The Larkins (2021-2022)

Posted on October 16, 2022 by Kent Film Office

Pop and Ma Larkin posing for a photo in front of a flowering hawthorne hedge. Bradley Walsh as Pop Larkin sits in a brown leather chair and wears a brown waistcoat and light blue shirt. Joanna Scanlan as Ma Larkin stands behind him, wearing a blue shirt and patterned apron.

Pop Larkin (Bradley Walsh) and Ma Larkin (Joanna Scanlan) in Series 2 of The Larkins © ITV Plc / Objective Fiction / Genial Productions

Writer / Creator: Simon Nye
Starring: Bradley Walsh, Joanna Scanlan, Sabrina Bartlett (Series 1), Joelle Rae (Series 2) Tok Stephen, Peter Davidson
Production Company: Objective Fiction, Genial Productions
Kent Locations Used: Viking Bay and Victoria Gardens – Broadstairs, Eynsford, Faversham, Stonepitts PYO Farm, Sundridge, Squerryes Court, Walpole Bay Hotel & Museum, Underriver, Chiddingstone, various undisclosed villages and farms in North Kent, Tonbridge Castle, Leigh, Sackville School, Canterbury prison

ITV’s The Larkins (2021-2022) returns for Series 2. The show is an adaptation of the five beloved HE Bates’ novels about the Larkins which began with The Darling Buds of May. The comedy drama series was written and created by Simon Nye (The Durrells, Finding Alice) and stars Bradley Walsh (Law & Order: UK, Coronation Street) as Pop Larkin, Joanna Scanlan (After Love (2021), Getting On) as Ma Larkin, Peter Davison (Call the Midwife (2012-2024), Doctor Who) as The Vicar, Sabrina Bartlett (Bridgerton (2020), Victoria) as Mariette Larkin (Series 1), Joelle Rae (Get Even) as Mariette Larkins (Series 2), and Tok Stephen as Cedric ‘Charley’ Charlton (Silent Witness, Grantchester).

Bradley Walsh takes on a role originally played by David Jason (Still Open All Hours, Only Fools and Horses) in The Darling Buds of May (1991 – 1993), a story about the lives of the working class May family in rural Kent in the 1950’s.

Series 2 sees a new family settle in the picturesque village, and they soon find themselves at war with the Larkins. Also joining the new townspeople is Reverend Candy (Maxim Ays (Sanditon, Still So Awkward)), whose handsome face immediately sets Primrose’s heart aflutter.

The Larkins family posing for a photo by a lake with trees in the background. The actors are wearing brightly coloured 1950s clothing. To the left children sit on a picnic blanket with a hamper. The adults stand to the right leaning on a wooden bench.

The Larkins © ITV Plc / Objective Fiction / Genial Productions
Pictured: Montgomery Larkin (Liam Middleton), Petunia Larkin (Rosie Coleman), Victoria Larkin (Lola Shepelev), Zinnia Larkin (Davina Coleman), Mariette (Sabrina Bartlett), Primrose Larkin (Lydia Page), Charley (Tok Stephen), Pop Larkin (Bradley Walsh) and Ma Larkin (Joanna Scanlan)

During filming of Series 1 and 2, as well as the 2021 Christmas Special, production filmed on various farms and villages in North Kent for the setting of the family farm and village.

Series 1

In Episode 3, Victoria Gardens and Viking Bay in Broadstairs feature when Ma and Pop Larkin go on a holiday to Margate. Faversham town and the Guild Hall feature in the same episode as Margate town and the Registry Office, where Ma and Pop rescue a runaway bride. The Walpole Bay Hotel & Museum in Margate also features in Episode 3 as the Margate Grand Hotel where Ma and Pop stay.

Eynsford village features in various episodes throughout this series. Eynsford Riverside appears in Episodes 1 and 2 as the Littlechurch river, Eynsford Village Hall appears in Episode 5 as the Littlechurch village hall where the locals vote on Tom’s plans for the village, and The Castle Hotel appears in Episode 2 during the pram race. The Five Bells Pub in Eynsford also appears in Episodes 2, 3 and 6 as the local village pub.

The Larkins enjoy strawberry picking in Episodes 4 and 5, and these scenes were filmed at Stonepitts Farm near Sevenoaks. Filming also took place at Long Barn in Sundridge, which became Seth’s Cottage in Episode 6, and Squerryes Court in Westerham became Bluff Court in Episodes 2 and 6, and the interior of Reg’s guesthouse in Episode 2.

The 2021 Christmas Special saw the return of various locations from the previous series, and featured some new sites including the Underriver Village Hall where the locals rehearse their festive pantomime, a private residence in Underriver which featured as the Norman’s home, and a private cottage in Chiddingstone which featured as the Nunn’s cottage

Series 2

As well as the welcome return of Squerryes Court as Bluff Court and Underriver village hall, Series 2 features some new Kent locations, including several in Tonbridge.

Sackville School features as Fordington Prison’s visiting area, and Tonbridge Castle and the river behind it also appear, doubling as the exterior of the Mid Kent Times Office. A private estate in Leigh in Sevenoaks appears in the series as the interior of the Chand’s bungalow, the interior of the Mid Kent Times Office and the exterior of Lady Violet’s (Prue Clarke) cottage. Canterbury Prison also features in Series 2 as Fordington Prison.

Broadstairs in East Kent is a picturesque coastal town with several beautiful beaches, restaurants, bars and walking trails which provide visitors with a real Kentish seaside town experience. Victoria Gardens has stunning clifftop views of Viking Bay and Louisa Bay. Broadstairs and Viking Bay has welcomed productions including Breeders Series 2 (2021), Devils (2021) and Hurricane (2018).

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 Jagame Thandhiram (2021), Whitstable Pearl (2021-2022) and Hetty Feather Series 1 – 6 (2015 – 2020).

The Walpole Bay Hotel & Museum in Margate was built for discerning guests in 1914 and extended in 1927. The hotel has five floors and 42 bedrooms and a museum space. The décor and layout is versatile to suit many eras and the hotel provides cast and crew accommodation and on road parking in a quiet cul-de-sac. Margate is a traditional seaside town complete with sandy beach, harbour, amusement park, period housing and modern art gallery Turner Contemporary. Recent productions to film in Margate are Whitstable Pearl (2021-2022), Two Weeks to Live (2020) and Pandemonium (2020).

Located on the River Darent, Eynsford has some distinctive features including its viaduct, ford and ancient ruins and is part of the Sevenoaks district. Stonepitts Farm sits at the foot of the North Downs in Seal, near Sevenoaks, with magnificent views over the beautiful Vale of Holmesdale that has been a local landmark for hundreds of years.

Squerryes Court in Westerham is a beautiful 17th century manor house which has been the Warde family home since 1731. It is surrounded by 20 acres of attractive and historic gardens which include a lake, restored parterres and an 18th century dovecote. Westerham is a very busy village on a through road near Sevenoaks. Recent productions to film in the Sevenoaks district include The Cleaner (2021), The First Team (2020) and Great British Railway Journeys Series 11 (2020).

Chiddingstone is one of the oldest and most picturesque villages in Kent. It’s described as the most accurate example of a surviving Tudor village in the county, complete with half-timbered frames, gables and stone hung red-tiled roofs. Previous productions to have filmed in Chiddingstone include A Room with a View (1986) and The Wind in the Willows (1996).

Tonbridge is a riverside town with picturesque castle, churches and historic buildings. Tonbridge Castle was built at the time of the Norman conquest and in 1741, stone from the towers, walls and keep were used in the building of the Medway canal. Other productions to have filmed in Tonbridge include PRU (2022), Making Noise Quietly (2019) and Missing (2009-2010).

Now owned by Canterbury Christ Church University, the former Canterbury prison has wings with closed cells dating back to 1808. It is a popular filming location, with previous productions such as Deceit (2021), Small Axe (2020) and Break (2020) having filmed there.

The Larkins Series 1 began airing on ITV on Sunday 10th October. All episodes are available to stream on ITV Hub as well as the Christmas Special which first aired on ITV on Saturday 25^th December 2021 at 9pm.

Series 2 of The Larkins began airing on ITV on Sunday 16^th October 2022.

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

The Hollow Crown: Henry V (2012)

Posted on July 13, 2012 by Kent Film Office

Henry V riding on a white horse next to a castle. Three other characters are on horses behind him.

Henry V – Duke of York (Paterson Joseph), Earl of Salisbury (Richard Clothier), Henry V (Tom Hiddleston) and Earl of Westmoreland (James Laurenson) © BBC/Neal Street Productions/Nick Briggs

Director: Thea Sharrock

Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Geraldine Chaplin, Paul Freeman, Richard Griffiths, John Hurt

Production company: Neal Street Productions, NBCUniversal, WNET

Kent locations used: Squerryes Court, Penshurst Place

Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Revolutionary Road) produced The Hollow Crown, four film adaptations of Shakespeare’s best-loved history plays; Richard II, Henry IV (Part I & 2) and Henry V screening on BBC this summer as part of the Shakespeare Unlocked Season.

The Hollow Crown series star many familiar faces including Ben Whishaw (Criminal Justice) as Richard II, James Purefoy (Solomon Kane) as Thomas Mowbray, Rory Kinnear (Quantum of Solace) as Henry Bolingbroke and Tom Hiddleston (Thor, Warhorse) as Henry V.

Henry V is directed by Thea Sharrock (Me Before You, Call the Midwife) and along Tom Hiddleston stars Geraldine Chaplin (The Impossible, Talk to Her), Paul Freeman (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Hot Fuzz), Richard Griffiths (Sleepy Hollow, Harry Potter series) and John Hurt (V for Vendetta, Alien).

Featuring as part of the BBC’s Shakespeare season for the London 2012 Festival and Cultural Olympiad, Henry V is the final film of the series and charts Henry V campaign against France and their leader Herald Montjoy.

Earl of Salisbury (Richard Clothier) fighting in a battle in a field

Earl of Salisbury (Richard Clothier) © BBC/Neal Street Productions/Nick Briggs

Kent features strongly in Henry V: No Surrender, as the Battle of Agincourt was staged in the grounds of Squerryes Court, where Henry V leads his soldiers to battle. The crew also visited Penshurst Place, with the exterior doubling for The Palace of Westminster and the interior of the Baron’s Hall as the French Palace where Herald Montjoy resided.

It is not the first time Squerryes Court has been on the screen, the location was used for Emma Wooshouse’s home in the BBC adaptation of Jane Austen’s famous novel Emma (2009),
The Boat that Rocked (2009) and Foyle’s War – The German Woman (2002). The estate is popular with productions as it boasts a grand 17^th Century manor house with 20 acres of grounds.

Penshurst Place is a Medieval and Tudor fortified style manor house set in parkland and featuring Elizabethan formal gardens. It is a popular filming location and previous productions filmed at Penshurst Place include Wolf Hall (2015), The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) and Anne of a Thousand Days (1969).

The Hollow Crown also features in the Kent Film Office Tudor(ish) Trail which celebrates Kent’s Tudor history and film connections.

The Hollow Crown series was shown from July 7^th2012 BBC Two and is now available to buy on DVD.

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

The Boat that Rocked (2009)

Posted on February 4, 2009 by Kent Film Office

Philip Seymour Hoffman and Nick Frost at a table with other people clapping and raising their glasses off screen. Posters and paper on the wooden walls behind

Philip Seymour Hoffman and Nick Frost in The Boat that Rocked © Universal Pictures

Writer/Director: Richard Curtis

Production Company: Working Title Films

Starring: Bill Nighy, Nick Frost, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Tom Sturridge

Kent Filming Locations: Squerryes Court

Brought to our screens by Richard Curtis, famed for Four Weddings and a funeral Notting Hill, The Boat that Rocked is a comedy focusing on the Rock and Roll antics of Pirate Radio DJ’s.

Carl (Tom Sturridge), recently expelled from school is sent to spend time with his Godfather Quentin, played by Bill Nighy, in the hope that he will find some much-needed guidance. As it turns out, Quentin is the manager of ‘Radio Rock’, a sea bound Pirate Radio Station. On the boat is a motley crew of eccentrics, including The Count (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), Dave (Nick Frost) and Midnight Mark (Tom Wisdom) who are all more than willing to impart their advice on life to the impressionable young man.

Life on the water is anything but smooth with the return of the ‘Greatest DJ in Britain’ (Rhys Ifans) he Count is forced to compete for the title he feels he rightly owns. In addition, Radio Rock has fallen foul of the Government who are determined to put a stop to the station and the rock and roll lifestyle it promotes.

The DJ’s on the boat © Universal Studios Rhys Ifans as Gavin in the studio © Universal Pictures

The Boat that Rocked captures the essence of the swinging sixties and a generation for whom music was not just a passion, but a way of life that must be protected at all costs. The tale has echoes of the legendary Radio Caroline which first broadcasted its radio channel in 1964 in foreign waters not far from Felixstowe in Suffolk. Today the Radio Caroline is synonymous with Pirate Radio and continues to broadcast, now legally, out at sea.

The film is directed by Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill) and featuring an all-star cast: Bill Nighy (Love Actually, I Capture the Castle), Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz), Phillip Seymour Hoffman (The Big Lebowski, A Most Wanted Man) and Tom Sturridge (Being Julia, Far from the Madding Crowd)

The production visited Kent in 2007 to film scenes at Squerryes Court, a 17^th Century manor home in Westerham. The house is set in 20 acres of land which include beautiful gardens and a lake. The rooms that were used during the filming are open to the public.

The Boat that Rocked was released in cinemas on the 1st April 2009 and is now out on DVD.

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

Emma (2009)

Posted on February 4, 2009 by Kent Film Office

Romola Garai in a pink dress and bonnet staring towards the ground with a smile in front of bushes with flowers on

Director: Jim O’ Hanlon

Writer: Sandy Welch

Starring:Romola Garai, Jonny Lee Miller, Michael Gambon, Tamsin Greig, Rupert Evans, Robert Bathurst

Production Company: BBC

Kent Filming Locations: Chilham, Squerryes Court, Westerham.

This Autumn Jane Austen’s ‘Emma’ will once again grace our screens with a four part adaptation from the BBC. The new series sees Romola Garai (Atonement) starring as the incomparable Emma Woodhouse, with Michael Gambon (Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince) as her father.

Jane Austen describes Emma as ‘handsome, clever and rich’ and confessed that Emma is a heroine which no-one but her will like. Emma is determined not to marry. However, she cannot help but play matchmaker to all her friends, often with disastrous consequences. Will she ever learn to let love run its true course?

Behind the Scenes at Squerryes © Squerryes	Behind the Scenes at Squerryes © Squerryes
Market in front of Chilham Castle © Kent Film Office	Meat Market Stall © Kent Film Office

Squerryes Court in Westerham with its grand Georgian rooms was the perfect location to double as the Woodhouse family home. The country house is located in 20 acres of beautiful grounds which include a spectacular garden and an 18^th Century Dovecote. Squerryes Court has been used for productions such as The Hollow Crown: Henry V (2012) and The Boat That Rocked (2009).

The production also chose the beautiful village of Chilham near Ashford to feature as Highbury. Chilham village retains much of its original features, which makes it perfect for period dramas. During filming the square was closed off and all signs of modern life, from the double yellow lines to the burglar alarms, were gently erased. In its place a vibrant market was installed to capture the essence of village life in Jane Austen’s time.

Chilham village has been used for a variety of filming projects including BBC’s Emma (2009), Channel 4 comedy Chickens (2011) and Miss Marple – The Moving Finger (2005).

The series was shown on BBC One on October 2009 and is now available to buy on DVD.

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

Foyle’s War – The German Woman (2002)

Posted on March 17, 2002 by Kent Film Office

Foyle's War - The German Woman DVD cover

Directed by: Jeremy Silberston

Starring: Michael Kitchen, Honeysuckle Weeks, James McAvoy, Julien Ovenden, Anthony Howell, Robert Hardy, David Horovitch, Joanna Kanska

Production Company: Greenlit Productions, Paddock Productions

Kent locations used: Squerryes Court

Joanna Kanska, Dominic Mafham and Micheal Kitchen on living room set at Squerryes Court

Foyle’s War is a World War Two detective drama set in the 1940’s and follows Detective Chief Superintendent Foyle (Michael Kitchen) and Sergeant Paul Milner (Anthony Howell) on various criminal investigations, assisted by his new driver, Samantha Stewart (Honeysuckle Weeks).

In the first episode of the first series, ‘The German Woman’, Foyle is working on a trail of corruption regarding the conscription process and the Enemy Alien Act. It isn’t long before Greta Beaumont (Joanna Kanska), the German wife of wealthy estate owner Henry Beaumont (Robert Hardy), is murdered with a Nazi Swastika engraved at the scene. However, Detective Chief Superintendent Foyle soon realises that traditional motives, such as money and power might be involved.

This series stars regulars Michael Kitchen (Goldeneye, The World Is Not Enough), Honeysuckle Weeks (My Brother Tom, The Wicker Tree), Julien Ovenden (The Allies, The Royal) and Anthony Howell (Wives and Daughters) as well as guest appearances in The German Women episode from James MaCavoy (Shameless, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe), Rosamund Pike (Die Another Day, Pride and Prejudice) and Robert Hardy (Frankenstein, Sense and Sensibility).

Squerryes Court was the perfect setting to double up as the grand home of estate owner of Henry Beaumont (Robert Hardy). Squerryes Court has previously been used for productions such as The Hollow Crown: Henry V (2012) and The Boat That Rocked (2009) and Emma (2009).

The first series was aired on ITV in October 2002, and all seven series are now available to buy on DVD.

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

Kent's Premier Film Commission

Series 1

Series 2