TV & Film Locations in England's South East

The South East has appeared on big and small screen many times and as you explore you will see why we’ve passed so many auditions over the years.

Not only have some of the most popular movies of all time been filmed in South East England but some of the country’s most recognized actors have called us home. Here is a selection of the most memorable locations used in South East England, as well actors with connections to South East England.

Filming Locations

Hever Castle in Kent was the home of the Boleyn family and was seen on the screen recently in The Other Boleyn Girl and in Elizabeth: The Golden Age.

Many attractions have been used as a backdrop in the popular Harry Potter films: Christ Church Cathedral and the Bodleian Library, both in Oxfordshire, to name a couple.

Bond lovers will be in heaven at the National Motor Museum Beaulieu in Hampshire, which houses an extensive collection of authentic Bond vehicles as seen in the movies.

In Hampshire, Winchester Cathedral has appeared in films of recent years, doubling as the Vatican in The Da Vinci Code and featuring in Elizabeth: The Golden Age.

Having been featured on ITV since 1997, Midsomer Murders has since become one of the country’s best -loved British television series.  Popular filming locations for the series include South Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, where fans of the popular book and TV series can explore behind the scenes and visit the filming locations.

If you're looking for a location Painshill is a popular location for photo shoots, TV drama and feature films. The magnificent 158 acres of 18th century landscape include; formal gardens, beautiful woodland, an alpine valley, as well as unusual follies (a Ruined Abbey, Gothic Temple, Gothic Tower, Turkish Tent, a crystal Grotto and more…), interesting garden buildings, features and statues, a 2.5 acre vineyard and 14 acre lake.

Famous Actors

Harry Andrews was born in Tonbridge in Kent in 1911 and is best known for his parts in Moby Dick, Ice Cold in Alice and The Devil's Disciple.

Sir Laurence Oliver, known for roles in Wuthering Heights and Rebecca, as well as many Shakespearian plays, was born in Dorking in Surrey in 1907.

Kate Winslet, star of Titanic, was born in Reading in Berkshire in 1975.  She also had her wedding reception at the Crooked Billet pub in Oxfordshire.

Colin Firth was educated in Winchester in Hampshire, and is is known for Bridget Jones’s Diary but will always be remembered as Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice – and that wet shirt scene!