I don’t know about you, but I’m a bit of a film fiend. I don’t just love watching them,
I also like knowing where movies were filmed and visit the locations... (One of our holidays was a trip to the Peak District where we toured all the sites used in the filming of Pride & Prejudice. All that talking about Darcy and Elizabeth must have sent my now-hubby a bit soft as he got down on one knee on Stanage Edge – where Keira Knightley stood in a famous shot in the film! Anyway, I digress…) One of the brilliant things about living in Berkshire is that we’re on a ready-made film set. So many locations around here have been used on the big screen. They’re worth
visiting and viewing in a different light, once you’ve seen the movies…

 

Have you been to the area of ancient woodland known as Burnham Beeches? Isn’t it amazing? Some of the trees there are several hundred years old. You really feel as if you’re walking through a different world, one out of a fantasy film. Because it's an area of oustanding beauty, plus due to the close proximity of Pinewood, Shepperton and Bray Studios, Burnham Beeches is in demand as a filming location. I spoke to Jeremy Young, a Burnham Beeches Ranger, who manages all the filming that takes place here.

   'I have been looking after the filming activity here since 1996,' Jeremy says. 'It is a popular place for production companies. In 1960, a little before my time, Goldfinger was shot here – remember the fantastic Aston Martin chase? That was done here, on the internal roads. It’s great fun to see if you can pick out the parts of the forest that were used in films.'

   Have you seen the classic fairytale The Princess Bride? It was one of my favourites when I was little. ‘The Pit of Despair in the movie, where Cary Elwes is tortured to death, was filmed at Pumpkin Hill at Burnham Beeches. You’ll recognise the tall tree there…' says Jeremy. 'The Thieves Forest in the film is set in Victoria Drive. It’s our most popular filming spot as there are dips and hallows, which make good camera positions.’

   If you saw Now is Good or Snow White and the Huntsmn when they were released, watch them again now and you might just spot Burnham Beeches. 'Parts of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix were filmed at Mendelssohn’s Slope,' says Jeremy. 'And you know the tree houses in the Sherwood Forest Camp in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves? They were all set here.'

   Pretty impressive.

   'There have been many other films over the years that have featured our trees and landscape,' says Jeremy. 'Great Expectations (1946), A Town Like Alice (1956), The Crying Game (1992), First Knight (1994), King Arthur (2004), Eden Lake (2007) and many, many more. And I’ve been lucky enough to meet lots of the actors - Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman, Richard Geere, Ted Danson, Sam Neil, Keira Knightley and Clive Owen to name a few.

   ’We get lots of requests from production companies, but have guidelines about where filming can take place - only 20 days of filming are allowed each year.'

  Right, I don't know about you, but I'm going to go back again this weekend to see if I can pinpoint the locations used in some of my all-time favourite films.

   If you're interested to hear more from Jeremy, he leads two-hour walks on various dates during the year through some of the film locations. Visit www.

 

If this has peaked your interest to visit other local places that have been on film, here are a
few suggestions:

 

Ascot Racecourse

In the James Bond films A View to a Kill and Skyfall among other movies.

 

Black Park

Used to represent Transylvania in Dracula: Prince of Darkness, plus in many other films.

 

Cliveden

Used in Sherlock Holmes and Thunderbirds among others.

 

Cookham

You'll probably know this one, but Midsomer Murders has been filmed here, and The Wrong Mans starring James Corden. Also, the scary Hammer Films began shooting at Dial Close on Winter Hil.

 

Dorney Court

Featured in Elizabeth and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels among others. The garden centre next door is worth a visit too. 

 

Eton College

Used in one of my favourites, Shakespeare in Love, among others.

 

Hedsor House

Just last year, Quartet was filmed here.

 

Oakley Court Hotel

The Rocky Horror Picture Show and more recently St Trinian’s, plus others.

 

Maidenhead Town Hall

It has been used for the Carry On films among others.

 

Stoke Park

Love that scene in Bridget Jones’s Diary where Bridget and Daniel take a mini-break and go boating on the lake? That’s here! Mmm, I quite fancy a mini-break here too...

 

White Waltham Airfield

Used as a 1950s airport in My week with Marilyn.

 

Windsor Great Park

Used in Ridley Scott's Robin Hood and more.