Exploring film locations in Surrey is a fun and exciting way to discover some of the most picturesque places in our county.
Lights, camera, action! Surrey has a long established cinema history and is home to the acclaimed Shepperton Studios, along with many local landmarks, woods and villages used as film locations in some of our favourite movies.
From Hollywood A-listers to home grown heroes, Surrey has welcomed an enviable cast of established and up-and-coming talent to our county and is renowned amongst film makers for its fabulous settings, views and proximity to major studios and road, rail and airport transport links.
Did you know?
Set-jetting is a booming trend in travel. According to Expedia Group, more than half of international travellers said TV shows and films inspire their travel plans. The British Film Institute (BFI) reports that inbound tourists to the UK spent an estimated £892.6 million in film-related screen tourism in 2019 alone, making screen tourism an increasingly valuable part of the UK’s global tourism offer.
British film history in Surrey
In fact, director, producer and screenwriter Cecil Hepworth was among the founders of the British film industry and he was based in Walton-on-Thames. He produced Alice in Wonderland in 1903, the very first film adaptation of Lewis Carroll's children's book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and continued making films into the 1920s at his Walton Studios (now the location of Walton Playhouse theatre).
Surrey's TV and movie showreel includes:
- The ancient woodland of Bourne Wood near Farnham has featured in blockbusters such as Gladiator (2000), Robin Hood (2010), The Golden Compass (2007), Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, (2018), Harry Potter, Marvel movies and more;
- The iconic Guildford Cathedral was used in the first Omen (1977);
- The heathlands of Chobham Common welcomed Lawrence of Arabia (1962);
- Virginia Water has featured in a number of the Harry Potter films;
- Painshill Park in Cobham has starred in Bridgerton, Netflix’s Black Mirror, Amazon Prime’s Good Omens and many music videos.
- Waverley Abbey near Farnham was the backdrop for 28 Days Later (2002), Hot Fuzz (2007) and The Mummy (2017);
- Surrey’s former County Hall in Kingston has featured in scenes from Midsomer Murders, Poirot, Call the Midwife, Downton Abbey and more;
- Loseley Park near Guildford has provided an historic backdrop for the likes of The Crown, Emma, Sense & Sensibility, Midsomer Murders, The Man Who Knew Infinity, The Gentlemen and many more.
- The beautiful St Michael’s Church in Betchworth, near Dorking, was one of three churches used in the classic romantic comedy, Four Weddings and a Funeral, that propelled Hugh Grant to international fame.
- A number of James Bond films have also been shot in Surrey over the years, with Dame Judi Dench among our county's most famous residents. These include Skyfall (2012), which saw the building of a Scottish manor house and helicopter attacks at Hankley Common. The King's Man (2021) also featured scenes shot there.
- Home to the popular BBC TV show Top Gear, Dunsfold Park, near Guildford, doubled as Miami International Airport in the James Bond blockbuster, Casino Royale (2006), starring Daniel Craig.
- Everyone’s favourite scene in Love Actually (2003) – the bit where they show the arrivals hall at Heathrow Airport – was actually shot at Epsom Downs Racecourse.
- Royal Holloway’s distinctive Founder’s Building has proved to be a popular filming location with The Crown (Netflix), Silent Witness (BBC), Call the Midwife (BBC), Downton Abbey (ITV), Celebrity Masterchef (BBC), Midsomer Murders (ITV) and Avengers: Age of Ultron all featuring the spectacular architecture and grounds.
- Scenes for Disney's Alice through the Looking Glass were filmed at the spectacular Horsley Estate in East Horsley.
- Over the decades, Hampton Estate at Puttenham has been used as a location for films including The Dig (Ralph Fiennes, Lily James), Ammonite (Kate Winslet, Saoirse Ronan), Robin Hood (Ridley Scott, Russell Crowe), Jack the Giant Killer (Ewan Mcgregor, Bill Nighy) and Goodbye Christopher Robin (Margot Robbie).
- Beauty and the Beast and The Mummy (both 2017) featured scenes shot at Winterfold Forest near Dorking.
- For season two of The Witcher (released in 2021), filming took place at various locations across Surrey, including, Chobham Common, Bourne Wood near Farnham and Redlands Wood near Dorking.
- West Horsley Place is the much-loved setting for BBC's Ghosts - they even offer themed tours.
- And the chocolate box cottages of Shere gained international fame in The Holiday (2006) with Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet. The village had previously featured in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2003) with Renee Zellweger and co.
On location in Surrey - filming for TV and film
Ramster Hall and Garden features three fabulous halls dating back to 1604, along with numerous rooms, both small and large, that are panelled and beamed, with polished wooden floors and large fireplaces. The estate boasts a magnificent long drive passing through an established woodland garden and 250 acres of woodland. Productions filmed here include Emma, Agatha Christie, and Young Gandhi.
Painshill in Cobham is one of England’s most elegant 18th century landscape gardens. It boasts a fourteen acre lake, surrounded by spectacular follies, beautiful bridges and it has previously been used as a location for feature films including Suffragette, starring Meryl Streep and Carey Mulligan, and the Disney children’s film 101 Dalmatians.
West Horsley Place is a 15th-century manor house filled with untouched rooms and features. It is surrounded by 5 five acres of walled formal gardens, 18th-century farm buildings and a secluded 380-acre estate - all one hour from central London. West Horsley Place has been used as a location for the following films - My Cousin Rachel; Stan & Ollie; Enola Holmes; Mothering Sunday and the following TV productions -Harry Price: Ghost Hunter; The Durrells; Guerilla; The Crown; Silent Witness; Ghosts; Vanity Fair; Howards End
Waverley Borough Council has created a map of beautiful locations across the borough that can be seen upstaging the Hollywood A-listers in some of the biggest films (and TV) of the last two decades.
So, next time you bump into your favourite Hollywood actor in your local restaurant, pub or coffee shop in Surrey, it might just be that your home town or village is set to appear on cinema screens across the world in the not too distant future.
You can find some great ideas for places to find Surrey film locations below - and make sure to share your finds with us on social media!
