Sevenoaks

Flesh and Blood (2020)

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The main 8 cast members sitting on a bench on the beach posing for the camera with the sea behind.

Flesh and Blood (2020) © ITV

Director: Louise Hooper
Writer: Sarah Williams
Starring: Russell Tovey, Claudie Blakley, Lydia Leonard, Francesca Annis, Stephen Rea, Imelda Staunton
Production Company: ITV
Kent Locations Used: Farningham near Sevenoaks, Greatstone Beach (Romney Sands)

Flesh and Blood (2020), a new four-part series for ITV, is a modern story of three adult siblings, exploring universal themes of relationships, trust, loyalty and love against in aftermath of a tragic crime.

Russell Tovey, (Years and Years), Claudie Blakley (Manhunt) and Lydia Leonard (Gentleman Jack) lead the cast as the siblings Jake, Helen and Natalie. The series also stars Francesca Annis (King of Thieves) as their recently widowed mother with Stephen Rea (Dickensian) as her new love interest and Imelda Staunton (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1) as their neighbour.

Also joining the cast are Sharon Small (Trust Me), Lara Rossi (Cheat), Keir Charles (Love Actually), Vincent Regan (Victoria), David Bamber (Valkyrie), Stephanie Langton (Ransom) and Clara Indrani (Vera).

The drama was created and written by Kent resident Sarah Williams, whose previous credits include The Long Song, Case Sensitive and Poppy Shakespeare. Flesh and Blood is directed by BAFTA nominee Louise Hooper (Cheat, Cold Feet).

During filming production visited Farningham, near Sevenoaks, to film The Manor on the High Street as three separate location. Farningham nestles on the old London to Folkestone Road astride the River Darent. Scheduled as a Conservation Area, it includes many notable buildings and historic sites, including Farningham Mill, the site of a Roman villa and Farningham Woods SSSI and Nature Reserve.

Production also visited Greatstone Beach (Romney Sands) during filming. Greatstone is part of 26 miles of beaches in the Folkestone and Hythe District and the Dunes and Beach between Littlestone-on Sea and Lydd-on-Sea, often also referred to as Romney Sands is an area of SSSI.

Flesh and Blood will air on ITV over four consecutive nights starting on Monday 24th February 2020 at 9pm.

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

Great British Railway Journeys Series 11 (2020)

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Michael Portillo standing on a train platform with tracks in the background, wearing a blue top and pink blazer. He's smiling at the camera holding a book.

Michael Portillo in Great British Railway Journeys Series 11 © BBC

Director: Titus Ogilvy
Starring: Michael Portillo
Production Company: Boundless West
Kent Locations Used: Canterbury, Maidstone, Chartwell House in Westerham

Great British Railway Journeys (2010-) is a documentary series in which Michael Portillo travels the length and breadth of the country by train referring to his 1930s Bradshaw’s Guide stopping at places of interest.

Produced by Boundless West for the BBC, the episode is directed by Titus Ogilvy with John Comerford as Executive Producer.

In episode 11 Michael Portillo takes a journey from Canterbury to Alexandra Palace exploring the east of England in the inter-war period. Beginning in Canterbury, Michael treads the boards as he uncovers the political message behind a play published in 1936 ABOUT the 12th-century murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket.

In Maidstone, Michael learns of the international origins of the most British symbol of remembrance at the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal before paying his respects at a war memorial based on London’s Cenotaph.

Michael stopped off in Sevenoaks and travelled to nearby Westerham where he visited the country home of one of his political heroes, Sir Winston Churchill and discovers how the 1930s were wilderness years at Chartwell.

Canterbury is a vibrant City that offers a variety of locations ranging from the modern day city, parks and open spaces, historic streets and the world heritage site of Canterbury Cathedral. Canterbury is a popular filming location and has previously been used as a location for filming for Britain’s Christmas Story (2019) and Britain’s Great Cathedrals with Tony Robinson (2018).

As the county town of Kent Maidstone plays an important part in Kent’s history. The River Medway runs though the town centre linking it with other towns such as Rochester and Chatham. The Borough of Maidstone is a popular town for filming, previous productions include Celebrity Antiques Road Show – Series 8 (2018)  and popular Netflix show Black Mirror.

Chartwell House, Churchill’s former home. Set in delightful gardens, Chartwell is a National Trust property in Westerham, just outside Sevenoaks, and the rooms remain much as they were when Churchill lived there. Chartwell has previously been used as a film location by productions such as Flog It! (2014) and feature film Darkest Hour (2018).

Episode 11 Canterbury to Alexandra Palace airs on BBC Two at 6:30pm on Monday 20th January 2020.

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

Escape to the Perfect Town – Series 1 (2019)

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Images of a row of colourful houses on a street with blue sky.

Series poster for Escape to the Perfect Town ©BBC

Starring: Jonnie Irwin
Production Company: Boundless Productions
Kent Locations Used: Sevenoaks Town Centre

Escape to the Perfect Town (2019-), commissioned by the BBC, is a brand-new daytime television programme which seeks to help prospective property buyers find their dream homes in Britain’s top market towns.

Presented by Jonnie Irwin, known for hosting similar property programmes Escape to the Country and A Place in the Sun, the show will follow the journey of individuals looking for a fresh start; whether it be to escape city life, set up their family home, relocate for work or perhaps, find more space and a better quality of life.

In this series, traditional market towns from all over the country will be explored, including Sevenoaks in western Kent, where filming took partly in the town centre.

The town centre of Sevenoaks is comprised of small, picturesque alleyways that are abundant with specialist and independent shops alongside popular high street and designer brands. It is also home to Nevill Ground, one of the oldest cricket grounds in the country. That said, the district in its entirety has the added advantage of being just a stone’s throw from London. An area nestled in the heart of the Kentish countryside; it is steeped in history with numerous attractions for visitors. Sevenoaks has been previously used as a filming location by production companies such as Four in a Bed (2018) and Antiques Road Show – Ightham Mote (2017).

Further filming for the series also took place in Tunbridge Wells, a popular filming location which has previously featured on Celebrity Antiques Road Show (2018).

The series aired on BBC One in October 2019.

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

Making Noise Quietly (2019)

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Two young men walking through a field talking to each other. Both wearing period clothing and the one on the left is walking with his bike.

Making Noise Quietly ©Open Palm Films

Director: Dominic Dromgoole
Writers: Nick Drake, Mark Rosenblatt and based on the play by Robert Holman
Starring: Luke Thompson, Matthew Tennyson, Trystan Gravelle, Barbra Martin, Deborah Findlay
Production Company: Open Palm Films
Kent Locations Used: Hadlow College Farm Shop in Tonbridge & Malling and Ightham Mote, Sevenoaks

Making Noise Quietly (2019) is a trilogy showing the effects of war on the lives of ordinary people. The drama follows three main stories with the themes of friendship, grief and peace amid the ravages of war.

The first story is that of conscientious objector Oliver and painter Eric, meeting for a picnic in Kent in the summer of 1945. Over the course of the segment, the two begin to understand each other’s very different perspectives regarding the war.

Part two jumps forward in time to the Falklands war in 1982, when a naval officer visits a mother to tell her that her son has died in the conflict.

The third segment is centred on former soldier, Alan and his young son, Sam, as they meet concentration camp survivor Helene in the Black Forest of Germany in 1986.

This first-time feature film directed by Dominic Dromgoole (Shakespeare’s Globe: A Midsummer Night’s Dream). The Objector, Oliver, is played by Luke Thompson (Dunkirk, Kiss Me First (2018)) and his fried Eric is played by Matthew Tennyson (Pride, Shakespeare’s Globe: A Midsummer Night’s Dream). The naval officer played by Greggory Streatfield, (The Other Boleyn Girl, Kinky Boots) and the grieving mother May is played by Barbra Martin (Causality, Between Two Women). Helene, the concentration camp survivor is played by Deborah Findlay (Vanity Fair, Jane Eyre). The father is played by Trystan Gravelle (Anonymous, Mr Selfridge) and the film also introduces Orton O’Brien (Christopher Robin, MotherFatherSon) as his young son.

The production filmed in Kent for the first segment of the film and transformed Hadlow College Farm Shop into a 1940’s shop, where Oliver and Eric visit in the film. It is situated in the district of Tonbridge & Malling and was home to the UK’s leading land-based agricultural college. Past productions which filmed here include Horizon: My Amazing Brain – Richard’s War (2018) and Harry Potter: A History of Magic (2017).

Production also filmed at Ightham Mote which is a 14th century moated manor house located in Sevenoaks and was owned by medieval knights, courtiers to Henry VIII as well as high-society Victorians. Sevenoaks with its many stately homes is a popular filming location and hosted productions like Mary Queen of Scots (2019) and Vanity Fair (2018).

Making Noise Quietly first screened at the Lake’s Main House theatre on Sunday 1st July 2018 to raise money for the theatre’s work with young people. It was released in UK cinemas on Friday 19th July 2019.

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

De De Pyaar De (2019)

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Ashish Mehra (Ajay Deygn) seen standing in a club with some girls standing at either side of him.

Ashish Mehra (Ajay Deygn) in De De Pyaar De ©IMDb

Writer: Surabhi Bhatnagar, Tarun Jain, Luv Ranjan
Director: Akiv Ali
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Rakul Preet Singh
Production Company: Luv Films, T-Series
Kent Locations Used: Castle Farm Lavender in Sevenoaks and Leeds Castle in Maidstone

De De Pyaar De (2019) is a hit Hindi romantic comedy feature film. The film centres on Ashish Mehra (Ajay Deygn), a single father and business man from London who falls in love with a younger woman, Ayesha Khurana (Rakul Preet Singh), much to the disapproval of his family and ex-wife.

The film was directed by Akiv Ali, and written by Surabhi Bhatnagar (Judwaa 2, Mubarakan),  Tarun Jain,(Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2, Life Sahi Hai) and Luv Ranjan (Dev.D, Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety). It stars Ajay Devgn (Simmba, Raid) and Rakul Preet Singh (NGK, Dev).

Some scenes in the film were shot at Castle Farm Lavender in Sevenoaks. The farm was used for a motorcycle driving scene, and the half-timbered Kentish barn at the farm was converted into a motorcycle shed for a BBQ and dance scene. Filming also took place at Leeds Castle in Maidstone.

Leeds Castle is a historic castle in Maidstone, with over 500 acres of land, including gardens, mazes and woodlands. The castle has been previously used in productions such as Rustom (2016) and The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses (2016).

Castle Farm is a farm in Sevenoaks, with the historic timber framed farmhouse, surrounded by lavender fields. Previous filming has also taken place at Sevenoaks, including Mary Queen of Scots (2019) and The Favourite (2019).

The film was released on Friday 17th May 2019 in UK cinemas.

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

Mary Queen of Scots (2018)

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Margot Robbie in Mary Queen of Scots seen standing in the dark in a long grey dress, with a maid at each side dressed in the same grey colour.

Margot Robbie in Mary Queen of Scots ©Universal Pictures

Writer: Beau Willimon
Director: Josie Rourke
Starring: Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie
Production Company: Universal Pictures International
Kent Locations Used: Penshurst Place

Historical drama Mary Queen of Scots is based on John Guy’s book ‘Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart’ and tells the story of Mary Stuart (Saoirse Ronan), Queen of France, who becomes widowed at 18, defies pressures to remarry and instead, returns to her native Scotland to reclaim her throne. However, when Mary’s attempt to overthrow her cousin Elizabeth I, Queen of England (Margot Robbie), fails, she is condemned to years of imprisonment before finally facing execution.

The film was directed by Josie Rourke and written by Beau Willimon and  stars Saoirse Ronan (The Lovely Bones, Brooklyn) and Margot Robbie (Wolf of Wall Street, The Legend of Tarzan).

Filming took place at Penshurst Place in Sevenoaks, with lead actress Saoirse Ronan featuring in scenes set in the Baron’s Hall and the Inner Courtyard. The medieval Baron’s Hall also features at the start of the official trailer as a backdrop for Mary’s execution. The solemn procession of spectators waiting to witness Queen Mary’s execution was staged in the Inner Courtyard.

Penshurst Place is a 14th Century Manor House with preserved interiors, including the unique medieval Baron’s Hall as well as eleven acres of Elizabethan walled gardens. Previous productions using this location were The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses (2016), Wolf Hall (2015), and The Other Boleyn Girl (2008).

Mary Queen of Scots will be released in UK Cinemas on Friday 18th January 2019.

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

Black Earth Rising (2018)

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Black Earth Rising Series Poster Image- main character in a dress staring up at the sky on a dirt track with foliage either side.

Black Earth Rising Series ©BBC Two

Writer: Hugo Blick

Director: Hugo Blick

Starring: Aure Atika, Abena Ayivor, Martin Bassindale

Production Company: Drama Republic BBC, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Drama Republic

Kent Locations Used: Sevenoaks

Black Earth Rising is an upcoming television drama series written and directed by Hugo Blick , who has written and directed this poignant new drama, tackling issues such as the relationship between contemporary Africa and the West and the prosecution of international war crimes.

Starring Aure Atika (In and Night, The night manager) as Sophie Barre, Abena Ayivor (Machine Gun Preacher, The dinosaur Project) as Bibi Mundanzi, Martin Bassindale (Holmes and Watson, Endeavour) as Peter.

The production visited  a private residence in Sevenoaks whose swimming pool doubled for a Spa hotel in Paris. Sevenoaks has been a popular filming location and previously featured in BBC’s popular ‘Who Do You Think You Are’ in 2014, the latest series of Vanity Fair in 2018, and Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year in 2017.

The six part series will air on Monday 10th September 2018 at 9pm on BBC Two.

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. 

 

 

 

Queen of Spain (2018)

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Two young boys stand in an english garden with a manor house behind. They are stood with bicycles and a butterfly net

Queen of Spain © Theo Lowenstein

Writer: Stephen Lowenstein and Greer Ellison
Director: Stephen Lowenstein
Starring: Miles Richardson, Jordan Long, Karen Lewis
Production Company: Blue Shadows Films, I Spy Films
Kent Locations Used: Hartlip Place in Sittingbourne, Barrows Antiques in Faversham, Queendown Warren in Sittingbourne

Queen of Spain is a coming of age story set in the world of butterfly collectors on the eve of the First World War. A thirteen-year-old boy spots one of the rarest butterfly species ever to be seen on the British Isles.

Queen of Spain is a short drama starring Miles Richardson (Peterloo (2018), The Crown (2016-2020)), Jordan Long (The Nevers (2021), Temple (2021)) and Karen Lewis-Attenborough (Grange Hill, The Bill). The story is by Stephen Lowenstein and was developed by Greer Ellison.

Various scenes for Queen of Spain were filmed around Kent; Georgian house Hartlip Place in Sittingbourne was used to shoot its mature garden as well as a private residence in the area for some interior scenes. Barrows Antiques in Faversham features in a small yet poignant scene where a confrontation takes place between the protagonist and the local butcher boy, who has “abducted” his butterfly. Queen Down Warren in Sittingbourne was chosen for its beautiful woods and wild flower meadow paths, which feature with the protagonist hunting butterflies.

Faversham is a beautiful historic market town in the Swale Borough of Kent. The historic town boasts over 500 listed buildings and there are many beautiful walks the picturesque countryside has to offer. Previous productions in the town include Hetty Feather Series 3 (2017) and Walks With My Dog (2017).

Sittingbourne, also in the Swale district, offers town areas, flat open landscapes and beautiful beach areas. Southcliffe (2013), Great Expectations (2012) and The Sweeney (2012) have previously been filmed in Swale.

Queen of Spain is due to be released in the UK on 25 February 2018.

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

Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year (2017)

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Frank Skinner and Joan Bakewell standing in lavender field looking up

Landscape Artist of the Year – Joan Bakewell & Frank Skinner – © Sky UK Limited.

Director: Southan Morris

Starring: Joan Bakewell and Frank Skinner

Production Company: Storyvault Films

Kent Locations Used: Castle Farm

Sky Art’s annual TV competition, which inspired British TV personality and host of the show Frank Skinner to attend art school, is returning to our screens.  The successful winner of Landscape Artist of the Year 2017 will receive a £10,000 commission for a British Institution’s permanent art collection and £500 of art materials from Cass Art.

The show visits a series of stunning locations around the UK and for the semi-finals, the competition filmed at Castle Farm Lavender, located in Shoreham, Sevenoaks. The remaining contestants battle it out to paint the stunning setting of Castle Farm which is within the largest lavender field in the UK. Visitors to the farm were invited to come along and support the artists when the episode was being filmed. Castle Farm has also previously featured in the psychological thriller Road Games (2016).

This episode of Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year airs on Wednesday 29th November at 8pm on Sky Arts.

 

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