Knowlton Court

The Serial Killer’s Wife (2023)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Annabel Scholey as Beth and Jack Farthing as Tom stand on a train station platform. Tom is clasping her hands and staring seriously into her eyes. Tom wears a navy-blue polo shirt and Beth wears a grey knitted jumper.

The Serial Killer’s Wife (2023) © BlackBox Multimedia / Clapperboard Studios / Paramount+

Writer: Suzanne Cowie, Alice Hunter (novel)
Starring: Annabel Scholey, Jack Farthing, Luke Treadaway,
Production Company: BlackBox Multimedia, Clapperboard Studios
Kent Locations Used: Folkestone, Folkestone Harbour, The Warren Country Park, Saltwood, Sandgate, The Breaker’s Beach House, Knowlton Court, Abbot’s Cliff, South Foreland Lighthouse, The White Cliffs of Dover

Set in an idyllic English town, The Serial Killer’s Wife (2023) follows Beth Fairchild as her life is turned upside-down when her husband is arrested for murder. Initially believing him to be innocent, Beth soon discovers that her husband may not be who she thought he was.

Based on the book by Alice Hunter and adapted for the screen by Suzanne Cowie (The Good Ship Murder, The Dumping Ground), The Serial Killer’s Wife stars Annabel Scholey (Walking on Sunshine, Personal Affairs) as Beth Fairchild, Jack Farthing (Spencer, Poldark) as Tom Fairchild and Luke Treadaway (Attack the Block, A Street Cat Named Bob) as Adam, Tom’s childhood best friend.

The series filmed across East Kent. In Folkestone, locations featured include a private house on Church Road which doubles for Tom’s old house in Oxford and Mr Alderton’s house, a warehouse adjacent to The Valiant Sailor which doubles for the Vault nightclub, Christ Church CEP Academy, Folkestone Harbour and The Warren Country Park.

Filming also took place in the nearby village of Saltwood. A private house features as Adam’s house and the Hide and Fox Restaurant doubles as Beth’s café.

In Sandgate, The Breakers Beach House doubles as Ollie (Eben Figueiredo) and Libby’s (Elizabeth Roberts) house. Filming also took place on Sandgate beach for brief establishing shots.

Knowlton Court in Canterbury features as the home of Beth and Tom throughout the series. Additionally, roads on the estate were used for scenes of police cars speeding along, the woodland was used for the opening scene of a woman jogging, and the Church features in Episode 4 in a wedding scene.

Other filming locations include Abbot’s Cliff, South Foreland Lighthouse, The White Cliffs of Dover and Upper Road in Dover.

Folkestone is a seaside town with elegant clifftop promenade, lower coastal park, fishing harbour and Victorian cliff-top lifts. It is a popular filming location, with recent productions to film there including Who Is Erin Carter? (2023), Pistol (2022) and The Fight (2019).

Formerly a ferry port connecting the town to various destinations in France and Belgium, Folkestone Harbour Arm and the now non-operational train station have been recently restored and is now home to a growing collection of vibrant independent businesses. Other productions to have filmed there include Back to Life – Series 1 & 2 (2019-2021), Sex Education Season 3 (2021) and Seagull (2019).

The Warren Country Park is a coastal country park backed by cliffs incorporating woods, beach and concrete sea defences. Everyone’s Going to Die (2013) and Darling Buds of May (1991-1993) filmed at the Country Park.

Saltwood is located immediately to the north of Hythe on the high land looking over the Romney Marsh and surrounded by farm land. The parish includes Sandling which has a railway station on the mainline to London. It is the location of Saltwood Castle, once the home of MP Alan Clark and Sandling Park, a large estate which stretches around the village up to its second hamlet, Pedlinge. Previous productions that filmed in Saltwood Castle were The Alan Clark Diaries (2004) and My Week with Marilyn (2011).

The Breakers is a beach house in Sandgate. Set over three floors, the house has a terrace and two balconies offering uninterrupted sea views and direct access to the beach. Nestled between Folkestone and Hythe, the village of Sandgate has a shingle beach offering views over the Channel and a high street with antique shops, inns and restaurants.

Set in a nineteen-hundred-acre estate and surrounded by beautiful parkland, Knowlton Court is a magnificent historic home with a Great Hall, French and Flemish tapestries and a carved stone fireplace. Other productions to have filmed there include Jagame Thandhiram (2021), The Tunnel: Sabotage (2016) and Upstairs, Downstairs – The Sudden Storm (1974).

Abbot’s Cliff has a WWII sound mirror and isolated single lane track on top of white cliffs and is situated between Folkestone and Dover. King of Thieves (2018) and Back to Life – Series 1 & 2 (2019-2021).

A Victorian lighthouse on the White Cliffs of Dover, South Foreland Lighthouse was the first lighthouse powered by electricity and the site of the first international radio transmission. Managed by the National Trust, the site has previously played host to Rogue Agent (2022), Rustom (2016) and Mr Selfridge (2013-2016).

The famous White Cliffs of Dover offer views of Dover Castle, the Port and the English Channel. It is one of England’s most iconic locations and is therefore very popular for filming, having recently featured Whitstable Pearl (2021-2022) and The Tunnel (2013).

The Serial Killer’s Wife (2023) was released on Paramount+ on Friday 15th December 2023.

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

Animal (2023)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Animal (2023) poster. Ranbir Kapoor as Ranvijay stands against a light blue background. He wears a navy-blue suit, gold sunglasses and a silver watch. He has a lit cigarette in his mouth and is holding a lighter in his hands. He is looking determinedly off to the right of the image.

Animal (2023) © T-Series / Bhadrakali Pictures

Director: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Ranbir Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Rashmika Mandanna, Triptii Dimri
Production Company: Bhadrakali Pictures, Cine1 Studios, T-Series
Kent Locations Used: Knowlton Court

Animal (2023) is an Indian Hindi-language film, depicting the fractured relationship between a father and son.

Directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga (Kabir Singh, Arjun Reddy), the film stars Ranbir Kapoor (Rockstar, Wake Up Sid) as Ranvijay Singh, Anil Kapoor (Mubarakan (2017), Pagalpanti (2019)) as Balbir Singh, Bobby Deol (Barsaat, Aashram) as Abrar ul Haque, Rashmika Mandanna (Pushpa: The Rise – Part 1, Mission Majnu) as Ranvijay’s wife Gettanjali and Triptii Dimri (Bulbbul, Qala) as Zoya Riaz.

A dramatic face-off scene between Abrar and Vijay was shot at Knowlton Court in Canterbury.

Set in a nineteen-hundred-acre estate and surrounded by beautiful parkland, Knowlton Court is a magnificent historic home with a Great Hall, French and Flemish tapestries and a carved stone fireplace. The house is Elizabethan and the front façade is Queen Ann. Other productions to have filmed at Knowlton Court include The Serial Killer’s Wife (2023), Jagame Thandhiram (2021) and The Tunnel: Sabotage (2016).

Animal (2023) was released in UK cinemas on Friday 1st December 2023.

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

Jagame Thandhiram (2021)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Actor Dhanush with brown hair and a beard is shown flipping a pancake in a kitchen, wearing a red shirt. The movie title Jagame Thandhiram and ‘coming soon’ Netflix is printed on a black background to the right of the actor.

Dhanush in Jagame Thandhiram (2021) © IMDb

Writer: Nick Bain
Director: Karthik Subbaraj
Starring: James Cosmo, Dhanush, Aishwarya Lekshmi
Production Company: Reliance Entertainment
Kent Locations Used: Faversham, Chillenden Windmill, Herne Bay, Knowlton Court, Ramsgate

Jagame Thandhiram (2021) is a Tamil action thriller about an Indian gangster who is hired by a UK gang to take down their competition. When he betrays their trust, however, the gang seeks revenge.

The film was written by Nick Bain (The Man Who Knew Infinity, The Boabab Boys) and directed by Karthik Subbaraj (Petta, Jigarthanda).

The cast is led by Dhanush (Vada Chennai, Raanjhanaa) as the Indian gangster Suruli, and is supported by Aishwarya Lekshmi (Varathan, Mayaanadhi) as Attila his love interest, and Game of Thrones actor James Cosmo (Highlander, His Dark Materials) as Peter Sprott, the leader of the UK gang.

The production filmed several day and night scenes in the centre of Faversham where they converted various shops, set up a street market and staged a large dance sequence. Production also filmed at Iron Wharf in Faversham, which doubles as a boatyard for a scene where the two rival gangs fight and Suruli kills Rajan (Muthukumar).  The exterior of St Mary of Charity church in Faversham is where Suruli tells Attila that he loves her.

Driving scenes were staged around Chillenden Windmill near Canterbury, including a snowy scene on Goodnestone Road where Suruli’s gang kill the opposing gang members and capture John (Roman Fiori).

Herne Bay Pier, Neptune Arm and the Promenade provided the location for a wedding scene, and The King’s Hall doubles as the bar where the two rival gangs have their first battle and Sivadoss’ (Joju George) gang is slain.

Filming also took place at Knowlton Court country estate near Canterbury in both the house and on estate lands., which doubles in the film for Peter Sprott’s manor house. The Church at Knowlton Court features in a funeral dance scene.

Ramsgate also features in the film. A house on Belle Alliance Square doubles as Attila’s house which Peter’s gang shoot at in order to bribe Suruli to go to Birmingham to carry out a job. The Port of Ramsgate doubles as a Marina where Peter’s gang plan a raid, and the opening scene of the film features a refugee boat being captured in the English Channel, which was filmed just off the coast.

Faversham is a beautiful historic market town in the Swale Borough of Kent. The historic town boasts over 500 listed buildings. Previous productions in the town include Bollywood film Pagalpanti (2019) and Walks With My Dog (2017).

Herne Bay is a seaside town which has a pier and shingle beach and is set just outside of the historic City of Canterbury. Previous productions which have filmed in the area include The 1900 Island – Series 1 (2019) and Blue Planet UK – Series 1 (2019).

Chillenden Windmill is a Grade ll listed building and distinctive local landmark, standing on an exposed site at Goodnestone, Dover. The windmill is on high open ground with fine views to Knowlton Court to the east and Ramsgate to the north. It is also situated on a circular walk taking in Chillenden, Rowling and Goodnestone.

Knowlton Court is a much-loved family home within a stunning and extensive country estate of over 1,900 acres nestled in the heart of Kent. Described as a ‘timeless work of Tudor history’, Knowlton was built in 1585 and has sweeping tree-lined driveway and seven holiday cottages. The Tunnel: Sabotage (2016) filmed here and the main hall is now available for weddings and events.

Ramsgate, located in the district of Thanet, is a thriving seaside town with beautiful Georgian terraced housing, Marina, Port and Promenade. Previous TV productions which filmed here include Baptiste (2019) and The Tunnel: Vengeance (2017).

Jagame Thandhiram will be released on Netflix on Friday 18th June 2021.

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

The Tunnel: Sabotage (2016)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Stephen Dillane and Clémence Poésy walking along a beach towards the camera away from a burning plane

The Tunnel Sabotage Stephen Dillane and Clémence Poésy © Sky Kudos CANAL+

Writer: Ben Richards

Starring: Stephen Dillane, Clémence Poésy, Angel Coulby, Emilia Fox, Clarke Peters, Paul Schneider, William Ash

Production Company: Kudos Film and Television, Shine France

Kent Locations Used: Euro Tunnel, Folkestone Harbour, Discovery Park, Folkestone, Deal and Deal Pier, Dover including the Port and Dover Castle, Westwood Industrial Estate Margate, Ramsgate, Botany Bay – Broadstairs, The Barn in Upstreet, St Martin’s Hospital, Knowlton Court and many more.

The Tunnel: Sabotage is the second series of Sky Atlantic’s critically acclaimed show, re-uniting unlikely Anglo-French detective duo Karl Roebuck (Stephen Dillane) and Elise Wasserman (Clémence Poésy) on another intense investigation.

While series one was a re-imagining of Scandinavian drama “The Bridge”, the new series is an original story by Ben Richards (Outcasts, Spooks) and kicks off with two seemingly isolated events: a plane crashing into the Channel, killing everyone on board and a French couple abducted from the Eurotunnel.

Elise Wasserman (Clémence Poésy), having been promoted to French Commander, is reunited with DCI Karl Roebuck (Dillane) to investigate the two cases. The cross border teams follow a shocking trail of devastation as the victims mount up and become embroiled in a terrifying, deadly game.

The gripping eight part thriller is a Sky Atlantic and Canal+ co-production, made by Kudos and Shine Films France. Joining The Tunnel’s acclaimed production team for the second series are director Mike Barker (Broadchurch, The Smoke) and producer Julian Stevens (Hustle, The Fall).

Stephen Dillane (King Arthur, Game of Thrones) and Clémence Poésy (127 Hours, In Bruges) return in the lead roles, supported by Angel Coulby (Merlin, The Jacket), and new to series two, Emilia Fox (Silent Witness, The Wrong Mans), Clarke Peters (Notting Hill, The Wire), Paul Schneider (Parks and Recreation, The Newsroom) and William Ash (Waterloo Road, Shameless).

The hit first series was largely filmed in Kent and the county welcomed The Tunnel: Sabotage production team once again to their base at Discovery Park in Sandwich. Filming took place in a number of East Kent locations between April and July 2015 including:

Canterbury: The Barn in Upstreet, St Martin’s Hospital, Knowlton Court

Dover: Discovery Park, Deal and Deal Pier, the town of Dover, Port of Dover, Inn and Hotel, Deal, Sandwich Marina, Dover Castle – Admiral’s lookout

Shepway: Euro Tunnel, the town of Folkestone, Folkestone Harbour

Thanet: set building in a warehouse on Westwood Industrial Estate in Margate, Botany Bay and the towns of Ramsgate and Margate

East Kent is ideally situated with great transport links both to London and Europe. The area boasts a wealth of locations including industrial as well as historic buildings and beautiful coastal landscapes. East Kent has previously featured on screen in many projects such as Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Edge of Heaven (2014), The Honourable Woman (2014), Sherlock Holmes – A Game of Shadows (2011), Great Expectations (2011/2012), On A Clear Day (2005) and Die Another Day (2002).

Don’t miss the much anticipated return of The Tunnel: Sabotage which starts on Tuesday 12th April 2016 at 21:00 on Sky Atlantic. The whole series will also be available on Sky Box Sets from this date.

 

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