Medway

Enola Holmes 2 (2022)

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Henry Cavill as Sherlock Holmes, Millie Bobby Brown as Enola Holmes and Louis Partridge as Viscount Tewkesbury stand inside a dark wooden building. Enola is holding a scrap of parchment paper and all three are looking off to the right inquisitively. Cavill wears a white shirt and a black cape-style coat, Partridge wears a white shirt, grey waistcoat and green coat, and Brown wears an old-fashioned style blue dress with gold buttons and a blue bow in her hair.

Henry Cavill, Millie Bobby Brown and Louis Partridge in Enola Holmes 2 (2022) © Netflix

Director: Harry Bradbeer
Writer: Jack Thorne, Nancy Springer
Starring: Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Helena Bonham Carter, Louis Partridge
Production Companies: Legendary Entertainment, Netflix, PCMA Productions
Kent Locations Used: The Historic Dockyard Chatham

Based on the mystery novels by Nancy Springer, young detective Enola Holmes makes her return in Enola Holmes 2 (2022), where she takes the lead in her first missing person case. Once again, she will need to team up with her friends and older brother, Sherlock, to try to unravel the mysteries of the seedy London underworld.

Directed by Harry Bradbeer (Killing Eve (2018-2022), Fleabag) and adapted for the screen by Jack Thorne (The Aeronauts (2019), Wonder), Enola Holmes 2 stars Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things, Godzilla vs. Kong) as the titular character Enola Holmes, Henry Cavill (The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015), Man of Steel) as her older brother Sherlock Holmes, Helena Bonham Carter (Les Misérables (2013), The Crown (2016-2023)) as her mother Eudoria Holmes and Louis Partridge (Pistol (2022), Medici) as Viscount Tewkesbury.

From September to November 2021, production was based at The Historic Dockyard in Chatham, where they filmed a variety of scenes in the Ropery complex of buildings.

The Historic Dockyard Chatham is one of Kent’s most popular filming locations. Set on the River Medway, the Dockyard spans over 80 acres, containing over 100 buildings dating from the Georgian and Victorian periods. Other recent productions to have filmed at the Dockyard include Series 1 of Bridgerton (2020), Summerland (2020) and Operation Mincemeat (2022).

Enola Holmes 2 was released on Netflix on Friday 4th November 2022.

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

Operation Mincemeat (2022)

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The three actors pictured left to right are Matthew Macfadyen, Colin Firth and Johnny Flynn are dressed in Naval uniform and pose in front of a large Naval building. They carry brown leather satchels

Operation Mincemeat (2022) © Warner Bros / Netflix

Director: John Madden
Writers: Michelle Ashford, Ben Macintyre
Starring: Colin Firth, Matthew Macfadyen, Johnny Flynn, Kelly Macdonald
Production Company: See-Saw Films
Kent Locations Used: The Historic Dockyard Chatham

Operation Mincemeat (2022) is a drama set during World War Two. The film is based on the true story on how British intelligence officers pulled off one of the most successful wartime deceptions of Nazi Germany.

The film was written by Michelle Ashford (The Pacific, Boomtown) and is based on the book by Ben Macintyre. Stars of the film include Colin Firth (Kingsman: The Secret Service, Pride and Prejudice) as Ewen Montagu, Matthew Macfadyen (The Current War (2019), Churchills Secret) as Charles Cholmondeley, Johnny Flynn (Vanity Fair (2018), Stardust, The Dig) as James Bond author Ian Fleming and Kelly Macdonald (Line of Duty, The Victim) as Jean Leslie. Supporting cast includes Penelope Wilton (Downton Abbey (2010-2013), Summerland (2020)) and Alex Jennings (The Crown Series 1 – 6 (2016-2023), The Halcyon (2017)).

Production visited The Historic Dockyard Chatham to film on HMS Cavalier and at Anchor Wharf. HMS Cavalier is hard to spot, but it features at the beginning and end of the film in a sequence where the Allied forces are approaching the coast of Sicily.  Anchor Wharf doubles as the R.N. Submarine Base at Holy Loch, where Charles (Matthew Macfadyen) tells Ewen (Colin Firth) that he is going to travel with the dead body to Spain.

Set on the River Medway The Historic Dockyard Chatham was once an active Royal Navy shipyard and is a popular Kent filming location, especially for period dramas looking for London street doubles. Previous WWII-based productions to film at the Dockyard include Summerland (2020), World On Fire (2019) and Red Joan (2019).

Operation Mincemeat was released in UK cinemas on Tuesday 15th April 2022.

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

Pennyworth Series 1 – 2 (2019 – 2021)

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Alfred Pennyworth points a gun on this poster image with a montage of characters in the background. Red backdrop with faint image of castle in the background

Pennyworth (2019–2021 ) ©IMDb

Creator / Writer: Bruno Heller
Directors: Danny Cannon, Rob Bailey, Bill Eagles, Jon East, Clare Kilner, China Moo-Young
Starring: Jack Bannon, Ben Aldridge, Hainsley Lloyd Bennett, Paloma Faith
Production Company: Warner Bros
Kent Locations Used: The Historic Dockyard Chatham

Pennyworth (2019-2021) tells the origin story of Alfred Pennyworth a former special‑forces soldier living in London in the 1960s and how he came to work for Bruce Wayne’s father, Thomas Wayne.

This TV series for Starzplay was created by Bruno Heller and co-written by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, Danny Cannon and Seth Sinclair. Pennyworth was directed by a collaboration of directors Danny Cannon, Rob Bailey, Bill Eagles, Jon East, Clare Kilner and China Moo-Young.

Jack Bannon (The Imitation Game, Fury, Endeavour) stars as Alfred Pennyworth with co-star Ben Aldridge (Our Girl, Fleabag, Toast) playing Thomas Wayne. Pennyworth also stars Hainsley Lloyd Bennett (King of Crime, Catastrophe), Ryan Fletcher (Beats, Outlander) and singer songwriter Paloma Faith (Peter & Wendy, Doctor Parnassus).

During Series One production visited The Historic Chatham Dockyard for filming where exterior scenes were shot around the Ropery, including a chase scene on the roof, Old Pay Office, Admiral’s Office and Anchor Wharf to stand in as 1960s London.

During Series Two production visited former MOD site Lodge Hill in Rochester, Medway to shoot some scenes.

Chatham is home to one of Kent’s most popular film locations The Historic Dockyard Chatham. The Medway area has previously been seen on screen in The Third Day (2020), Great British Railway Journeys Series 11 (2020) and Call the Midwife Series 1 – 13 (2012 – 2024).

The Historic Chatham Dockyard is a historic tourist attraction on the site of a former Royal Naval Dockyard and has been the location for several recent productions set in the 1950s and 1960s including Call the Midwife (2012-2024) and The Crown (2016-2023). Lodge Hill in Rochester is a huge former MOD site of around 350 hectares offering numerous large warehouses, hard standing for set builds, two lakes, a helicopter landing area and miles of country roads and dirt tracks for driving sequences.

Pennyworth Series One was released on Starzplay on 25th October 2019.

Series Two was released on Sunday 28th February 2021.

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

Summerland (2020)

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Alice (Gemma Arterton) laying on the grass with a book smiling at the camera with white cliffs as a backdrop.

Gemma Arterton in Summerland (2020) © Michael Wharley Flying Castles Ltd

Writer: Jessica Swale
Director: Jessica Swale
Starring: Gemma Arterton, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Penelope Wilton, Tom Courtenay
Production Company: British Film Institute, Quickfire Films
Kent Locations Used: The Historic Dockyard Chatham, Dover Castle

Set during WWII, Summerland (2020) is a period drama from writer and first time director Jessica Swale (Horrible Histories: The Movie – Rotten Romans, Leading Lady Parts) which tells the story of reclusive writer Alice (Gemma Arterton) as she learns to open her heart to Frank (Lucas Bond), a young Blitz evacuee.

This BFI and Quickfire Films production features Gemma Arterton (St. Trinian’s, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time ) as Alice , Lucas Bond as Frank (The Cleansing Hour, The Miniaturist) alongside other cast members Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Belle 2013), Concussion 2015), Penelope Wilton (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel , Shaun of the Dead) and Tom Courtenay (Doctor Zhivago, 45 Years).

Production for Swale’s directorial feature film debut visited The Historic Dockyard Chatham, making use of multiple areas at the location including; the exterior of the Captain’s House, Officers’ Terrace, Old Pay Office, Sail and Colour Loft and the Fitted Rigging House cellars on Anchor Wharf. The exterior of the medieval Dover Castle makes a small cameo in the film in a dream-like scene.

Set on the River Medway The Historic Dockyard Chatham was once an active Royal Navy shipyard and is a popular Kent filming location, especially for period dramas looking for London street doubles. Recent productions include Hetty Feather (2015-2020), Call the Midwife (2012-2020) and Pagalpanti (2019).

Dover Castle towers above Dover town, signalling Dover’s strategic importance in the defence of the country in World War Two. Other feature films shot at Dover Castle include Christopher Robin (2018), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) and Into the Woods (2015).

Summerland was released in UK cinemas and Amazon Prime Video Cinema on Friday 31st July 2020.

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

Farming (2019)

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Image of young Nigerian man (leader) standing outside, with his white skinhead gang standing behind him.

Movie Poster for Farming ©IMDb

Writer: Adewale Akinnuage – Agbaje
Director: Adewale Akinnuage – Agbaje
Starring: Kate Beckinsdale, Gugu Mbath-lraw and Adewale Akinnuage- Agbaje
Production Company: Groundswell Production
Kent Locations Used: The Historic Dockyard Chatham, Gillingham

Farming (2019) takes the audience on a journey through childhood memories of the film’s director Adewale Akinnuage-Agbaje, who, as a young Nigerian boy, was given to a white British family by his own parents in the hope of a better future. However, tables turn as he goes on to become the feared leader of a white skinhead gang.

Farming stars actor turned director Adewale Akinnuage – Agbaje (Suicide Squad, Watership Down) as Femi, Kate Beckinsale (Pearl Harbor, Underworld: Blood Wars) as Ingrid Carpenter, Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Black Mirror, Belle) as Ms. Dapo, and Jaime Winstone (Love, Rosie, Tomb Raider) as Lynn.

There were two Kent locations used in Farming. At the first, The Historic Dockyard Chatham, various areas such as at The Joiner’s Shop, House Carpenters Shop, and the rear of The Smithery, Ropery and Anchor Wharf were used.

Production also visited a jewellery shop in Gillingham for some further scenes.

The Historic Dockyard Chatham, spans over 80 Acres, with over 100 buildings and structures dating back to the Georgian and Victorian era. The dockyard has previously featured in productions such as Yardie (2018) and Level Up (2016).

Gillingham is also located in the district of Medway.

The film will be released in UK cinemas on Friday 11th October 2019.

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

Vanity Fair (2018)

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Poster for Vanity Fair series- women in long red dress sat on a gold chair with her feet up on a globe model.

Poster for Vanity Fair series ©ITV Studio

 

Writer:  Gwyneth Hughes

Director: James Strong

Starring: Olivia Cooke, Suranne Jones, Martin Clunes

Production Company: Mammoth Screen

Kent Locations Used: Deal, Dover, Sevenoaks and Medway

This new ITV series is an adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray’s classic Victorian novel Vanity Fair. Set in the time of the Napoleonic wars, it follows the life of a beautiful and determined woman named Becky Sharp (Olivia Cooke) as she attempts to claw her way out of poverty and climb straight to the top of 19th century English Society.

Starring Olivia Cooke (Ready Player One, Bates Motel) as the antihero Becky Sharp, Suranne Jones (Doctor Foster, Scott and Bailey) as Miss Pinkerton, Martin Clunes (Doc Martin, Men Behaving Badly) as Sir Pitt Crawley, Michael Palin (Monty Python, Remember Me) as Thackeray, Tom Bateman (Snatched, Into The Dark) as Captain Rawdon Crawley.

A cottage on Chevening House Estate was used for filming and featured as Rawdons’ (Tom Bateman) Cottage. This location is situated at the foot of the North Downs in Sevenoaks with extensive parkland surrounding it. It is set aside for official Government business.

A scene on the promenade, featuring soldiers and horses was filmed outside the Royal Hotel in Deal. The town is situated on the South Coast of Kent and has a longstanding naval history as one of the major Cinque Ports and many period features remain.

Squerryes Court in Sevenoaks was also used for filming Miss Pinkertons’ (Suranne Jones) school interiors. This location is a beautiful 17th century manor house which has been in the residence of the Warde family since 1731. It is surrounded with 20 acres of attractive and historic gardens which includes a lake and 18th century dovecote. Previous films that have used this location are The Hollow Crown: Henry V (2012) and The Boat that Rocked (2009).

The Historic Chatham Dockyard was also used. Production filmed various London street scenes outside the Ropery, as well as Anchor Wharf for an embarkation to France and the interior of Commissioners House. The Historic Chatham Dockyard built many ships for the Royal Navy over the last 400 years, including HMS Victory, and it is the home of the Royal Rope Makers, having produced ropes since 1618. It is a popular filming location which offers many period locations, authentic cobbled streets and three historic warships. The Dockyard has previously been featured in films such as Suffragette (2015) and Mr Turner (2014).

Vanity Fair begins on 2nd September 2018 at 9pm on ITV, with episode two airing the next day, on Monday (3rd September 2018). It will then continue for 5 Sunday nights at 9pm.

 

 

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

 

 

 

New Blood (2016)

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New Blood written in balck, Stefan (MARK STREPAN) and Rash (BEN TAVASSOLI) headshots in front of a derelict landscape

New Blood Stefan (MARK STREPAN), Rash (BEN TAVASSOLI) © BBC / 11th Hour Films

Director: Anthony Philipson

Starring: Mark Strepan, Ben Tavassoli, Ariyon Bakare, Dorian Lough, Rachel Palmer, Aiysha Hart, Matt Bardock, Mark Bonnar, Mandana Jones

Production company: Eleventh Hour Films

Kent Locations Used: the M2 and Medway Services

New Blood is a new, seven part investigative drama, created and written by bestselling author Anthony Horowitz (Foyle’s War, Collision). The story follows Stefan (Mark Strepan) and Rash (Ben Tavassoli) who are junior investigators for the Serious Fraud Office and the police respectively, brought together by two seemingly unrelated cases.

The duo comes up against the rich and powerful as well as criminals who hide behind legitimate facades and are guarded by lawyers. As their friendship grows, they understand that they make a formidable crime-solving team.

The series stars Mark Strepan (The Mill, Northmen – A Viking Saga), Ben Tavassoli (Tomorrow, Healey’s House), Ariyon Bakare (Doctors, The Dark Knight), Dorian Lough (Notting Hill, Far from the Madding Crowd), Aiysha Hart (Atlantis, Honour), Matt Bardock (Casualty, Sixty Six), Mark Bonnar (Casualty, Catastrophe) and Mandana Jones (Bad Girls Random Quest).

The production visited Kent in September 2015 to film driving sequences the M2 motorway as well as Medway services.

Medway is a group of towns set along the River Medway, steeped in history, particularly with Charles Dickens connections. Rochester City offers beautiful cobbled streets, parks as well as a Cathedral and castle. The Medway area has previously been used for filming by projects including Secret Britain (2016), Black Sea (2014) and The Mystery of Edwin Drood (2012).

New Blood will start Thursday June 9th 2016 at 21:00 on BBC One.

 

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

London Spy (2015)

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Danny (BEN WHISHAW), Alex (EDWARD HOLCROFT) standing in a tunnel

London Spy – Danny (BEN WHISHAW), Alex (EDWARD HOLCROFT) © BBC/WTTV Limited

Creator: Tom Rob Smith

Director: Jakob Verbruggen

Starring: Ben Whishaw, Jim Broadbent, Edward Holcroft, Charlotte Rampling

Production companies: Working Title Television, BBC America, NBC Universal, BBC

Kent Locations: Isle of Grain, Medway and Dartford Crossing – QEII Bridge

London Spy is a gripping BBC Two five-part miniseries about a young man Danny (Ben Whishaw) who finds himself drawn into a dangerous world of espionage when his spy partner is found dead under suspicious circumstances. Danny must decide whether he’s prepared to fight for the truth, even though he is ill-equipped to take on what lies ahead of him.

The spy thriller series was created by best-selling author Tom Rob Smith (Child 44) and directed by Jakob Verbruggen (The Fall, The Bridge, Code 37).

London Spy has an outstanding cast including Ben Whishaw (Skyfall, Cloud Atlas, I’m Not There), Jim Broadbent (The Iron Lady, Harry Potter, Moulin Rouge!), Edward Holcroft (Kingsman: The Secret Service, Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Wolf Hall) and Charlotte Rampling (Broadchurch, The Duchess, Never Let Me Go).

The production filmed on the Isle of Grain in Medway for two days in October 2014 which is seen in episode one where the countryside and coast feature where Alex (Edward Holcroft) and Danny get to know each other.

In episode two, the Dartford Crossing QEII Bridge can be seen in the background of Danny’s workplace.

The Isle of Grain is on the Hoo Peninsula in Medway and has marshland and the fort, Grain Battery Tower. The Medway area has featured on screen in productions including Mr Selfridge (2012-2015), Black Sea (2014) and The Mystery of Edwin Drood (2012)

Don’t miss London Spy which starts on Monday 9th November 2015 on BBC Two at 21:00.

 

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

Black Sea (2014)

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Jude Law sitting at a table with bars of gold in front of him.

Jude Law as submarine Captain Robinson © Universal, Alex Bailey, Focus Features.

Director: Kevin Macdonald

Writer: Dennis Kelly

Starring: Jude Law, Jodie Whittaker, Michael Smiley, Scoot McNairy, Ben Mendelsohn

Production company: Film4 Productions, Cowboy Films, Etalon Film

Kent locations: Black Widow Submarine, River Medway

Black Sea is an adventure thriller about a rogue submarine captain who brings together a misfit crew to seek out a sunken treasure rumoured to be lost in the depths of the Black Sea.

The film was written by Dennis Kelly (Utopia, Pulling), directed by Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland, Touching the Void) and stars a number of acting talents including Jude Law (Sherlock Holmes, Cold Mountain), Scoot McNairy (Argo, 12 Years a Slave), Ben Mendelsohn (The Dark Knight Rises, Killing Them Softly), Jodie Whittaker (Broadchurch, One Day) and Michael Smiley (The World’s End, The Other Boleyn Girl).

The Black Sea production team visited the Black Widow Submarine, which is moored in Strood on the River Medway in August 2013 to film submarine interiors.

The Black Widow is an ex Russian Foxtrot Submarine which was built in 1967 and was in active service until 1994. The submarine was also used in 2013 for the shooting of The Fitzroy, a black comedy about a leaky submarine hotel.

Strood is in the Medway towns and productions that have previously filmed in the area include Mr Turner (2014), The Mystery of Edwin Drood (2012) and The Golden Compass (2007).

Black Sea is released in cinemas on Friday 5th December 2014.

 

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

Spooks (2007) Series 6

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Actors Peter Firth, Hermione Norris and Rupert Penry-Jones wearing dark suits staring into the camera with a cracked glass effect behind them.

Peter Firth, Hermione Norris and Rupert Penry-Jones in Spooks ©BBC

 

Starring: Rupert Penry-Jones, Hermione Norris, Miranda Raison.

Production Company: BBC

Kent Locations Used: Medway Services, Cliffe

Spooks is a long running BBC One TV drama series following the work of the British MI5 agency. This fast-paced thriller sees the team trying to stop a rogue member of the Iranian intelligence who plans to unleash a deadly bioweapon.

Season 6 stars Rupert Penry-Jones (Stan Lee’s Lucky Man), Hermoine Norris (Cold Feet) and Miranda Raison (Murder on the Orient Express).

The production filmed scenes for Episode 8 “Infiltration” in rural locations around the village of Cliffe, near Rochester in Medway including fields and a railway bridge to stand in for rural East Anglia.

Medway has been featured in many productions, including Great Expectations (2012) and the TV series New Blood (2016).

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