Kingsferry Bridge

The Beekeeper (2024)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Jason Statham as Adam Clay stands against a yellow backdrop. He wears a beekeeping uniform, without the helmet, and is surrounded by bees. He is looking determinedly off to the right of the image. In the bottom left of the image in white text is written ‘Miramax a beIN Media Group and Paramount company’.

The Beekeeper (2024) © 2023 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures

Director: David Ayer
Starring: Jason Statham, Josh Hutcherson, Jeremy Irons, Emmy Raver-Lampman
Production Company: Cedar Park Studios, Miramax
Kent Locations Used: Castle Farm & Lower Austin Lodge, Kingsferry Bridge

The Beekeeper (2024) follows Adam Clay, a former operative of a secret organisation known as The Beekeepers.  After his friend falls victim to scamming by a phishing company, he sets out to exact revenge.

Directed by David Ayer (Suicide Squad, End of Watch), the film stars Jason Statham (Crank, Redemption (2013)) as Adam Clay, Josh Hutcherson (The Hunger Games, Bridge to Terabithia) as Derek Danforth, Jeremy Irons (The Mission (1986), Waterland (1992)) as Wallace Westwyld and Emmy Raver-Lampman (The Umbrella Academy, Central Park) as Agent Verona Parker.

Production visited Kent to film at Castle Farm & Lower Austin Lodge, which doubles for Mrs Parker’s (Phylicia Rashad) cottage and beekeeping farm. Filming also took place on the Kingsferry Bridge, involving a vehicle being driven off the bridge into the Swale Estuary below.

Set in a picturesque, unspoilt farmyard nestled into a valley of trees and arable fields sits Lower Austin Lodge, a Grade II listed 16th Century farmhouse complete with original features and a modern renovated interior. A popular filming location, it is part of the Castle Farm estate – set within 1,200 acres of land with varied landscapes, it includes lavender fields, hop gardens, apple orchards, bluebell woodlands and meadows. It is particularly popular for photoshoots and music videos but has also played host to Road Games (2016).

The Kingsferry Bridge is a combined road and railway bridge that links the Isle of Sheppey to mainland Kent. The bridge isn’t as busy as it once was since the new Sheppey Crossing was built next to it, and therefore can potentially be closed for filming. Too Close (2021), Kiss Me First (2018) and Silent Witness Series 26 (2023) feature the Kingsferry Bridge.

The Beekeeper (2024) will be released in UK cinemas on Friday 12th January 2024.

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

Silent Witness – Series 26 (2023)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Rhiannon May as Cara, David Caves as Jack Hodgson, Emilia Fox as Nikki Alexander, Aki Omoshaybi as Gabriel and Alastair Michael as Velvy positioned above an image of the London City skyline, a train coming out of a tunnel and a blue tent.

Silent Witness Series 26 (2023) © BBC

Creator: Nigel McCrery
Starring: Emilia Fox, David Caves, Aki Omoshaybi, Alastair Michael, Rhiannon May
Production Company: BBC, A+E Networks, Cipango Productions Audiovisuelles
Kent Locations Used: New Sheppey Crossing, Kingsferry Bridge, Leysdown-on-Sea, Minster-on-Sea, Shellness, Warden

Silent Witness (2023) is a long-running BBC crime drama focusing on a group of forensic pathology experts and their investigations.

Originally created by Nigel McCrery (New Tricks, Born and Bred), Series 26 sees the return of Emilia Fox (The Carer (2016), The Tunnel (2016)) as Dr Nikki Alexander and David Caves (Jackie, Widow’s Walk) as Jack Hodgson. Aki Omoshaybi (Queens of Mystery (2019-2021), The Riot Club) joins the cast as Dr Gabriel Folukoya as well as Alastair Michael (Snatch, Ridley Road) as Velvy Schur and Rhiannon May returning in a more regular role as Cara Connelly.

For Series 26, production visited Kent to shoot in a variety of locations on the Isle of Sheppey for the final two episodes of the series, doubling as the fictional Southbay Island. The Kingsferry Bridge features throughout Episodes 9 & 10 as the bridge to Southbay Island, The Rose and Crown Pub car park in Leysdown-on-Sea appears in both episodes doubling as a caravan park called Harbour Fields, and a private house on The Leas in Minster-on-Sea stars as the house of the murdered Carol Laing (Melissa Batchelor). Other locations featured include Leysdown beach, Shellness beach, Minster beach, a section of land underneath the New Sheppey Crossing, woodland in Warden Springs Caravan Park and Warden beach.

Leysdown is situated at the Eastern end of the Isle of Sheppey. With access to a sandy beach and a slew of arcades, it is one of the largest holiday parks in Kent. Previous productions to have filmed there include Kiss Me First (2018), End of the F***ing World (2017) and Strawberry Fields (2012).

Minster is a large village on the Isle of Sheppey which has a sand and shingle beach, shops and an abbey.

Shellness beach is an SSSI mostly sandy beach with groynes and WWII lookout in a very remote part of Sheppey. Great Expectations (2012) also filmed on the beach and in the nature reserve.

Warden is a small village on the north-eastern coast of the Isle of Sheppey. Immediately northwest of the village and continuing towards the west is Warden Point, a pinnacle of eroding land and muddy foreshore. The pillboxes there are very popular, particularly for music videos.

The New Sheppey Crossing is a bridge across the Swale Estuary that links the Isle of Sheppey to mainland towns Sittingbourne and Kemsley. It was opened in 2006 and provides an alternative highway to the neighbouring Kingsferry Bridge, which allows for the Kingsferry Bridge to be closed for filming, which was done for Too Close (2021).

Series 26 of Silent Witness will begin airing on BBC One from Monday 2nd January 2023.

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

Too Close (2021)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Connie Mortenson (played by Denise Gough) and psychiatrist Dr Emma Robertson (played by Emily Watson) stand side by side looking to camera with a dark background, the mood of the image is sinister.

Too Close (2021) © ITV images

Writer: Clara Salaman
Director: Bruce Goodison
Starring: Emily Watson, Denise Gough, Eileen Davies
Production Company: Snowed-In Productions Ltd, All3Media for ITV
Kent Locations Used: Kingsferry Bridge – Isle of Sheppey, Swale

Too Close (2021) is a psychological drama for ITV starring Emily Watson. The three-part mini‑series tells the story of a forensic psychiatrist who must assess a criminal suspect – only to fall victim to their manipulative nature.

Dedicated forensic psychiatrist, Dr Emma Robinson played by Emily Watson (The Third Day (2020), Chernobyl) is sent to assess Connie Mortensen played by Denise Gough (Juliet, Naked (2018), Guerrilla) who is on trial for a terrible crime. When Connie quickly gains insight into Emma’s deepest insecurities and starts to brutally exploit them, their sessions become a complex psychological game. Eileen Davies (Grantchester (2014), Peterloo (2018)) also stars as Julia de Cadenet.

Too Close is based on the book of the same name, written by Clara Salaman under the pseudonym Natalie Daniels, and is directed by Susan Tully (Lark Rise to Candleford, Line of Duty) for Snowed-In Productions for All3Media.

During filming, production visited Kent to film a stunt sequence on Kingsferry Bridge, a combined road and railway bridge that links the Isle of Sheppey to mainland towns Sittingbourne and Kemsley. The maximum bridge lifting height is 84 feet and when reached a claxon sound is heard to confirm the bridge is at full height. The Kingsferry Bridge is no longer as busy as it once was, traffic now able to use the New Sheppey Crossing Bridge. Previous productions to film on the bridge include Kiss Me First (2018).

Too Close is due for release on ITV on Monday 12th April at 9pm.

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