By We delve into a few great places that have delivered the backdrop for various prolific films and television series.
The way in which big budget movies and TV series can place unknown gems on the global maps is unique. For good or for bad, these blockbusters can transform locations to new settings and give them the feeling of entering the movie or series itself. Quite often, movie producers scout real-world locations in an attempt to increase the authenticity of the motion picture, implementing the natural backdrops into scenes that can often be seen in action-adventure films.
Here with The Kingslodge Inn, suppliers of hotels in Durham City Centre, we delve into a few great places that have delivered the backdrop for various prolific films and television series.
Broadchurch
This addictive crime drama saw Olivia Colman and David tenant team up to investigate murders on the local streets and beach of the stunning West Bay in Dorset. In 2015, the West Dorset Tourist centre launched the ‘Broadchurch’ walking trail to honour the hit series. Many avid fans have since enjoyed following the route which passes through some of the most iconic shots that featured in DC Hardy and DS Miller’s murder mystery, including the Jurassic Pier, the newsagents, Sea Brigade Hall, Wessex Police Station, and Hardy’s home by the riverside. End the tour by stopping for a coffee in the Broadchurch Café, a regular haunt for Tenant and Colman’s characters.
Pride and Prejudice
This adaptation of Jane Austen’s celebrated classic ‘Pride and Prejudice” was released in 2005 as a feature length film. Kiera Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen graced the corridors of Chatsworth, Derbyshire, a grand country house nestled in acres of greenery. The late Duchess of Devonshire, Deborah Cavendish gave the estate an impressive makeover, with art installations, an organic farm, and breath-taking gardens.
Guided walks are available to tourists to revel in the antiquity of the stunning venue which is full of beautiful antique silver.
Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones has firmly secured itself as one of the biggest tv series of all time. Its unsurprising that the remarkable show has been broadcasted in as many countries as there are death scenes in the series. One of these countries is Scotland. The fourteenth century Doune Castle in Stirling was transformed into Winterfell for the first season by the crew and cast, and since then it has become one of the most famous castles in the country. In the summer months, it is best to arrive early as the crowds are near guaranteed to come flocking to the historic site.
Guided tours are available and its advised to buy your tickets beforehand. Some couples-to-be are choosing the venue for their wedding ceremony, something which may appeal to committed fans of the HBO series. One survey by Historic Scotland found that the year-on-year figure of visitors to the castle has grown by a staggering 30.2%.
Reports suggest that the Game of Thrones crew are scouting out the Isle of Sky for the series prequel, so the Scottish island could be in the pipelines to experience a similar boost in tourism.
Downton Abbey
The much-loved and cherished historical site Highclere Castle, Hampshire, has become a global phenomenon, with the unprecedented success of the ITV series ‘Downton Abbey’. There are numerous options when it comes to taking a tour of the set and its various locations, with many operators offering walks through the castle, Oxford and Bampton, transporting fans back to the Downton era.
The tourist boom which followed the post-Edwardian drama was first shown in 2010, and within just two years the UK media was reporting that the village of Bampton was struggling to cope with the influx of people all seeking to stroll the same streets as the characters on the series.
Harry Potter
When J. K. Rowling sold the rights to Warner Bros. to make the adapt her first successful book into film, little did the residents of Alnwick know that their town would see a surge in continuous tourism that would be ongoing to the present day.
Both internal and external shots were taken of Alnwick Castle for the first two films, including that famous scene with Madame Hooch in the castle courtyard, where Harry first learns to fly his broomstick amid his meddling enemy Malfoy.
So much so has Alnwick Castle – which is the second largest inhabited castle in England – and its surrounding Gardens had an effect from the film franchise, the pub Hog’s Head Inn from the fictional town of Hogsmeade, is now one of many pubs in Alnwick.
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