress.
Nights shoots start around 7pm and end around 5pm in the winter, of course in the summer the dark hours are far few. One shoot started half way through the night, around 4am just when it became light, before the planes for Heathrow began. (It was an interview about the Magna Carta, said to be signed in the area near this tree.)
Walks
One of many sites for walking tours of film locations.
https://www.ontheluce.com/london-film-locations-walking-tour/
You can include Waterloo Bridge and the South Bank in either of the following walks.
The Tate to the Millennium Bridge to St Pauls.
Westminster Bridge down to Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery to the Savoy to Somerset House.
Harry Potter, Northumberland and Wales .
https://www.visitpembrokeshire.com/freshwater-west
Cornwall
Just walking through Cornwall feels like being in a film.
https://www.visitcornwall.com/poldark/blog/poldark-film-locations
The mines in Poldark. My youngest aged 5 was nearly blown off the cliffs of Tintagel, so I would caution be careful on these rugged cliffs.
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/cornwall/botallack
I have put Poldark in here as it includes some of my favourite places, however you could put in “About Time”, the Richard Curtis Rom Com.
If up to 21 of you want to spend up to £13,000 in the summer, you can stay in the house where it was filmed.
https://www.thebigbeautifulbeachhouse.com
Charleston, a harbour has been used in numerous films and TV shows. A friend topped up his student coffers by being an extra as a galley slave, a 17th century gent, and 16th century sailor, amongst others.
A shout out for Porthcurno, featured in Poldark, is one of my favourite beaches in Cornwall, it feels like being in the Mediterranean. Just up the hill (as always in Cornwall) is the fascinating, Telegraph Museum. And it is not far from the Minack theatre, built into the cliff.
Port Issac is home to Doc Martin and Fishermans Friends. Eitherway it is a charming village.
Wales
Big budget movies such as Bond and Batman have filmed in the Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia. The BBC series Merlin was filmed all over Wales including Chepstow Castle. The film studios in Cardiff amongst them BBC Wales (Torchwood, Dr Who),and Netflix have also used the National Parks.
https://www.visitpembrokeshire.comfreshwater-west
The Pembrokeshire beaches particular Freshwater West is one of the most recognisable for Harry Potter and Russel Crowe’s Robin Hood.
And whilst on sands, BBC’s Gavin and Stacy on holiday location Barry Island. And a little know horror film, produced by Laser Films I was involved with a long long time ago.
British Film and TV Map
I highly recommend buying this map and looking for yourself. Home or holiday it’s fun and whether you’ve seen the film, it’s bound to be ‘picture-esque’ !
https://shop.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/st-gs-great-british-film-tv-map-folded-or-poster/