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 – 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.