TV Drama

The Draughtsmans Contract (1982)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Anthony Higgins in costume staring at the camera in front of a field

Anthony Higgins as Mr Neville in The Draughtsman’s Contract © BFI

Writer/Director: Peter Greenaway

Stars: Anthony Higgins, Janet Suzman and Dave Hill

Production Company: British Film Institute (BFI), Channel Four Television

Kent Filming Locations: Groombridge Place

Set in the 17th Century, The Draughtsman’s Contact focuses on the contract between Mr Neville (Anthony Higgins) and Mrs Herbert (Janet Suzman) to paint a picture of her husband’s estate. As part of Neville’s preparation for his masterpiece, he dresses the house with sculptures and then instructs the household not to move any objects. But when the statues in the house suddenly start to move about and even shift shape, the very particular Mr Neville becomes increasingly upset.

Janet Suzman as Mrs Herbert standing in a garden with an umbrella facing away from a man who has his back to the camera

Janet Suzman as Mrs Herbert © BFI

The plot is further complicated when Mr Herbert (Dave Hill) is found dead and it is discovered that Mr Neville’s paintings inescapably point towards his having been murdered. The (mis-en-)scene is set for mystery, intrigue and blackmail.

Although the film alludes to the Herbert house being located in Wiltshire, The Draughtman’s Contract was actually filmed at Groombridge Place near Tunbridge Wells.

One of the formal gardens at Groombridge used in the film has been renamed in commemoration of the filming: The Draughtman’s Lawn boasts beautiful primroses in the spring and striking ornamental trees in the summer.

Groombridge Place Gardens and Enchanted Forest is open from spring until early November but the house itself is not open to the public. It has previously been used as a film location by Pride and Prejudice (2005).

The Draughtsmans Contract was released in cinemas in 1982 and is now available to buy on DVD.

 

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

Blakes 7 – Bounty (1978)

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Blakes 7 logo in space- cartoon planets with BLAKES 7 written in yellow on top

Blakes 7 logo © BBC

Director: Pennant Roberts

Creator: Terry Nation

Starring: Gareth Thomas, Sally Knyvette, Paul Darrow, T.P. McKenna

Production Company: BBC

Kent Locations: Quex Park – Waterloo Tower in Birchington

Blake’s 7 is a BBC One science fiction show which ran for four series between 1978 –1981. Set in the future, the show is about a group of outcasts who fight a guerrilla war against the totalitarian Terran Federation from an alien spaceship.

The series was created by Terry Nation (Doctor Who, And Soon the Darkness, London Conspiracy), who also created the Daleks in Doctor Who.

Episode 11 of Series 1, “Bounty”, sees Blake (Gareth Thomas) and Jenna (Sally Knyvette) try to convince Sarkoff (T.P. McKenna), the exiled former president of the planet Lindor to return to lead his people, before the Federation assumes control of the planet. However, the Liberator is taken over by a group of bounty hunters known as The Amagons.

“Bounty” is directed by Pennant Roberts (The Sherman Plays, Howards’ Way, Doctor Who) and stars Gareth Thomas (Merlin, Waterland, Parkin’s Patch), Sally Knyvette (Emmerdale, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, General Hospital), Paul Darrow (Die Another Day, Rough Magik, Law & Order: UK) and T.P. McKenna (Straw Dogs, Red Scorpion, Ulysses).

Blakes 7 Screenshot at Quex Park- Waterloo Tower with trees around it

Blakes 7 Screenshot Quex Park – Waterloo Tower © BBC

Blakes 7 Screenshot Quex Park – Waterloo Tower- two characters leabing against the stone wall

Blakes 7 Screenshot Quex Park – Waterloo Tower © BBC

Waterloo Tower at Quex Park features in the episode as the ex-president Sarkoff’s residence in exile.

Quex Park is a unique country park of 250 acres set within an estate of 1800 acres in Birchington which offers parkland, gardens and a Regency-style country house with unique museum containing dioramas of African landscapes. Projects which have previously filmed in the Birchington area include Penelope Keith’s Hidden Villages (2015) and BBC Three drama The Things I Haven’t Told You (2008).

Blakes 7 aired between 1978 –1981 and is now available for DVD purchase.

 

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

Upstairs Downstairs – The Sudden Storm (1974)

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The cast of Upstairs, Downstairs standing behind a sign that reads Upstairs, Downstairs

Upstairs, Downstairs © London Weekend Television (LWT)

Creator: Eileen Atkins
Starring: Angela Baddeley, Jean Marsh, Meg Wynn Owen, Simon Williams, David Langton, Gordon Jackson
Production Company: London Weekend Television (LWT), Sagitta Productions Ltd.
Kent Locations: Herne Bay

Upstairs, Downstairs (1971-1975) was an ITV drama series set in a townhouse in Belgravia which charts the lives of the wealthy Bellamy family and their servants during the First World War and the interwar years.

The show which ran between 1971 and 1975, stars Jean Marsh (Willow, Frenzy), Angela Baddeley (Tom Jones, The Speckled Band), Meg Wynn Owen (Pride & Prejudice, Gosford Park), Simon Williams (Kinvig, Jabberwocky), David Langton (The Whistle Blower, Quintet) and Gordon Jackson (The Professionals, The Great Escape).

Herne Bay, including the beach by the former pier and Central Bandstand, features in series three, episode thirteen “The Sudden Storm”, when the staff take a day out to the seaside.

Located near to Canterbury, Herne Bay has a delightful beach with a bandstand and seafront gardens, as well as many shops and eateries, amusement arcades, and a windmill. The area has previously featured in filming projects such as Boomers (2014), Little Britain – Season 1 (2003) and The Medusa Touch (1978).

Upstairs, Downstairs “The Sudden Storm” (1974) was shown on Saturday 19th January 1974 and is available to watch on ITVX.

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

Elizabeth R (1971)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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 Dominators (1968)

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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 Dalek Invasion of Earth (1964)

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William Hartnell as Doctor Who in a suit staring away from the camera

William Hartnell as Doctor Who © BBC

Director: Richard Martin
Starring: William Hartnell, Carole Ann Ford, Jacqueline Hill and William Russell
Production Company:BBC
Kent Locations Used: St John’s Hole Quarry

The Dalek Invasion of Earth (1964) is a six part story of popular sci-fi show, Doctor Who, starring William Hartnell. The Doctor and his three companions, Ian, Barbara and Susan, land in havoc wreaked London during the 21st century only to discover that the Daleks have invaded earth. This is the second appearance of the Doctor’s greatest enemies, where he will attempt to send the Daleks back to their planet and save earth.

William Hartnell (Carry On Sergeant, Escape) stars as the first Doctor alongside Carole Ann Ford (The Day of the Triffids, Moonstrike), Jacqueline Hill (Paradise Postponed, The Six Proud Walkers) and William Russell (The Great Escape, Coronation Street).

The production visited St John’s Hole Quarry in Dartford, now Bluewater, which doubled as the entrance to the mines where prisoners have to work.

Dartford is a historic town with boasts great travel links and has a variety of shopping facilities, hotels and parks. Productions such as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010), The Inbetweeners (2010) and Wasp (2003) have been filmed in the Dartford area.

Doctor Who: The Dalek Invasion of Earth (1964) began airing on Saturday 21st November 1964 and is now available to buy on DVD.

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