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Film / TV Locations

Film-makers, TV researchers, poets and authors have all been captivated by the outstanding beauty of the landscape and coastline of West Dorset, as well as the spectacular historic houses and gardens.

Sherborne Castle stars in new ITV documentary series!

Sherborne Castle will be starring in ITV's new documentary series 'A Tale of Two Castles'. The documentary will be shown on Sunday evenings on ITV1 South West regions from Sunday 13th April at 6.00pm for six weeks.

The series looks at two families and their day-to-day life as keepers, for nearly 400 years, of two castles - Sherborne Castle in Dorset and St Michael's Mount in Cornwall.

This lively observation documentary series is a colourful behind the scenes portrait of 21st Century life at the two castles, following the present day activities of two very traditional homes.

Dorset is back on the big screen!

Film star Dame Maggie Smith will be shooting her latest feature at Athelhampton House in West Dorset.

The Oscar, Emmy and BAFTA -winning actress will starring in a film written by Dorset's Julian Fellowes.

The film, From Time To Time, is based on a series of books called The Children of Green Knowe and tells the story of a boy's journey through time to discover his family's dramatic and mysterious past. Starring with Maggie Smith is Timothy Spall.

Thomas Hardy

The landscape of West Dorset is entwined with Hardy's novels and their film adaptations. The ITV production of 'The Mayor of Casterbridge' was screened in 2003, starring Ciaran Hinds and Jodhi May. Hardy based 'Casterbridge' on the county town of Dorchester and this production was filmed at locations including Maiden Castle, Cerne Abbas and Charmouth. The 1998 ITV production of 'Tess of the d'Urbervilles' and the 1967 classic film adaptation of 'Far From the Madding Crowd' were also filmed in the area, along with 'The Scarlet Tunic' (1996), which was based on Hardy's short story 'The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion'.

Jane Austen

An adaptation of Jane Austen's classic love story, 'Persuasion', was filmed on the famous Cobb in Lyme Regis in October 2006 for ITV. Sally Hawkins plays heroine Anne Elliot and Rupert Penry-Jones, plays Captain Frederick Wentworth. A BBC version of 'Persuasion' was also filmed in Lyme Regis in 1994 and a film adaptation of 'Emma', which starred Greta Scacchi, Juliet Stephenson and Gwyneth Paltrow, was filmed in Evershot and Dorchester in 1994.

'The French Lieutenant's Woman'

Lyme Regis was the home of local author John Fowles. In 1980 a film adaptation of his classic novel 'The French Lieutenant's Woman' was filmed in the local area and on the Cobb harbour where a cloaked Meryl Streep famously stood. Jeremy Irons also starred.

The River Cottage Series

The original River Cottage Channel Four series followed Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall exploration of West Dorset's farmers' markets, local produce and sustainable living from his smallholding near Bridport. 2004 saw Hugh and his family move onto a bigger farm to expand the River Cottage lifestyle. A more recent series 'The view from River Cottage' looked back at Hugh's life in Dorset and discovers the principles by which he has learnt to grow, cook and live by.

In 2006 the River Cottage HQ moved to its new location in the Axe Valley on the Dorset/Devon border.

The latest quest from River Cottage HQ, 'Hugh's Chicken Run', sees Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (with encouragement from fellow celebrity chef Jamie Oliver) attempt to establish the first free-range town on the Devon-Dorset border, and grapple with the sensitive issues surrounding food production, animal welfare and healthy eating.

For more information please visit www.rivercottage.net.

Other notable TV & film locations

The 1972 thriller, 'Sleuth', starring Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine, was filmed at Athelhampton House, near Dorchester. Also filmed in Athelhampton was the 1999 drama-documentary 'Elizabeth', which tells of the life and reign of Elizabeth I.

'Restoration', a 1660's costume drama about a doctor who falls out of favour with Charles II, was filmed at Mapperton House and Forde Abbey in 1994.

The adventures of a foundling in 18th century England are told in 'The History of Tom Jones: A Foundling', which was filmed at locations including Golden Cap (the highest point along the south coast of England), and Powerstock, near Bridport. The classis children's tale 'Gulliver's Travels' (1995) also features Golden Cap and Bridport.

Of course, Bridport and West Bay are also easily recognisable as the setting for the popular late 1990's TV series 'Harbour Lights', featuring Nick Berry, which told of the ups and downs of being a harbourmaster.