SHERE CHRISTMAS ROMANCE: THE HOLIDAY

Shere is the sort of village that automatically comes to mind when people think of rural England.  So it is no surprise that it has been used in films on several occasions.  As well as Bridget Jones, The Edge of Reason and Four Weddings and a Funeral, Shere was one of several picturesque locations featured in the Christmas romantic comedy The Holiday, in which two women, one American (Cameron Diaz  as Amanda) and one British (Kate Winslet as Iris) swap houses for the Christmas period to get over their respective broken hearts and find new love.



Shere lies in the Vale of Holmesdale between Guildford and Dorking in Surrey at the foot of the North Downs, and consists of an assortment of pretty cottages, two pubs, a church, a tearoom and a small museum.  A stream running through it with ducks completes the idyllic picture.  The cottage Iris lives in was built specially for the film on a hillside overlooking Shere, but it was inspired by a real one much further away.  Of course, no Christmas romantic comedy would be complete without a covering of snow, so the village is seen in the film with its white winter coat on (disregarding the fact that southern England very rarely gets snow over Christmas).

Church Hill, Shere - geograph.org.uk - 535227. Photo by Colin Smith, via Wikimedia Commons

As well as Shere, the nearby town of Godalming is seen in some of the village scenes plus the railway station scene.  Church Street is seen adorned with Christmas decorations and snow as Amanda heads into town to do some shopping.  Bigger than Shere, but almost as picturesque, Godalming lies to the south of the River Wey, four miles from Guildford.  

Church Street, Godalming - geograph.org.uk - 1380443. Photo by Colin Smith, via Wikimedia Commons

Map of the area

MADNESS AT THE MANOR: JANE EYRE/NORTON CONYERS, NORTH YORKSHIRE

There are certain novels which captured my imagination as a child, and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte was one of them.  I remember being horrified at the idea of a madwoman holed up in an attic, in this case Mrs Rochester, first wife of Edward Rochester, the male romantic lead of the story who enters into a liaison with the governess he has hired, the Jane Eyre of the title.  Rochester is the master of Thornfield Hall, where he has shoved his unfortunate wife out of sight on the third floor.

So where did Charlotte get the idea for this grim tale?  Well, in 1839 she paid a visit to a medieval manor house called Norton Conyers near the village of Wath near Ripon North Yorkshire, and while she was there she learned of a mad woman who had allegedly been locked up in the attics the century before Charlotte’s visit.  That the property was the inspiration for Thornfield Hall is borne out by the fact that a blocked staircase connecting the first floor to the attics was discovered in 2004.  Such a staircase was mentioned in Jane Eyre, which seems pretty conclusive proof that Norton Conyers is the real-life Thornfield.

Norton Conyers - geograph.org.uk - 881476. Photo by David Rogers, via Wikimedia Commons

The house and gardens at Norton Conyers are open to visitors, but only on certain days of the year due to ongoing renovation work on the house – the dates can be found on the website.  There is a charge for the house but the gardens are free to visit.  The gardens were laid out in the 18^th century and their features include an orangery, herbaceous borders and an ornamental pond. 

For more information on the Bronte family, follow this link.

Map of the area.

A ROYAL RETREAT IN SCOTLAND: THE CROWN/ARDVERIKIE ESTATE

Not being the most ardent royalist, I resisted all the hype surrounding the Netflix series The Crown until recently.  But with the latest series now upon us I decided to have a look at the earlier episodes to see what all the fuss is about, and to my surprise I am finding it rather good. 

Inevitably, a show such as The Crown will be full of sumptuous locations.  The interior of Buckingham Palace, for example, was shot in Wilton House near Salisbury, while Winchester Cathedral was used for the Churchill funeral scenes, and the Windsor Castle interiors were filmed at Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire.  

One of the most scenic locations is that used to represent the Queen’s Scottish retreat Balmoral: Ardverikie Estate in Inverness-shire.  The estate, which in earlier times was the subject of a tug-of-war between the Macpherson and Mackintosh clans, forms the backdrop to the 19^th century baronial mansion Ardverikie House, formerly a hunting lodge and set on the shore of Loch Laggan, about 10 miles as the crow flies to the south of the more famous Loch Ness.  The present-day building is of typical Scottish baronial-style architecture, a riot of turrets and other grandiose grey-stone features.

Ardverikie House (2477752137). Photo by Bert Kaufmann, via Wikimedia Commons

Ardverikie Estate has form when it comes to featuring in royal scenes, as it was also used in the film Mrs Brown, starring Judi Dench as Queen Victoria.  It was during her reign that Balmoral was purchased by her husband Prince Albert.  As it happens, in real life the couple stayed at Ardverikie Estate in 1847 as the guests of James Hamilton, the Marquis of Abercorn and Groom of the Stole to Prince Albert.  The estate was also used for the fictional Glenbogle Estate in the BBC series Monarch of the Glen.

Fans of The Crown who want to immerse themselves in the Ardverikie/Balmoral experience can stay at Ardverikie Estate, which offers a range of self-catering accommodation. 

Map of the area.

WHAT THE BUTLER SAW: THE REMAINS OF THE DAY, DARLINGTON HALL

It is a long time since I read The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro, but I still remember how impressed I was by the authenticity of the dialogue of the period in which it was set, all the more so given the Japanese origins of the writer.  The focus of the story is Darlington Hall, where the butler James Stevens (Anthony Hopkins) and housekeeper Miss Kenton (Emma Thompson) develop a slow-burning relationship against the backdrop of the pre-war years (Lord Darlington is a Nazi sympathiser, a fact which Stevens turns a blind eye to).



As is so often the case in films, the scenes involving Darlington Hall were shot in a number of different properties, scattered between Gloucestershire, Devon and Wiltshire.  The scenes showing the driveway and exterior of the mansion were shot at the National Trust property Dyrham Park in Gloucestershire.  Also in Gloucestershire, nearby Badminton House was used for the scenes involving the servants’ quarters.  Some of the outside scenes were also filmed here, such as the scene where Stevens’ father (Peter Vaughan) suffers a fall and where Reginald Cardinal (Hugh Grant) is found having a sneaky cigarette.

At Dyrham Park 2018 020.  Photo by Mike Peel, via Wikimedia Commons

The county of Devon plays its part in the form of Powderham Castle on the estuary of the River Exe, which was used for the Blue Staircase, hall, master bedroom and music room.  The scene at the end featuring the trapped pigeon was also filmed there under the domed ceiling.  Corsham Court in Wiltshire, meanwhile, provided the library and dining room scenes, including the scene of the conference in the ‘Cabinet Room’.

Powderham Castle, east side-geograph-4066229-by-Stephen-Craven, via Wikimedia Commons

Dyrham Park is just off the A46 and to the south of the M4, handy for anyone staying in Bath.  The house, with treasures including a collection of Dutch Masters, dates from the 17^th century and the grounds include a deer park.  The Badminton Estate is to the east of the A46 a little further north, and is famous for its annual Horse Trials.  Visits to the house and gardens are available by special arrangement for group tours.  The estate has a history stretching back centuries: it was mentioned in the Domesday Book as ‘Madmintune’, and the grounds incorporate the remains of several Roman Villas.



Powderham Castle, just off the west bank of the mouth of the River Exe, is open from March to the beginning of November.  There are a number of special events held during the year, such as a Food Festival and the Two Moors Festival of classical music.  The original structure was built in the late 14^th century by the 2^nd Earl of Devon, but much of the present-day building dates from the 18^th century.  Corsham Court is open daily during summer but at weekends only in winter, closing in December.  It is a handsome country house built in the typical honey-coloured stone of the area, and the parkland surrounding it was designed by the prolific landscape designer Capability Brown.  The history of the estate dates back to Saxon times, when it was reputedly the seat of Ethelred the Unready.

Corsham Court. Photo by Hugh McKechnie, via Wikimedia Commons

Map of Dyrham Park

Map of Badminton Estate

Map of Powderham Castle

Map of Corsham Court

BIRDS OF A FEATHER: DAUGHTERS-IN-LAW, JOANNA TROLLOPE/THE SUFFOLK COAST

Anyone planning a break on the Suffolk coast will find reading Joanna Trollope’s Daughters-in-Law the perfect scene-setter for their trip.  This story about a mother-in-law’s complex and fraught relationship with her three daughters-in-law is mainly set around the portion of the Suffolk coast between Shingle Street near Orford and RSPB Minsmere, a haven for birdwatchers.  It certainly brought back happy memories of a break my husband and I spent in the area a few years ago.



The most pivotal part of the story, in which one of the daughters-in-law, Petra, meets someone, risking a break-up to her marriage, takes place at the RSPB Minsmere bird reserve, to which Petra, who is keen on drawing birds, escapes for the day when feeling the heat in her relationship.  She takes herself off to commune with the avocets “picking their fastidious way around the Scrape” and observes the ‘other man’, RSPB ranger Steve, moving around among the marram grass and sand dunes and “silhouetted against the shining water”.   

Minsmere - geograph.org.uk - 321676. Photo by Mike Pennington, via Wikimedia Commons

Another location which forms part of the story, also good for observing birdlife, is the hamlet of Shingle Street near Orford, where Petra sets up home with husband Ralph in his cottage “right on the shingle”, before later moving to Aldeburgh.  Later in the story it is revealed that Steve lives in Shingle Street, where he has a whitewashed cottage “sunk deeply into the beach”. 



The other Suffolk coastal location which looms large in the story is the town of Aldeburgh.  The parents-in-law live in a house near there, and Petra and Ralph move from Shingle Street to the town part-way through the story.  We have Petra taking her kids into town to escape from Ralph’s moods, past the cottages with names like Shrimper’s Cottage or Mermaid Cottage.  The famous scallop shell sculpture on the beach, commemorating Benjamin Britten, gets a mention elsewhere in the story, as well as the southern end of town “where the tall seafront terraces petered out into the marshy stretches of mingled river and sea”.

The mouth of the River Alde at sunset

Aldeburgh is a characterful seaside town just north of the mouth of the River Alde, which is at its best at sunset, when the river gleams in the orange glow of the setting sun.  The High Street, as hinted at in the novel, is a pleasant mix of small shops, galleries, restaurants cafes and pubs.  Benjamin Britten lived in Crag House in the town from 1947, hence the aforementioned commemorative sculpture.


RSPB Minsmere hosts a variety of birds in its coastal lagoons, such as the slender avocet, bearded tits and bitterns.  There are also otters present in the reedbed pools.  The reserve is close to the Sizewell nuclear power station, and sadly recent reports suggested that the planned Sizewell C station could threaten the future of the reserve.  This weekend the RSPB is holding a Love Minsmere festival to raise awareness of the concerns.  Shingle Street is another favourite with birdwatchers, and recent sightings have included Western Cattle Egret, American/Pacific Golden Plover and Red-Necked Phalarope. 

Map of Aldeburgh. 

WOMEN OF WINDERMERE: DEEP WATER/THE LAKE DISTRICT

Deep Water follows the lives of three women, Lisa, Kate and Roz, all living among the beautiful scenery of the Lake District, but whose lives are considerably less perfect than the surrounding landscape.  Much of the filming took place around Lake Windermere, which forms a watery backdrop to many of the scenes.  Which is appropriate enough, as the series is based on the Windermere series of novels by Paula Daly.

Sunset in Bowness Harbour, Bowness On Windermere, England. Photo by Michal Klajban, via Wikimedia Commons.

One of the most striking properties used in the filming is the house where Kate (Roslind Eleazar) lives, set in an elevated position overlooking the lake.  The real-life property is near the village of Hawkshead, near the western shore of the lake.  Anna Friel’s character Lisa, meanwhile, lives in the countryside near the lake.   The kennels she runs are seen surrounded by the dramatic slopes which are a feature of this area.  Roz’s house is in the village of Staveley, a couple of miles to the east of the lake along the A591.  Staveley Primary School was used for the school gate scenes which form the common denominator between the three women.



There is a lakeside cafe which in the series is where Roz’s brother works and which is the scene of a number of meet-ups such as in episode 1, where Kate meets Lisa to discuss her son’s bullying.  The cafe which was used for these scenes is the Bluebird Cafe on Coniston Water, named after the jet-powered boat which killed Donald Campbell as he attempted to break the water speed record on the lake in 1967.  

Bluebird Café - geograph.org.uk - 900291. Photo by David Palmer, via Wikimedia Commons.

Lake Windermere is the largest of the Lake District lakes, as well as being the largest natural lake in England.  The main tourist centres are Bowness-on-Windermere and Ambleside, and there are frequent departures on leisure boats linking the two, as well as Lakeside at the southern end.  Coniston Water is a short distance to the west of Lake Windermere.  The National Trust runs trips on the restored Steam Yacht Gondola, which leaves from a pier near the Bluebird Cafe.  Hawkshead is a village a short distance from the west shore of Lake Windermere with a good range of pubs and cafes, as well as an array of shops, including a large branch of the Hawkshead outdoor clothing and equipment chain.

Map of the area.

A TALE OF LOSS IN NORTHERN IRELAND: PHILOMENA/COUNTY DOWN

Philomena, starring Judy Dench and Steve Coogan, is a film based on the true story of a woman from Northern Ireland called Philomena Lee (Dench) who had a son out of wedlock, which led to her being sent to a convent.  The son was taken away from her and ended up in America.  The film centres on Philomena’s search for her son with the help of TV presenter Martin Sixsmith (Coogan). 

A large proportion of the film is set in America, where Philomena and Martin go in search of the lost son, but in the early scenes we are treated to the sight of the Mourne Mountains and surrounding area.  In the scene where Martin picks up Philomena to take her to the convent to quiz the nuns about her son, we see a sign saying ‘Birr’.  There is a town called Birr in County Offaly, Republic of Ireland, but the scene was actually filmed in Rostrevor on Carlingford Lough, close to the Mourne Mountains, and Philomena is seen waiting opposite the Killowen Inn on Bridge Street.

Rostrevor (elevated view) - geograph.org.uk - 278010. Photo by Albert Bridge, via Wikimedia Commons

Further north in the county, in Killyleagh, the Dufferin Arms pub was used in the scene where Philomena and Martin discover that there was a fire which destroyed the convent’s records, while suspiciously leaving the convent itself intact.  The landlord of the pub was so chuffed at his hostelry being chosen for the scene that a party was held to celebrate the premiere of the film.  

Killyleagh harbour (1) - geograph.org.uk - 296250. Photo by Albert Bridge, via Wikimedia Commons

Fans of the film who head to Northern Ireland in search of filming locations should not waste their time looking for the real-life version of Roscrea Convent, where Philomena had to give up her son.  The building used to depict the convent was actually Harefield House in Harefield near Uxbridge, Greater London, conveniently located close to Pinewood Studios.  In the film there is a smaller red brick building visible to the right of the front of the convent.  This is in another place altogether, on the estate of Shirburn Castle near Thame, Oxfordshire, and was added in with the help of computer graphics technology.  The cemetery scene was also filmed on the estate.  Note that neither of these properties are open to the public.



The Mountains of Mourne are a constant presence overlooking the coastal areas between Newcastle, County Down, and points south, as well as the county’s inland areas.  They include the  highest mountains in Northern Ireland, most notably the mighty Slieve Donard.  Rostrevor lies at the southern entrance to the mountains and is bordered by the Rostrevor Forest, which has many attractive paths for walkers to explore.  The area is also rich in historical and folkloric remains.  Killyleagh lies on the western side of Strangford Loch.  One of its most attractive features is its harbour lined with houses of different colours.   The harbour was the recipient of coal imports from England until the 1980s.

Map of County Down.

A RIVER ROMANCE: FRENCHMAN'S CREEK, DAPHNE DU MAURIER/HELFORD, CORNWALL

Frenchman’s Creek, a novel by Daphne du Maurier about the relationship between the English lady Dona, Lady St Columb, and a French pirate set during the reign of Charles II, came about following Daphne’s marriage, when her husband used to bring her to a tranquil corner of the Helford River, mooring up for some newly-wed canoodling.  Daphne later lived within sight of this spot, so that she was constantly reminded of those romantic times.



The story begins with a detailed description of the village of Helford and the river, partly from the viewpoint of the time when the story was set, and partly as it was during Daphne’s time there in the 1930s.  The river in Charles II’s time is described as “lonely and austere”, and the hamlet’s inhabitants as “dull-witted and uncommunicative”.  In short, no reason for anyone happening upon this spot to linger there.  Of course, at that time there would have been no pub, the present-day Shipwrights Arms being a mere 300 years old.  

Helford Village - geograph.org.uk - 9853.  Photo by Richard Johns, via Wikimedia Commons

Du Maurier contrasts this unappealing description with how it was in her time, with “many voices to blunder in on the silence” and the coming and going of “pleasure steamers”.  Presumably these were visiting from nearby Falmouth; it is still possible to get a boat trip from Falmouth to the Helford River, also taking in Frenchman's Creek.  However, visiting yachtsmen in Daphne’s day would hesitate at the entrance to the creek, finding it disconcertingly mysterious, the only sounds the occasional plopping of a fish breaking the surface and the sound of the night-jar issuing from the bracken on the hills.

In Daphne’s day, daytrippers would head to a farmhouse kitchen which doubled up as a tea-room.  She claims in the novel that this was once Navron House, the Cornish retreat Dona escapes to when she has tired of London.  In fact, Navron House is a fiction, and the inspiration for it can be found in the Trelowarren Estate.  Fans of the book can stay on the estate, which offers a range of cottages for hire, and guests staying there can also enjoy the beautiful gardens.  What is real, however, is Frenchman’s Creek itself, a long sinuous offshoot of the Helford to the west of Helford village.  The National Trust website has a suggested walk taking in the creek.

Frenchman's Creek at low tide - geograph.org.uk - 1370928. Photo by Graham Loveland, via Wikimedia Commons

Helford River and its village lie between Falmouth and Lizard Point, the most southerly spot in Britain.  Lovers of gardens visiting the area are in for a treat, even if not staying at Trelowarren.  On the other side of the Helford is the National Trust garden Glendurgan, with the equally beautiful Trebah Garden next door.  From Helford, it is possible to cross to the other side by ferry and follow the South West Coastal Path along to Glendurgan.  Further afield, and accessible from Falmouth by boat, is another National Trust garden, Trelissick.

Map of the area.

BEAUTY IN A TIME OF COLD WAR: SUMMER OF ROCKETS/BENINGTON LORDSHIP

As was the case with its predecessor, Close To The Enemy, the latest Stephen Poliakoff TV drama, Summer Of Rockets, has come up trumps once again with its visual beauty and period touches.  Set in the Cold War period, in 1958, at a time when fears of a nuclear conflict were growing among the populace – hence the title – the focal point of the story is Russian émigré Samuel Petrukhin (Toby Stephens) who invents a clever tracking device and who is reluctantly sucked into the world of espionage, necessitating repeated visits to the beautiful home of a politician and his wife, Richard and Kathleen Shaw (Linus Roache and Keeley Hawes).  Another facet of the story is the desperate search by Kathleen for her son who has disappeared.



The Shaws hold many posh get-togethers at their home, and this is where much of the action takes place in the series.  The real-life property where these scenes were filmed is the curiously named Benington Lordship, a few kilometres east of Stevenage in Hertfordshire, a private family home which opens up its gardens to the public at certain times of the year, for instance in February for the snowdrops.  The gardens were created above an ancient fortified site dating from Saxon times.  The gatehouse seen in many of the scenes is a neo-norman folly completed in 1838.  The house itself was a manor house, originally started around 1700.  The west wing was added in 1905 by the present owners’ ancestors.

Benington Lordship 001 (8249305273).  Photo by Ozzy Delaney, via Wikimedia Commons.

The property has been used in a number of other productions, such as the BBC Just William production and series 1 and 2 of the Channel 4 drama Humans.  

Another location frequently seen in Summer Of Rockets is the airfield where the tracking device is put to the test.  This was filmed at the former RAF base Upper Heyford in Oxfordshire, an appropriate choice, having been used as a base for US forces based in Britain during the Cold War.

Benington Lordship-5279415003. Photo by Rictor Norton and David Allen, via Wikimedia Commons.

Map of Benington Lordship and surrounding area.

STEELY STRIPPERS: THE FULL MONTY/SHEFFIELD

The 1997 British comedy film The Full Monty is a product of two vastly different phenomena that arose during the latter part of the 20^th century.  The first was the decline of the steel industry, which hit the Yorkshire city of Sheffield particularly hard.  Many blame Margaret Thatcher for this, but there were multiple factors, including competition from other countries and low productivity.  Increased automation was another development, all of which put a lot of steel workers out of a job. 



The other phenomenon that appeared during this time was that of groups of male strippers, the most famous of which are The Chippendales, still going strong today.  Their performances gave hordes of leering women the chance to get their own backs for the objectification of the female body, flocking to large venues to whoop and cheer at the sight of muscly oiled male bodies, no doubt helped along by large quantities of alcohol.


The Full Monty manages to unite these two themes, telling the tale of a group of unemployed steel workers who decide to turn their fortunes around by forming a male stripper group.  Almost all of the filming took place in and around Sheffield, using glamorous locations such as an Asda supermarket, factories and a working men’s club, as well as many of the city’s streets.

View over the city from Bingham Park - geograph.org.uk - 16529. Sheffield, where most of the scenes were filmed. Photo by Paul Store, via Wikimedia Commons.

The steelworks which put the men out on the streets in the film are represented by the building formerly occupied by Sanderson Special Steels in Newhall Road, Attercliffe.  The Shirebrook Colliery in the film was filmed at a Rolling Mill in the city.  The factory where Gaz’s ex-wife Mandy works is actually the now closed Eversure Textiles, which used to have premises at the Northpoint Industrial Estate.


Various locations around the city were used for scenes involving the characters’ homes: Gerald’s house in Whirlow Park Road; Gaz’s house in Oxford Street; Dave’s house in Meadowbank Road.  Manor Oaks Road is seen in the keep fit sequence, while the most poignant scene in the film, featuring Lomper’s suicide attempt, was filmed in Pickering Road.  Orgreave Way is where the ASDA supermarket was filmed, and the burger bar scene was filmed in Cambridge Street at Pepes, which is now at a different address.



The Job Centre where the lads are seen signing on was filmed at an actual Job Centre, or rather Job Centre Plus at the corner of Bailey Lane and West Street.  The school building in the scene where Gaz drops off his son is actually the Sheffield Boxing Centre in Burton Street.  The Millthorpe Working Men’s Club in the film, where the group finally get to strut their stuff, is represented by the Shiregreen Working Men’s Club at 136 Shiregreen Lane.



Out and about in the fresh air, the park where Gerald spends his days on a park bench, having kept quiet to his wife about his unemployed status, and where the lads invite Gerald to be their choreographer, is Ruskin Park in Walkley.  The park was created relatively recently on the site of a number of streets which were cleared in the early 1980s.  The city’s Crookes Cemetery is where Lomper’s mother is laid to rest.  The cemetery includes 70 graves of service personnel who served in the First and Second World Wars.  Finally, the scene in which Gaz and Dave are stranded on a sinking car was filmed by Bacon Lane Bridge in Attercliffe, on the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal, which forms the upper four miles of the Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation.  The canal was opened in 1819 to serve as a link between the River Don and a basin in the centre of the city.

Bacon Lane Bridge. Photo by Warofdreams, via Wikimedia Commons.

Visitors to Sheffield who want to find out more about the city’s industrial heritage will find what they are looking for at the Kelham Island Museum.  Metal features heavily in the works on display at the Millennium Gallery, which also contains the Ruskin Collection of works of art.  The art critic John Ruskin put the collection together with the help of his Guild for the benefit of the city’s metalworkers.

Kelham Island Museum, Steel Ladle. Photo by Mick Knapton, via Wikimedia Commons.

Map of the area.

INSPIRATION FOR NORTHANGER? NETLEY ABBEY, HAMPSHIRE

I have written before about the fun of trying to guess the inspiration for the properties and estates which feature in the novels of Jane Austen.  Northanger Abbey is a tricky one, but given the novel of the same name is Gothic in style, and the fact that the Austen family made multiple visits to the spooky ruins of Netley Abbey near Southampton when Jane was a girl, it does not take too much of a leap of imagination to suppose that Netley Abbey, while far from a complete and occupied property unlike the fictional Northanger Abbey, may have contributed to Jane’s interest in the Gothic, and therefore may have influenced her creation of Northanger Abbey.



Jane Austen grew up in Hampshire, and she and her sister Cassandra went to school in Southampton in 1783.  It was probably during that time, and 10 years later when she stayed with her second cousin in Southampton, that she got to know the abbey.  On one particular visit in 1807, it was not Jane but her niece Fanny who waxed lyrical about the site, describing it as a “compound of everything that is striking, ancient and majestic”, and how it “stands on an eminence, in the most romantic situation you can imagine, overgrown with ivy and concealed from your view by a high wood, down to the water’s edge” – the water in question being Southampton Water.  Work on Jane’s novel Northanger Abbey began in 1798, and it is not known to what extent she had Netley Abbey in mind when inventing the Abbey of the novel, but given the above it seems highly likely that Netley was the inspiration for Northanger.

Eastrange. Photo by Coradia1000, via Wikimedia Commons

The abbey is now managed by English Heritage, who on their website inform us that it is the most complete surviving abbey built by the Cistercian monks in Southern England.  The abbey is open year round, with slightly reduced hours during the winter months.  There are many spooky stories surrounding the abbey, which would have circulated around the time of Jane’s visits, including the story of an apparition dressed as a monk who appeared before a local undertaker who wanted to dismantle the church ruins.  The monk warned him not to, but he disregarded the warning and was rewarded with a stone falling on his head and killing him.

Map of the area.

MURDER IN MORECAMBE: THE BAY

Being set in a seaside location and starting with the disappearance of two teenagers, inevitably there will be comparisons between The Bay and Broadchurch.  Personally, I think The Bay is the better of the two.  It starts on a very interesting premise, every policewoman’s nightmare.  I won’t say any more in case anyone has not got around to viewing it yet. 


The seaside location in question is Morecambe of Morecambe Bay, with its famously treacherous sands, and there are plenty of shots of the beach.  Much of the filming took place around the Stone Jetty.  Apparently Morecambe was chosen because as well as being a beautiful part of the British coast, it is also a town with an edge to it.  At the beginning, there is an aerial shot of the town with the magnificent art-deco Midland Hotel taking centre stage. The hotel was renovated and reopened in 2008, but in its heyday was frequented by the likes of Coco Chanel and Noel Coward. 

p

Beach at Morecambe (7907). Photo by Nilfanion, via Wikimedia Commons.

Episode 1 has the lead policewoman in the drama heading to town on a night out, culminating in a karaoke session.  This takes place in the Royal Bar at the Royal Hotel, which was actually used in the scene.  Away from Morecambe, there is a scene involving an outdoor lido.  This was filmed at nearby Grange Lido at Grange-Over-Sands, on the north shore of Morecambe Bay.

Map of the area.

FAMILY STRIFE IN SHROPSHIRE: ATONEMENT/STOKESAY COURT

The film Atonement, based on the novel of the same name by Ian McEwan, begins in the stately abode of the Tallis family, whose daughter Cecilia is smitten by Robbie, the son of one of the servants whose university education the family has paid for.  Robbie is wrongly accused of rape by Cecilia’s younger sister Briony, who has already misinterpreted an encounter between the two by the fountain in the garden as malicious behaviour on Robbie’s part.  This combination of misunderstanding and malice has a lasting effect on the lives of Cecilia and Robbie.

During the summer of 2006 the film’s production team headed for Stokesay Court, a privately-owned country house and estate near Onibury in Shropshire.  The team had discovered the property in an issue of Country Life magazine and decided it was a perfect candidate for the role of the Tallis house.  The crucial fountain scene did not use the actual fountain to be found in the grounds; a sculptor produced a more elaborate one specially for the filming.  As well as the grounds of the estate, the film made use of the interiors of the house and a cottage, occupied by the Robbie character.  The library which featured in Atonement is actually a billiards room in real life.

Stokesay Court - panoramio(1). Photo by PJMarriott, via Wikimedia Commons.

Stokesay Court was originally built for a wealthy Victorian businessman whose father went into partnership with a Worcester glove maker, with construction starting in 1889.  During World War I it was used as a convalescent home for soldiers, and during World War II the property was requisitioned by the Army for training purposes. The property remains in private hands with tours available for individuals or groups on certain set dates, to be booked in advance.  The estate acquired by the original owner included the nearby Stokesay Castle, run by English Heritage, which is a fine example of a fortified medieval manor house built in the 13^th century by Laurence of Ludlow.  

Map of the area.

LEWIS CARROLL'S WELSH WONDERLAND: LLANDUDNO

In the latter part of the 19^th century a little girl called Alice Liddell used to visit the Welsh resort of Llandudno, staying at the family holiday home Penmorfa on the town’s West Shore.  Like any young girl, Alice had her share of adventures while on holiday in the town.  The writer Lewis Carroll was a close friend of the Liddell family, and although he reputedly never met Alice there, he got wind of Alice’s holiday exploits and used them as the basis for a story which he recounted to Alice and her sisters on a rowing trip.  And so the famous children’s novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland came into being, followed by the sequel Through  The Looking Glass.



Llandudno has not forgotten its association with Lewis Carroll and Alice, and commemorates it in a number of ways, including a a town trail.  There is a statue of the White Rabbit character on the West Shore, and also just off the West Shore there are two big rocks which are said to represent the Walrus and the Carpenter from Through The Looking Glass.  Unfortunately, fans visiting the town will not be able to see Penmorfa.  After a few years as a hotel, in 2008 the building was demolished as it was deemed to be  unsafe.

Alice in Wonderland - geograph.org.uk - 580510. Photo by Steve F, via Wikimedia Commons

Llandudno is a typical seaside resort, with its long promenade and pier and its array of restaurants and shops, but what makes it stand out from other similar resorts is its position at the foot of the mighty Great Orme, a mountain which can be reached by tramway or cable car or, for the energetic, on foot.  There is a bar and restaurant at the top and the views out to sea are stupendous, only marred by the ‘forest’ of wind turbines on the horizon.  The sheep to be found on the mountain have been joined by 122 wild Kashmiri goats, who made the news recently when they headed down to the town during bad weather, stopping the traffic, nibbling plants in people’s gardens and generally causing chaos.

The Great Orme, from the Promenade.

Map of the area.

AN OLDIES' PLAYGROUND IN YORKSHIRE: LAST OF THE SUMMER WINE/HOLMFIRTH

Running from 1973 to 2010, with 31 series and a whopping 295 episodes, Last of the Summer Wine is not only the longest-running comedy programme in Britain, but is the longest-running sitcom in the world.  Although all three of the original actors playing the oldies are now dead (one had to be replaced after two series due to ill health, and a completely new trio was introduced towards the end), their memory lives on with reruns of the show still gracing our screens today on the Gold, Yesterday and Drama channels.  The basic premise of the series is the childlike antics of three pensioners and their interactions with an eccentric cast of local characters, with most of the action filmed in and around the picturesque Yorkshire town of Holmfirth.

One focal point in the series is Sid’s Cafe, which is an actual cafe in Towngate, complete with the famous red and white cafe sign and gingham curtains.  The cottage occupied by Nora Batty, where she was frequently to be seen loitering on the outside steps donning her wrinkly stockings, pinny and curlers, is at 28 Huddersfield Road and is now available as a holiday let.  The town’s current landscape includes a tearoom dedicated to Nora’s memory called The Wrinkled Stocking.  Clegg’s home in the series is to be found in Hill Street at Jackson Bridge, to the west of Holmfirth, and the White Horse pub is nearby bearing the same name as the one in the series.

Holmfirth Sid's Café. Photo by Nigel Homer, via Wikimedia Commons

Much of Holmfirth’s charm lies in its geographical position in the lovely Holme Valley, which is made much of in the series.  The valley lies in West Yorkshire, just to the north of the Peak District.  The town arose from the existence of a corn mill in the 13^th century, and the economy developed around the cloth trade and nearby quarries.  Unfortunately, the town’s riverside location makes it vulnerable to flooding, and the worst flood in its history took place in February 1852, when the nearby Bilberry reservoir burst its banks and the resulting torrent of water took out mills, cottages, animals and people, including dead ones in the graveyard.  81 people died in this flooding event.

Holmfirth (3922393517). Photo by Tim Green, via Wikimedia Commons

For fans of the series who want to make sure they do not miss any of the key locations, there is a Summer Wine Tour Bus which covers a 10-mile route. 

Map of Holmfirth.

.