Writer: Daniel Brierley
Starring: Vicky McClure, Adrian Lester, Warren Brown
Production Companies: HTM Productions
Kent Locations: Dartford Marshes
Set in contemporary London, Trigger Point (2022) depicts the dangerous lives of the members of a Bomb Disposal Squad known as Expo, led by veteran operative Lana Washington. When a series of improvised explosive devices begin to detonate across London, Lana suspects that Expo is the bomber’s true target.
Production visited the Dartford Marshes to shoot a crime scene and police chase. Locations included Joyce Green Lane and marshland owned by the Dartford Clay Shooting Club.
Located on the border of Kent, Dartford is a historic market town and perhaps best known for the Dartford Crossing and Bluewater Shopping Centre. Its combination of industrial and historical landscapes makes for a popular filming location. The Dartford Marshes border the River Thames, and mark the boundary between Kent and the London borough of Bexley. Previous productions to have shot on the marshes include the Sky crime-drama Gangs of London (2020) and The Corrupted (2019).
Trigger Point (2022) will air on ITV on Sunday 23rd January 2022 at 9pm.
Director: Simon Kinberg Writers: Simon Kinberg, Theresa Rebeck Starring: Jessica Chastain, Lupita Nyong’o, Bingbing Fan, Diane Kruger, Penélope Cruz Production Company: Freckle Films, CAA Media Finance, FilmNation Entertainment Locations Used: Fairbourne Reservoir in Harrietsham
The 355 (2022) is an American spy thriller in which a wild card CIA operative joins forces with three international agents on a lethal mission to retrieve a top-secret weapon that has fallen into the hands of mercenaries; all the while staying a step ahead of a mysterious woman who is tracking their every move.
During filming, production visited Fairbourne Reservoir near Harrietsham in Maidstone. The property was dressed as a Columbian home.
Fairbourne Reservoir is a modern mansion which has previously featured in two episodes of Netflix’s Black Mirror – Metalhead (2017) and Smithereens (2018). Harrietsham is a picturesque village in Maidstone and contains a number of listed buildings..
The 355 (2022) is due for UK cinema release on January 7th, 2022.
Writer: Will Sharpe, Simon Stephenson Director: Will Sharpe Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Claire Foy, Andrea Riseborough, Aimee Lou Wood, Toby Jones Production Company: Amazon Studios, Film4, Shoebox Films, StudioCanal, SunnyMarch Kent Locations Used: Botany Bay, Deal, Walmer, Kingsdown Leas
The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2022) is the upcoming biopic of the English painter who rose to fame at the end of the 19th century. Known for his unique paintings of anthropomorphised cats, Wain suffered from poor mental health in his later years and was hospitalised when his family could no longer care for him.
During filming, production visited Botany Bay in Thanet, Kingsdown Leas, Walmer seafront and the Coast House B&B in Walmer, Deal.
Deal is a town on the south coast of Kent with a long naval history as one of the major Cinque Ports. Deal’s seafront has a large green, promenade, small fishing fleet, huts, sailing boats, lifeboat station as well as an extensive pebble beach. Liar Series 1 & 2 (2017 – 2020) and Baptiste (2019) both recently filmed here.
Botany Bay in Thanet is a popular filming location in Kent. The Sandy bay is set against a beautiful white cliff backdrop which is popular with tourists. Previous productions to have made use of this stunning location include Sulphur and White (2020) and Series 2 of Humans (2016).
The Electrical Life of Louis Wain is due to release in UK cinemas on Saturday 1st January 2022.
For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.
Writer: Sarah Phelps Director: Anne Sewitsky Starring: Paul Bettany, Claire Foy, Jonathan Aris Production Company: Amazon Studios, Blueprint Pictures Kent Locations Used: Kent & East Sussex Railway
A Very British Scandal (2021) depicts the story of events surrounding the notorious divorce of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll during the 1960s.
Production visited Tenterden’s Kent & East Sussex Railway to film the opening scene where Margaret and Ian Campbell meet for the first time on The Golden Arrow Boat Train from Paris.
Director: Andy De Emmony Writer / Creator: Simon Nye, Abigail Wilson Starring: Bradley Walsh, Joanna Scanlan, Sabrina Bartlett, Tok Stephen, Peter Davidson Production Company: Objective Fiction, Genial Productions Kent Locations Used: Viking Bay and Victoria Gardens in Broadstairs, Eynsford, Faversham, Stonepitts Farm near Sevenoaks and Long Barn in Sundridge, Squerryes Court in Westerham, Walpole Bay Hotel & Museum in Margate, various undisclosed villages and farms in North Kent
The Christmas special promises to be a tumultuous time for the Larkin clan. With the upcoming village pantomime, Mariette (Sabrina Bartlett) and Charley (Tok Stephen) taking their relationship to the next level, and a spate of burglaries that rock the entire village, rest assured, the Larkins will be on hand to save the day.
During filming of series 1, as well as the Christmas Special, production filmed in various farms and villages in North Kent for the setting of the family farm and village.
Production also visited Broadstairs to film scenes at Victoria Gardens and the beach at Viking Bay where Ma and Pa Larkin take a paddle in the sea. Faversham town and the Guild Hall feature in scenes with Pa Larkin’s beloved yellow Rolls Royce. Eynsford village features in various scenes including a summer fete. Look out for Eynsford Village Hall, The Castle Hotel, The Five Bells Pub and Eynsford Riverside.
The Larkins enjoy strawberry picking in scenes filmed at Stonepitts Farm near Sevenoaks. Meanwhile Long Barn in Sundridge and Squerryes Court in Westerham were used to shoot countryside scenes.
The Walpole Bay Hotel & Museum in Margate also features in the series, ideally suited with its art deco design. Various undisclosed villages and farms in North Kent also feature in the series picturing The Garden Of England in the idyllic 1950s summer sunshine.
Broadstairs in East Kent is a picturesque coastal town with several beautiful beaches, restaurants, bars and walking trails which provide visitors with a real Kentish seaside town experience. Victoria Gardens has stunning clifftop views of Viking Bay and Louisa Bay. Broadstairs and Viking Bay has welcomed productions including Breeders Series 2 (2021), Devils (2021) and Hurricane (2018).
Located on the River Darent, Eynsford has some distinctive features including its viaduct, ford and ancient ruins and is part of the Sevenoaks district. Stonepitts Farm sits at the foot of the North Downs in Seal, near Sevenoaks, with magnificent views over the beautiful Vale of Holmesdale that has been a local landmark for hundreds of years.
Squerryes Court in Westerham is a beautiful 17th century manor house which has been the Warde family home since 1731. It is surrounded by 20 acres of attractive and historic gardens which include a lake, restored parterres and an 18th century dovecote. Westerham is a very busy village on a through road near Sevenoaks. Recent productions to film in the Sevenoaks district include The Cleaner (2021), The First Team (2020) and Great British Railway Journeys Series 11 (2020).
The Walpole Bay Hotel & Museum in Margate was built for discerning guests in 1914 and extended in 1927. The hotel has five floors and 42 bedrooms and a museum space. The décor and layout is versatile to suit many eras and the hotel provides cast and crew accommodation and on road parking in a quiet cul de sac. Margate is a traditional seaside town complete with sandy beach, harbour, amusement park, period housing and modern art gallery Turner Contemporary. Recent productions to film in Margate are Whitstable Pearl Series 1 (2021), Two Weeks to Live (2020) and Pandemonium (2020).
The Larkins began airing on ITV on Sunday 10th October. All episodes are available to stream on ITV Hub.
The Christmas Special is set to air on ITV on Saturday 25th December 2021 at 9pm.
For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.
Writer: Heidi Thomas Starring: Vanessa Redgrave, Jessica Raine, Pam Ferris, Miranda Hart, Helen George, Jenny Agutter, Laura Main, Judy Parfitt, Stephen McGann, Cliff Parisi, Ben Caplan, Jennifer Kirby, Leonie Elliot, Linda Bassett, Annabelle Apsion Production Company: Neal Street Productions for BBC Kent Locations Used: The Historic Dockyard Chatham
Much-loved BBC period drama Call the Midwife is back for its annual Christmas Special, which will kick off the eleventh series. Based on the memoirs of Jennifer Worth, the TV drama follows the lives of nuns and midwives working in the East End of London during the 1950s and 60s.
Set in December 1966, the Series 11 Christmas Special promises to be the busiest Christmas yet for the Nonnatus team. With an injury that threatens Lucille’s (Leonie Elliott) upcoming wedding and the Maternity Home filled with expectant mothers, only a Christmas miracle – like the return of Mother Mildred (Miriam Margolyes) – can save the day. The Christmas Special will air on Christmas Day 2021, with the rest of the series to commence from Sunday 2nd January 2022.
Series 1 Episode 1 of Call the Midwife aired for the first time on Sunday 15th January 2012 on BBC One and attracted over 10 million viewers. A new series has aired every year since, along with an annual Christmas Special broadcast every Christmas Day since 2012.
The early series featured actress Jessica Raine as the main protagonist Nurse Jenny Lee, with leading supporting cast Helen George as Nurse Trixie Franklin, Pam Ferris as Sister Evangelina, Judy Parfitt as Sister Monica Joan and Miranda Hart playing Chummy Browne, all led by the calm guidance of Sister Julienne (Jenny Agutter). Vanessa Redgrave narrates the series as mature Jennifer Worth.
The more recent series feature now familiar faces Nurse Valerie Dyer (Jennifer Kirby), Nurse Lucille Anderson (Leonie Elliott), Nurse Phyllis Crane (Linda Bassett) and Nurse Trixie Franklin (Helen George) . Supporting cast includes long standing characters Doctor Turner (Stephen McGann) and his wife Shelagh Turner (Laura Main), Fred Buckle (Cliff Parisi) and Violet Buckle (Annabelle Apsion). Following her absence from Series 10, the much-loved Mother Mildred (Miriam Margolyes) will make a comeback in the Series 11 Christmas special.
During all eleven seasons Call the Midwife has made use of the settings of The Historic Dockyard Chatham to stand in for the Victorian buildings of Poplar in East London. The Fitted Rigging House doubles for the Lisbon Buildings and Rakesby Street Homeless Shelter. Meanwhile, Admiral’s Offices exteriors feature as Poplar Maternity Home and the London Hospital. The Tarred Yarn Store has made regular appearances as a Boxing Ring, Chinese Laundry and derelict building. HMS Cavalier, a WW2 destroyer ship and The National Destroyer Memorial, has also featured playing the role of a Russian ship. The Commissioner’s House gardens set the scene for a famous engagement scene in one episode, while Anchor’s Wharf and the Dockyard Railway and steam train have regularly appeared for Poplar Docks scenes. The Victorian Ropery even appears in one episode as a working ropemakers as well as various cellars and tunnels around the building.
The Historic Dockyard Chatham was established in the mid-16th century and is located on the River Medway. A location with an extensive history, evident through its numerous buildings and exhibitions open to the public. Today Chatham is the only one of the original four Royal Navy Ropeyards to remain in operation and, together with its related buildings, forms the finest integrated group of 18th century manufacturing buildings in Britain. The site offers maritime, industrial, Georgian and Victorian architecture and cobbled streets, an ideal set for many film productions. Recent period dramas to film at the Dockyard include Belgravia (2020), World On Fire Series 1 (2019) and Pennyworth Series 1 (2019) to name but a few.
Call the Midwife Series 11 Christmas Special will air on BBC One on Christmas Day 2021, with the rest of the series to commence from 2nd January 2022.
All 10 series are available to view on BBC iPlayer or purchase on Amazon Prime.
Writer: Mark Gatiss Director: Mark Gatiss Starring: Simon Callow, Tamsin Greig, Mark Gatiss, Tsion Habte, Jason Rennie, India Fowler, Xavier Wilkins Production Company: Adorable Media Kent Locations Used: Finchcocks
Based on the 1972 family film of the same name, The Amazing Mr Blunden (2021) tells the story of modern teenagers Lucy and Jamie, whose encounter with a mysterious old man called Mr Blunden leads to them becoming caretakers of an old country home. They soon discover that the home is haunted by the spirits of two young children, Sara and Georgie, and with the help of Mr Blunden, the two teens must travel back in time to save the children’s lives.
The production team visited Kent for their shoot, using Finchcocks in Goudhurst as Langley Park, the house the two teenagers are tasked with looking after. Built in 1725, Finchcocks is a fine early Georgian Manor set in 13 acres of parkland and gardens, with extensive views over the Kentish landscape. It is noted for its brickwork, with a dramatic baroque front elevation. For many years, the Manor played host to a Musical Museum, which housed around 115 period keyboard instruments, many of which have featured in TV and film themselves. Now operating as both a family home and a piano workshop retreat, Finchcocks has previously been used as the setting for a Pride and Prejudice sketch in the BBC show French and Saunders (1996).
The Amazing Mr Blunden will air on Sky and NowTV on demand on December 24th, 2021.
Director: Kabir Khan Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Jiiva, Saqib Saleem Production Company: Reliance Entertainment, Vibri Media, Kabir Khan Films, KA Productions, Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, Phantom Films Kent Locations Used: The Historic Dockyard Chatham, Nevill Cricket Ground Tunbridge Wells
83 from Reliance Entertainment and Vibri Media recalls the events of one of India’s most defining sporting moments when in 1983, Kapil Dev, portrayed by Ranveer Singh (Kill Dil, Gully Boy) captains the Indian cricket team to their first ever World Cup victory.
The Nevill Cricket Ground was used as itself, re-creating Kapil Dev’s famous score of 175 runs in the competition on 18th June 18th 1983. To commemorate the historic sporting event, a plaque at the pavilion was unveiled by Kapil Dev, the film’s director Kabir Khan and actor Ranveer Singh.
Tunbridge Wells, situated in Western Kent, was a fashionable spa resort in the mid-1700s, maintaining much of the stylish Georgian architecture including an entire period shopping street called The Pantiles. Recent productions to film in the area include Queens of Mystery (2019) and The Royals Season 4 (2018).
Director: Will Sharpe Starring: Olivia Colman, David Thewlis, Kate O’Flynn, Dipo Ola, Samuel Anderson, Felicity Montagu, Daniel Rigby
Production Company: Sister Productions Kent Locations Used: Laredo Western Town in Dartford
Landscapers (2021) is a true-crime drama inspired by real events, which documents the unique transformation of a mild-mannered English couple into cold-blooded killers.
During filming, production visited Kent to film at Laredo Western Town in Longfield near Dartford. The production filmed a dream sequence where Susan Edwards reimagines the events surrounding the murder of her parents and her subsequent arrest.
Laredo Western Town is situated just twenty miles from London. The town represents the American Wild West as it would have been in 1865 to 1889 featuring 24 buildings including a two-story Hotel with Saloon Bar, Marshals Office, working Blacksmiths, Livery Stables, Bank and many more. All the interiors are fully furnished and decorated to the period. Previous productions to film here include Finding Neverland (2004) and Blood Moon (2014).
Dartford is a historic market town with a rich industrial heritage and boasts Bluewater, one of the largest shopping centres in Europe. Recent productions to film here include Gangs of London (2020) and The Corrupted (2019).
Landscaperswill be released on Sky Atlantic and NowTV on 7th December 2021.
For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.
Writers: Howard Read, Daniel Peak, Lucy Clarke Starring: Jalaal Hartley, Jessica Ransom, Tom Stourton, Richard David-Caine Production Company: Lion Television Kent Locations Used: The Historic Dockyard Chatham, Allington Castle
First premiering in 2009, the CBBC’s children’s TV programme Horrible Histories is back for a Christmas special, which kicks off its ninth series. Based on the novels by Terry Deary, Horrible Histories is packed full of blood, battles and black humour; informing and entertaining young audiences with comedic historical sketches.
The Historic Dockyard Chatham provided the setting for several episodes in Series 8 and 9, with scenes filmed around the Ropery, Officers Terrace, The Old Pay Office, Commissioners House and the submarine HMS Ocelot. Look out for scenes filmed at the Dockyard in the following Series 8 episodes: Queen Vic’s Home Vids, Chaotic Collabs, Putrid Politics and Heroic Home Front, featuring British historical figures Horatio Nelson (Richard David-Caine) and Lord Byron (James McNicholas), Samuel Pepys (Tom Stourton) and Oliver Cromwell (James McNicholas) to name but a few.
In the Series 8 episode ‘Queen Vic’s Home Vids’ Victorian Filmmaker Williams Dixon (Jalaal Hartley) is shown filming whilst strapped to the front of a steam train. This comic re‑enactment scene, filmed on a green screen at The Historic Dockyard Chatham, is intercut with archive BFI footage.
During Series 9, the Dockyard is granted visits from several iconic historical figures, including Charles Dickens for a Christmas sing-song.
The Historic Dockyard Chatham, established in the mid-16th century and located on the River Medway in Kent, is a highly desirable filming location for film and television crews alike. The site boasts a huge 80 acres of land, more than 100 Victorian, Georgian buildings and maritime spaces, with a history spanning over 200 years. The location has previously been home to several other historical productions, including Series 1 of Netflix’s Regency era Bridgerton (2020), Francis Lee’s 2020 LGBT romance film Ammonite, and Series 1 to 10 of the BBC’s 1950s drama Call the Midwife (2012-2021).
Allington Castle and Gardens feature in both Series 8 and 9, playing the role of Samuel Pepys’ home, The Tower of London, The Palace of Versailles and a Tudor Castle. Built in the 12th-century and located on the River Medway, Allington Castle is now privately owned and adorned with authentic Medieval tapestries and furniture. Once opening its doors to King Henry VIII, the Castle now plays host to film and TV crews, with productions such as The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood (1984), the 14th-century ABC drama Covington Cross (1992), and Series 2 of the American soap opera The Royals (2016), all making use of the Castle’s picturesque location.
The eighth series of Horrible Histories aired on CBBC from 3rd June 2019. Episodes are available for viewing online using BBC iPlayer.
The Christmas special of Series 9, featuring Kent locations, will air on CBBC on 10th December 2021, with the rest of the series to follow in 2022. All episodes will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
