Exploring film locations in Surrey is a great alternative way to explore 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.
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 showreel includes: the iconic Guildford Cathedral was used in the first Omen (1977); the heathlands of Chobham Common welcomed Lawrence of Arabia (1962); the ancient woodland of Bourne Wood near Farnham has featured in blockbusters such as Gladiator (2000), Robin Hood (2010), The Golden Compass (2007) and Jack and the Giant Killer (2012); Virginia Water has featured in a number of the Harry Potter films; Waverley Abbey near Farnham was the backdrop for 28 Days Later (2002), Hot Fuzz (2007) and The Mummy (2017); Surrey’s County Hall in Kingston has featured in scenes from Midsomer Murders, Poirot, Call the Midwife, Downton Abbey and more; and the chocolate box cottages of Shere, which gained attention in The Holiday (2006) with Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet.
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.
On location in Surrey
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 Christies, and Young Gandhi.
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 and many more.
Painshill in Cobham, England’s most elegant 18th century landscape garden, 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 - The 15th-century manor house is filled with untouched rooms and features surrounded by 5 acres of walled formal gardens, 18th-century farm buildings and a secluded 380-acre estate, within 1 hour from central London. West Horsley Place as 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 have 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!
