Creator: Guy Ritchie Starring: Theo James, Kaya Scodelario, Daniel Ings, Joely Richardson
Production Company: Miramax Television, Moonage Pictures, Toff Guy Films
Kent Locations Used: Detling Diner, Maidstone, Ashford Cattle Market
Based on the 2019 film of the same name, The Gentlemen (2024) is an eight-part crime-drama series for Netflix. After the death of his father, Eddie Halstead inherits a large estate, unaware it is the front for a drug empire. With no experience in the criminal underworld, Eddie must take over the operation or lose everything.
With high-speed connections to London, Ashford is a busy market town with a bustling town centre that boasts two shopping malls, vibrant cafés and pubs and a partly pedestrianised high street. The Thompsons (2012) also filmed in Ashford.
The Gentlemen (2024) will be released on Netflix on Thursday 7th March 2024.
Writer / Director: Leroy Kincaide Starring: Bethan Waller, Johnny Fleming, Kit Smith Production Company: Nocturnal Pictures Kent Locations Used: Ballin’ – Maidstone, Barming, Eastwell Manor Hotel, Hemsted Forest – Cranbrook, Kangaroo Court Coffee House – Chatham, Lenham, Sevenoaks, St Peter & St Paul Church – Aylesford, Teston Bridge Country Park, Wildwoods Restaurant – Maidstone
The Last Rite (2021) is an indie horror film about medical student Lucy who begins suffering from sleep paralysis and falls prey to a demonic force set on tearing her life apart.
The film was shot entirely on location in Kent. The main location, Ben and Lucy’s house, was filmed in a private house in Barming, Maidstone. Other Maidstone locations featured include Dr. Bennett’s (Simon Rhys-Jones) office, Ballin’ (formerly Gallery Superclub) and Wildwood Restaurant which double as The Cuban Bar and bathroom.
Another Maidstone location featured in the film is Teston Bridge Country Park, which appears in a short sequence where Lucy meets Father Roberts for the first time and asks for his help.
In the nearby town of Lenham, a private house features as the exterior and interior of Dr Andrews’ (David Kerr) house, where Lucy goes to seek answers about The Man in the Hat.
The Chancellor’s office, where Father Roberts goes to plead the Church for an exorcism, was filmed at Eastwell Manor Hotel in Ashford.
Hemsted Forest in Cranbrook appears in a short dream sequence, where Lucy imagines herself waking up in the woods and being haunted by The Man in the Hat.
A private house in Sevenoaks doubles as the living room and bedroom of Father Roberts’ house
Kangaroo Court Coffee House (formerly in Chatham, now in Rochester) features in a small scene where Lucy and her friend Ellie (Tara Hoyos-Martinez) meet to discuss the otherworldly figure in Lucy’s house.
As the county town of Kent and seat of local governance, Maidstone plays an important part in Kent’s history. The River Medway runs through Maidstone’s town centre, which is bustling with many shops, restaurants, bars, churches and a museum. Previous productions to have filmed in Maidstone include Series 2 of This Time with Alan Partridge (2021), Rustom (2016) and Series 1 of Missing (2009-2010).
Lenham is a market village situated on the southern edge of the North Downs, halfway between Maidstone and Ashford. In its centre is the busy but picturesque square, which has two public houses, a couple of restaurants, and a tea-room, as well as various shops. The village is at the main source of the Great Stour as well as the River Len, which flows in a westerly direction to join the River Medway at Maidstone.
Built in a Neo-Elizabethan style in 1920 on the site of the former stately home Eastwell Park, Eastwell Manor Hotel offers uninterrupted views over the North Downs, as well as a luxurious dining room, manicured lawns, a gym, leisure club, spa, outdoor pool and 9-hole golf course. The hotel appears in a 1992 episode of The Darling Buds of May (1991-1993).
Aylesford is a picturesque village located on the banks of the River Medway, complete with a Norman Church and Victorian houses. Other productions to have filmed in Aylesford include the Bollywood film Rustom (2016) and Half a Sixpence (1967).
Hemsted Forest boasts approximately 398 hectares of woodland, a mixture of conifer and broadleaf, and is rich in different bird species. The forest is situated in Cranbrook, a busy village with a large smock mill on the North Downs. Both Series 1 and 2 of the detective show Queens of Mystery (2019-2021) feature the village.
Chatham is a historic town situated in Medway, North Kent and is known for its historic dockyard, army barracks and high street. Series 4 of The Crown (2016-2023) features the barracks, and Operation Mincemeat (2022), along with many other high-profile productions, features scenes filmed at the dockyard.
The Last Rite was released on Amazon Prime on Monday 4th April 2022.
Directors: Ian Emes, Theresa Varga, Jamie Magnus Stone Starring: Julie Graham, Siobhan Redmond, Sarah Woodward and Olivia Vinall (Series 1), Florence Hall (Series 2) Production Company: Sly Fox Productions Limited Kent Locations Used: Farningham, Cranbrook, Smarden, Lympne Castle, Woodchurch Windmill
Production visited several locations in Farningham for the hero village of Wildemarsh. Beth’s cottage, which features throughout Series 1 and 2, was filmed on the Mill Estate. In Series 2, the exterior of the doctor’s surgery as well as of Victoria Durrell’s (Selina Griffiths) and Henry Wade’s (Aki Omoshaybi) houses and Rachel’s Papers shop were also filmed on the Mill Estate. Wadard Books on the High Street doubles as the Murder Ink bookshop and Jane’s house. Farningham Village Store also features as Wildemarsh Village store and the entrance to The Corn Exchange Theatre in Series 1. Farningham has previously been used as a filming location for Flesh and Blood (2020).
In the Death By Vinyl episode in Series 1, Stoneydale craft shop in Cranbrook was converted into the The Sound and Fury record shop in Wildemarsh. Cranbrook also features as the High Street throughout both series. In the Series 2 episode Sparring with Death, Part 1, St Dunstan’s Church and graveyard in Cranbrook feature when Matilda and Beth visit the grave of Beth’s husband.
St Michael’s Churchyard in Smarden was used as the Wildemarsh churchyard, and a private residence in Water Lane featured as the village’s Embittered Hack Pub in Series 1. Productions that previously filmed in Smarden include The Mirror Crack’d (1980).
Woodchurch Windmill in Ashford features as the exterior of Wildemarsh Windmill throughout both series. The view from the mill to the village below also features throughout.
Series 1 launched on 29th April 2020 on Acorn TV and can be found here.
Series 2 of Queens of Mystery was released on AcornTV on Monday 29th November 2021.
Director: Akhilesh Jaiswal, Umang Dev Shukla
Starring: Aahana Kumra, Rumana Molla
Production Company: Big Films Media Fz, Jar Pictures, Manna Pictures
Kent Locations Used: Kingsgate Bay, Upper Farm Cottage
Production visited Kent to film on Kingsgate Bay in Broadstairs and at Upper Farm Cottage in Ashford, which doubled for Nani’s (Sohaila Kapur) cottage in Oxford. Filming also took place along Herne Bay seafront, but this did not make the final cut.
Upper Farm Cottage is a detached timber frame house set in the quiet village of Rolvenden in Ashford. It is set within approximately 1 acre of land with far-reaching unspoilt countryside views.
Bawri Chhori (2021) did not receive an official UK release but is available to stream on Eros Now via Amazon Prime.
Presenter: JB Gill Production Company: BBC TV Kent Locations Used: Godinton, Canterbury, Pegwell Bay
River Walks (2018), a new BBC series, will showcase eleven spectacular walking routes across England, broadcast parallel in the Regions. Each episode will reveal how the waterways have shaped the local landscape, history and culture, with celebrity guests suggesting routes for picturesque walks.
Starring: Kelly Brook, Denise Van Outen and Peter Andre Production Company: STV productions Kent Locations Used: Ramsgate, Margate, Whitstable, Faversham, Sittingbourne, Maidstone, and Ashford
A brand-new series of Celebrity Antiques Road Show (2011-) returns to BBC two. In the programme each antique expert is paired up with a celebrity and they travel across the UK in vintage cars, in a quest to find worthy antiques to sell at auction.
Ashford is a market town with many shops, eateries, and a designer outlet shopping centre with London and Europe are just a train ride away through Ashford International train station. Previous productions which filmed include The Apprentice (2015).
Starring: Jessica Arterton, Jack Brett Anderson, Liam Kelly, Robert Lowe, Leslie Mills
Production Company: Last British Dragon
Kent Locations Used: Evegate Manor, Dryhill Local Nature Reserve, Sole Street House
The House Of Salem is a horror film in which a child, Josh (Liam Kelly) finds unlikely protectors in the form of a group of kidnappers who discover they have been tricked and are now trapped in a house. Realising that they are to become the next sacrifice in a line of murders spanning centuries, they get ready to battle demonic forces for their freedom.
Several Kent locations were used for filming, including private houses Evegate Manor as Josh’s home and Sole Street House as The House of Salem, alongside KCC Dryhill Nature Reserve.
Evegate Manor is a grade II star listed Manor House in Ashford and until recently was used as a farmhouse. Mostly dating from 14th to 16th century the house is constructed of Kentish ragstone rubble with red brick dressing; and is part timber framed with numerous exposed beams. Previous productions to film in the Ashford district include Dead and Awake (2016).
Sole Street House in Ashford is a 10-bedroom Georgian manor house with a Victorian wing, less than 50 miles from central London and standing in 30 acres of grounds including gardens, woodland, stables accommodating some 16 horses and paddocks.
Dryhill Local Nature Reserve in Sevenoaks is on a former quarry site of Special Scientific Interest. The exceptional structure of its rocks and fossils led to it becoming the first geological Local Nature Reserve in Kent. It also has a small stretch of private road for small set-ups. Sevenoaks has previously been used by productions such as Judwaa 2 (2017) and The First Team (2020).
House of Salem was released on 23rd January 2018.
For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map:
Kent Locations used: Hythe Seabrook, Folkestone, Dover, St Margarets at Cliffe, Deal, Reinden Woods, Pedlinge, Elham, Chillenden , Canterbury, Densole, Great Chart, Ashford, Sittingbourne.
Coast v Country is a brand new property format for Channel 4, which showcases the most striking properties for sale in some of Kent’s most beautiful coast & countryside locations. The series is presented by property experts Sara Damergi, Kerr Drummond and property developers Kirsty Duffy and David Bull.
Dover is the site of the famous white cliffs of Dover and has been used in films such as Sherlock Holmes, a game of shadows (2011) and those magnificent men and their flying machines (1965)
Another well-known location, Canterbury Cathedral, is the oldest and most renowned cathedral in England; currently a world heritage site it has been previously used to film Last Orders (2002) and a Canterbury Tale (1944)
The new series of Coast v Country starts on Monday 30th October at 4pm on Channel 4.
Episodes which feature Kent are due to air on 2nd, 22nd and 24th November 2017.
Dead and Awake is a dark, sinister, psychological thriller about a group of people who have kidnapped a girl with paranormal powers, only to find themselves victims of mind control.
The film was written and directed by Alexander Fodor (Hamlet) and stars Jason Wing (The Antwerp Dolls), Funda Önal (Made in Chelsea, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) and Ryan Ebling (Noah).
Dead and Awake was shot on location at St Augustine’s Priory at Ashfordwhich is the country house featured throughout the film. The production also filmed in Essex.
St Augustine’s Priory is a 13th century priory and Edwardian country house in Ashford, surrounded by seven acres of beautiful gardens. The Ashfordarea has been used for filming by The Monuments Men (2014), Emma (2009) and the infamous Kentish series, The Darling Buds of May (1991 – 1993).
The film is released on Monday 12th September 2016 on Amazon for purchase.
Series seven of Great British Railway returns to BBC Two, as presenter Michael Portillo travels on the great train routes of Europe and retraces the journeys featured in George Bradshaw’s 1913 Continental Railway Guide.
In episode six of the new series, Portillo embarks on a new railway journey along the south coast of England which starts at the port of Dover where he is inspired by a brave Victorian sea captain to plunge into the English Channel. Next he takes the spectacular Romney, Hythe & Dymchurchminiature steam railway through the Romney Marsh to Dungeness before heading to Eastbourne.
Episode 16 sees Michael Portillo journey from Ashfordto Sevenoaks starting by lending a hand at a state-of-the-art train maintenance plant which is home to the High Speed 1 trains. Next he tracks east to Marden and is moved by music played on Queen Victoria’s personal piano before ending his journey in Sevenoaks where he ends the journey at Knole Park, seat of the Sackville-West family.
The desolate landscape ofDungenessis largely made up of shingle with wooden houses, power station, lighthouses and extensive gravel pits. The Dungeness area has previously been seen on screen on Homes By The Sea (2014) and Eastenders (2007).
The market town of Ashfordhas shops, eateries, a designer outlet shopping centre and has great links with London and Europe which are just a train ride away through Ashford International train station. Ashfordand surrounding areas has been used as a film location from visiting productions including The Apprentice(2015), The Monuments Men (2014) andEmma(2009).
Sevenoaks is a town in West Kent with vibrant shopping streets, architectural treats and historic buildings including Knole Park which is nestled in a medieval deer-park and full of hidden treasures. The area has welcomed filming from productions such as Rush(2013) and Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides (2011)
The Dover to Lewes episode of Great British Railway aired on Monday 11th January 2016 at 18.30 on BBC Two and the Ashford to Sevenoaks episode is on Monday 25th January 2016 at 18.30 on BBC Two .
