Bagpuss (1974)

Stuffed toys sit in a room with a dark oak-panelled desk behind them. On the left, sitting on a blue and green tin, is Gabriel, a green toad holding a banjo. Underneath him is a grey mouse wearing a white t-shirt and blue plaid shorts. Underneath the mouse is Professor Yaffle, a wooden woodpecker wearing wire-rimmed glasses. In the middle, sitting on a cushion, is Bagpuss, a pink and white stripy cat. Above him on the desk either side of his ears stands a mouse – the left one wearing a blue and pink plaid dress, and the right one wearing a navy-blue dress. At his feet sits another mouse, this one wearing a red t-shirt with a yellow cravat. On the right, sitting in a wicker chair, is Madeleine, a rag doll with ginger curly hair wearing an orange, yellow, green and white striped dress. On her lap sits yet another mouse wearing red shorts and a yellow patterned shirt.

Bagpuss (1974) © BBC

Creator: Oliver Postgate, Peter Firmin
Starring: Oliver Postgate, Sandra Kerr, John Faulkner
Production Company:
Smallfilms
Kent Locations Used:
Blean – Canterbury

Bagpuss (1974) was an animated children’s TV series created by Smallfilms which aired on BBC2 in 1974. The series follows Bagpuss, “a saggy old cloth cat”, who lives in a shop that houses lost things. Each of the thirteen episodes feature Bagpuss and his friends the mice, a rag doll named Madeleine, Gabriel the toad, and Professor Yaffle the wooden woodpecker, coming to life and investigating the objects their owner Emily brings them.

The series was created by Smallfilms, a TV production company founded by Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin, who also produced popular children’s stop-motion animated programmes The Clangers (1969-1974), Ivor the Engine and Noggin the Nog. The production was a collaboration between the two men, with Firmin making the models and drawing the artwork, and Postgate writing the scripts and voicing and animating the characters.

Sandra Kerr voiced Madeleine the rag doll and John Faulkner voiced Gabriel the Toad. Both actors also wrote and performed the folk songs. Bagpuss, the narrator, and additional characters were voiced by creator Oliver Postgate.

Peter Firmin, a man with grey hair and a beard, holds Bagpuss, a pink and white striped cat stuffed toy. Firmin wears a blue jumper with a grey shirt underneath. Behind him is a black wood-panelled cowshed with a peg tile roof.

Bagpuss with Peter Firmin outside the studio / barn where the programme was filmed  © Kent Online

Bagpuss, as well as Smallfilms’ other productions, was shot in a studio in Blean, near Canterbury. The studio was originally a disused cowshed at Firmin’s family home. The exterior of the shop appearing in each episode’s opening scene was also filmed at Firmin’s home and featured his daughter Emily.

Blean is a village in the district of Canterbury which is home to the popular Blean Woods Nature Reserve, one of the largest woodlands in England. Smallfilms The Clangers (1969-1974) was also shot in Blean.

Despite only airing for one series, Bagpuss garnered nationwide acclaim and in 1999 it won a BBC poll becoming the nation’s favourite BBC children’s programme.

Until Sunday 28th July 2024, the original Bagpuss puppet will be on display in The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge in Canterbury, along with Rupert the Bear.

Bagpuss first aired on BBC2 from Tuesday 12th February to Tuesday 7th May 1974. It is now available to purchase on DVD.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.


Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em, Series One (1973)

Michele Dotrice as Betty and Michael Crawford as Frank Spencer standing in front of a train on the platform

Michele Dotrice as Betty and Michael Crawford as Frank Spencer © BBC

Writer: Raymond Allen
Starring: Michael Crawford and Michele Dotrice
Production Company: BBC
Kent Locations Used: Herne Bay

Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em (1973) is a BBC sitcom following the accident-prone Frank Spencer (Michael Crawford) and his ill-fated attempts to hold down a job and look after his family.

There were three series and four Christmas Specials which ran between 1973 and 1978. The show was created and written by Raymond Allen and starred Michael Crawford (The Knack …and How to Get It, Hello, Dolly!) as Frank Spencer and Michele Dotrice (Vanity Fair, Not Now, Comrade) as his long-suffering wife, Betty.

Herne Bay was used as a location for two episodes of the programme’s first series. The High Street and William Street featured in the very first episode, The Job Interview, where Frank arrives at a shop for a job interview.

The Railway Station and the Carlton Hotel feature in the episode four Have a Break, Take a Husband for scenes on Frank and Betty’s ill-fated second honeymoon.

Herne Bay is located on the Kent coast and boasts a delightful beach with a bandstand and seafront gardens as well as many shops and eateries, amusement arcades and a windmill. Other productions which have filmed in Herne Bay include Boomers (2014), Little Britain Series One (2003) and Only Fools and Horses, the Jolly Boys’ Outing (1989).

Series 1 of Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em (1973) was originally broadcast between Thursday 15th February – Thursday 29th March 1973, and is now available to purchase on DVD.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.


Elizabeth R (1971)

Elizabeth R in costume and make up looking away from the camera

Elizabeth R © BBC

Starring: Glenda Jackson, Ronald Hines, Stephen Murray, Rachel Kempson, Robert Hardy, John Shrapnel
Production Company: BBC, Masterpiece
Kent Locations Used: Penshurst Place, Chiddingstone, St. John The Baptist Church, Penshurst

Elizabeth R (1971) is a six part BBC drama is about the life and tumultuous reign of Elizabeth I, including her rise to the throne, quest for a suitor and the challenges she faces with the threat of the Spanish Armada.

Starring in the lead role of Queen Elizabeth is Glenda Jackson (Sunday Bloody Sunday, Women in Love) supported by Ronald Hines (Young Winston, Not in Front of the Children), Stephen Murray (The Nun’s Story, The Magnet), Rachel Kempson (Out of Africa, Tom Jones), Robert Hardy (Sense and Sensibility, Little Dorrit) and John Shrapnel (Gladiator, Troy).

The series won five Emmy Awards, including Drama Series, New Series, Achievement in Costume Design and Glenda Jackson scooped the Continued Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role prize, as well as Outstanding Single Performance for the episode “The Shadow In The Sun”.

The production filmed at Penshurst Place which doubled as the Queen’s castle grounds and featured in a variety of

Elizabeth R at Penshurst Place walking towards the stone building, two other women in costume follow behind

Screenshot of Elizabeth R ladies walking through the grounds of Penshurst Place

scenes in episode one and two. St. John The Baptist church in Penshurst also featured in episode 2 for the scenes where Lord Robert Dudley  waits at the church for Queen Elizabeth.

Nearby Chiddingstone village also features in the first two episodes of the series, for the scenes where Queen Elizabeth celebrates her rise to the throne.

Penshurst Place is set in 2,500 acres and boasts limestone exteriors as well as the 14th century house with medieval interiors, beautiful gardens and parkland. Penshurst Place is a popular film location, having been used for productions such as The Hollow Crown – Henry V (2012), The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) and The Princess Bride (1987).

Chiddingstone is a one-street Tudor village with its properties boasting half-timbered sides, gables and stone-hung red-tiled roofs. The village is owned by the National Trust to ensure its preservation and has previously been used for productions such as A Room With A View (1986).

Elizabeth R also features in the Kent Film Office Tudor(ish) Trail which celebrates Kent’s Tudor history and film connections.

Elizabeth R (1971) was first broadcast on BBC2 from Wednesday 17th February to Wednesday 24th March 1971 and is now available to buy on DVD.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.


Doctor Who: The Claws of Axos (1971)

Doctor Who (Jon Pertwee) and Jo Grant (Katy Manning) holding hands running across a muddy floor.

Doctor Who (Jon Pertwee) and Jo Grant (Katy Manning) © BBC

Director: Michael Ferguson
Starring: Jon Pertwee, Nicholas Courtney, Roger Delgado, John Levene, Bernard Holley, Katy Manning
Production Company: BBC
Kent Locations Used: Dungeness

The Claws of Axos (1971) is a four-part serial from popular sci-fi show Doctor Who starring Jon Pertwee. The Doctor investigates claims by Axons, who are the occupants of a mysterious object that has landed on Earth, to have a miracle substance that would end world famine. When he discovers an old enemy is involved, The Doctor becomes suspicious and must work with the UNIT team to drive the Axons from Earth. 

Jon Pertwee (Worzel Gummidge, Jackanory) stars as the third Doctor alongside Nicholas Courtney (Then Churchill Said to Me, Incendiary), Roger Delgado (The Battle of the River Plate, The Road to Hong Kong), John Levene (Permission to Kill, CanniBallistic!), Bernard Holley (Travels with My Aunt, Z Cars) and Katy Manning (Oakie’s Outback Adventures, When Darkness Falls). 

The production visited Dungeness to film the scenes where the Axon ship lands and The Doctor and UNIT team go to investigate. Dungeness Power Station doubled as the “Nuton power complex” in the third and fourth episodes of The Claws of Axos.

Dungeness is in the Shepway district of Kent and has a beautiful shingle beach with a mixture of old and modern homes, two lighthouses, a historic railway station and a Power Station. Dungeness is a popular film location and has been used for productions such as The Poison Tree (2012) and The Inspector Lynley Mysteries (2006).

Doctor Who – The Claws of Axos (1971) first aired on BBC1 from Saturday 13th March to Saturday 3rd April 1971 and is now available to buy on DVD. 

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.


Doctor Who – Mind of Evil (1971)

Doctor Who (Jon Pertwee) in a suit sat in front of a tiled wall

Doctor Who (Jon Pertwee) © BBC

Director: Timothy Combe
Starring: Jon Pertwee, Nicholas Courtney, Katy Manning, Richard Franklin, Roger Delgado, Pik Sen Lim
Production Company: BBC
Kent Locations Used: Whitfield, Dover Castle, Former RAF Swingate, Manston Airport

The Mind of Evil (1971) is a six-part story of popular sci-fi show, Doctor Who, starring Jon Pertwee. The Doctor and his companion, Jo, arrive at Stangmoor Prison for the demonstration of a machine that has been created by Professor Keller to pacify criminals. However, when the Doctor discovers that his enemy, the Master, is involved he does everything to stop him before it is too late.

Jon Pertwee (Worzel Gummidge, Jackanory) stars as the third Doctor alongside Katy Manning (Gloria’s House, Evil Never Dies), Roger Delgado (First Man Into Space, The Road to Hong Kong), Nicholas Courtney (The Sarah Jane Adventures, Downtime), Richard Franklin (Emmerdale, Twilight of the Gods) and Pik Sen Lim (Emergency-Ward 10, Mind Your Language).

The production filmed in Kent where they visited Dover Castle which doubled as the exterior of Stangmoor Prison the junction of Archer’s Court Road with Pineham Road in Whitfield which was the location where the Master’s troops ambush the missile convoy. The hangar at Former RAF Swingate was used as the Master’s hiding place for his deadly missile and Manston Airport was the base for the helicopter company providing the choppers and aerial footage in the series.

Dover Castle was founded in the 11th century and defended the coast of Britain for almost 500 years. It is now run by English Heritage as a tourist attraction and is a very popular filming location having welcomed productions such as The Apprentice (2015), Wolf Hall (2015) and To Kill a King (2003).

Dover is a coastal town, home to the infamous White Cliffs of Dover, Dover Castle and Europe’s busiest passenger port, the Port of Dover. The Dover area has welcomed filming from productions such as Mr Selfridge Series 3 (2015), Great British Railway Journeys (2014) and Missing (2009).

Manston Airport is currently awaiting development and boasts a runway and warehouse space. It has been used for James Bond’s Die Another Day (2002).

Doctor Who: The Mind of Evil (1971) originally aired on BBC1 between Saturday 30th January 1971 and Saturday 6th March 1971. It is now available to buy on DVD.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.


Doctor Who – Inferno (1970)

Jon Pertwee as Dr Who in a suit in an office with a brick wall

Jon Pertwee as Dr Who © BBC

Director: Douglas Camfield
Starring: Jon Pertwee, Caroline John, Nicholas Courtney, Olaf Pooley, Christopher Benjamin
Production Company:BBC
Kent Locations Used: Kingsnorth Industrial Estate, Medway

Inferno (1970) is a seven part serial from popular sci-fi show Doctor Who starring Jon Pertwee. Inferno is a science project aimed at exploiting a new power source underneath the earth’s crust. While the Doctor is fixing his TARDIS, he is thrown in to a parallel universe, where his misgivings of Inferno are confirmed when he sees how it has almost completely destroyed the alternate earth.

Kingsnorth Powerstation next to a road

Kingsnorth Powerstation screenshot © BBC

Jon Pertwee (Worzel Gummidge, Jackanory) stars as the third Doctor alongside Caroline John (Harry Enfield’s Television Programme, P.R.O.B.E), Nicholas Courtney (The Sarah Jane Adventures, Downtime), Olaf Pooley (The Corpse, Star Trek: Voyager) and Christopher Benjamin (Pride and Prejudice, Angel).

The production visited Kingsnorth Industrial Estate in Medway which featured as the setting for the Inferno project. This estate used to be a large oil refinery known as Berry Wiggins and Co Ltd. and is now an Industrial Estate to many businesses.

Medway is a group of towns set along the River Medway, steeped in history, particularly with Charles Dickens connections. Productions which have previously filmed in the area include London Spy (2015), Les Misérables (2013) and Sherlock Holmes (2009).

Doctor Who – Inferno (1970) first aired on BBC1 from Saturday 9th May to Saturday 20th June 1970 and is now available to purchase on DVD.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.


Doctor Who – The Mutants (1972)

Jon Pertwee inside Chilslehurst Cave talking to a man with a torch

Jon Pertwee as Doctor Who at Chislehurst Caves © BBC

Director: Christopher Barry
Starring: Jon Pertwee, Katy Manning, Paul Whitsun-Jones, James Mellor, Garrick Hagon
Production Company: BBC
Kent Locations Used: Bluewater Quarry, Chislehurst Caves, Stone House Farm Caves

The Mutants (1972) is a six-part story of popular sci-fi show Doctor Who starring Jon Pertwee. The Doctor and his companion, Jo, arrive at Skybase One during the 30th century when the planet, Solos is fighting for independence from the Earth’s empire. However, the natives have started to mutate in to hideous looking creatures and the doctor needs to find out why.

Jon Pertwee (Carry On Cleo, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum) stars as the third Doctor alongside Katy Manning (Gloria’s House, Evil Never Dies) as his companion Jo, Paul Whitsun-Jones (The Quatermass Experiment, Huntingtower), James Mellor (Marat/Sade, The Oblong Box) and Garrick Hagon (Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory).

The production visited Bluewater Quarry which was the setting for the planet Solos prior to the shopping centre being built. The quarry began in the early 19th century and was then rapidly enlarged for cement production in the 1950’s; however it then closed down in the 1980’s and is now Bluewater shopping centre.

Chislehurst Caves also feature and doubled as the interior Solos’ caves. Chislehurst Caves are man-made and 22 miles long, initially dug as chalk and flint mines and are believed to have been last worked in during the 1830’s. The first mention of the mines was in 1250, during World War II when the caves became an air raid shelter for 15000 people with electrical lighting, a chapel and a hospital. The caves are now a tourist attraction and have been used for TV series Merlin (2008) and film The Riddle (2007).

The production also visited Stone House Farm Caves which represented the cave system entrance on Solos. It is situated near Strood in a field next to Lower Rochester Road. The caves are thought to be old chalk mines. The Medway area has previously been seen on screen in Jekyll and Hyde (2015)Great Expectations (2012) and Canterbury Tales (2003).

Doctor Who: The Mutants (1972) originally aired on BBC1 from Saturday 8th April 1972 to Saturday 13th May 1972 and is now available to buy on DVD.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.


Doctor Who – The Ambassadors of Death (1970)

Three people in space suits stand in front of a large orange planet in a starry sky. They are reaching out in front of them, towards John Pertwee as The Doctor. He looks startled. The Doctor wears a black coat, white shirt and large black bow tie.

Doctor Who – The Ambassadors of Death (1970) © BBC

Director: Michael Ferguson
Writer: David Whitaker
Starring: Jon Pertwee, Caroline John, Nicholas Courtney, William Dysart, John Abineri
Production Company: BBC
Kent Locations Used:
Northfleet Quarry & LaFarge Cement Works

The Ambassadors of Death (1970) is the third serial in the seventh series of Doctor Who. When two astronauts on the Mars Probe Seven lose contact with Earth, the Doctor and United Nations Intelligence Taskforce (UNIT) must investigate. When the astronauts finally return, the Doctor suspects that they may, in fact,  be aliens and  is soon caught in a government conspiracy.

The serial was directed by Michael Ferguson (Doctor Who: The Claws of Axos (1971), The Sandbaggers) and written by David Whitaker (Doctor Who – The Enemy of the World (1968), Showtime). It stars John Pertwee (Doctor Who – Inferno (1970), Carry On Cleo) as the Doctor, Caroline John (Love Actually, P.R.O.B.E The Zero Imperative) as his companion Liz Shaw, Nicholas Courtney (Doctor Who – Mind of Evil (1971), Incendiary) as the Brigadier, William Dysart (The Last Shot You Hear, Edward the Seventh) as Reegan and John Abineri (The Last of the Mohicans, Robin of Sherwood) as General Charles Carrington.

Filming for the serial took place at the former Northfleet Quarry and Lafarge Cement Works. The Quarry doubles as the exterior of the Space Centre in Episodes 4, 6 & 7 of the serial, and the Cement Works feature in Episode 3, doubling as the Quarry where Reegan buries two dead workers in the shingle.

The site of the old Northfleet Works had been used for cement production since 1853, but was formerly opened under its new name in 1970 and later incorporated an existing quarry to the south. It is now no longer operational

Doctor Who – The Ambassadors of Death (1970) aired on BBC1 from Saturday 21st March 1970 to Saturday 2nd May 1970 and is currently available to purchase on DVD.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.


Doctor Who – The Dominators (1968)

Patrick Troughton at Doctor Who standing in the tardis facing a man who has his back to the camera

Patrick Troughton at Doctor Who © BBC

Director: Morris Barry
Starring: Patrick Troughton, Giles Block, Wendy Padbury, Frazer Hines and Arthur Cox
Production Company: BBC
Kent Locations Used: Wrotham Quarry

The Dominators (1968) is a five-part story of popular sci-fi show Doctor Who, starring Patrick Troughton. The Doctor and his companions, Jamie and Zoe, land on the planet of Dulkis to find the Dominators and the Quarks, their robotic servants, enslaving the peaceful Dulcians. Can the trio help the natives and prevent the Dominators from destroying the planet?

Patrick Troughton (The Omen, Jason and the Argonauts) stars as the second Doctor alongside Giles Block, Wendy Padbury (The Blood on Satan’s Claw, Freewheelers), Frazer Hines (Two Days in the Smoke, Emmerdale) and Arthur Cox (She-Wolf of London, Partners in Crime).

The production visited Wrotham Quarry which doubled as the surface of Dulkis.

Screenshot at Wrotham Quarry screenshot - a man standing with the Quarks behind him

Screenshot at Wrotham Quarry screenshot © BBC

Wrotham Quarry is located in the Addington and was formerly known as Olley Sand Pit, used for producing sand for the glass industry. The Quarry is still active today and part of Hanson Aggregates.

The Tonbridge and Malling area has been chosen as a film location by productions including Great British Railway Journeys (2014), Missing (2010) and Cape Wrath (2007).

Doctor Who: The Dominators (1968) began airing on Saturday 10th August 1968 and is now available to buy on DVD.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.


Doctor Who – The Enemy of the World (1968)

Mary Peach as Astrid Ferrier is standing on a beach. Behind her is a retro-looking helicopter. She is wearing an all-leather flying suit. The photo is in black-and-white.

Mary Peach as Astrid Ferrier in Doctor Who – The Enemy of the World (1968) © BBC

Director: Barry Letts
Writer: David Whitaker
Starring: Patrick Troughton, Frazer Hines, Deborah Watling, Bill Kerr, Mary Peach
Production Company: BBC
Kent Locations Used: Dungeness Power Station

The Enemy of the World (1968) is a serial of the fifth season of the original 1967 Doctor Who series. Set in 2018, the story follows the Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) and his companions as they become embroiled in a case of mistaken identity. When the Doctor discovers his uncanny resemblance to Earth’s scheming dictator Salamander (also played by Troughton), he must use this likeness to bring him down.

For over 40 years, only Episode 3 of the serial was known to exist. However, on 11th October 2013, the BBC announced that the remaining five episodes had been recovered from a TV station storage room in Nigeria.

Not all original Doctor Who serials have been rediscovered. The 1968 episodes entitled “Fury from the Deep” are still missing – unfortunate, as these allegedly feature Botany Bay, Kingsgate Bay and the Redsand Towers Sea Forts!

Written by David Whitaker (Doctor Who, Showtime) and directed by Barry Letts (Eastenders, David Copperfield), The Enemy of the World stars Patrick Troughton (The Omen, Jason and the Argonauts) as the Second Doctor, Frazer Hines (Emmerdale) as his companion Jamie, Deborah Watling (The Invisible Man, The Newcomers) as his other companion Victoria, Bill Kerr (Gallipoli, The Pirate Movie) as Giles Kent and Mary Peach (Room at the Top, Couples) as Astrid Ferrier.

Dungeness Power Station briefly appears in Episode 4 of the serial, doubling as the exterior of Salamander’s research station.

The now defunct power stations were originally built in 1965 and 1983 respectively. The building borders the Dungeness Estate, a unique expanse of SSSI shingle beach with ramshackle huts, old and ultra-modern residences, two light houses, a cafe by the historic railway station, boat moorings, a lifeboat station, two pubs and artist galleries. Other productions to have filmed in Dungeness include Back to Life (2019-2021), Brave New World (2020) and another Doctor Who episode – The Claws of Axos (1971).

Doctor Who – The Enemy of the World (1968) originally aired on BBC1 between Saturday 23rd December 1967 and Saturday 27th January 1968. It is now available to watch on Amazon or purchase on DVD.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.