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 recognised actors have called us home. Here's a selection of our tv and film locations, UK actors with South East connections and places to see movie memorabilia.

Filming Locations in South East

• 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, are some of the most famous movie locations in England thanks to the series of films.
• 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 Westminster Abbey in The Da Vinci Code and featuring in Elizabeth: The Golden Age.
• The village of Turville in Buckinghamshire was used as Dibley in the much-loved sitcom the Vicar of Dibley starring Dawn French.
• Ashdown Forest is famous as A. A. Milne's inspiration for 100 Acre Wood in the Winnie-the-Pooh stories and was used in the 2017 film Goodbye Christopher Robin.
• Blenheim Palace isn’t only one of the UK’s most popular visitor attractions, it has also played a starring role in more than a dozen movie blockbusters. The Oxfordshire UNESCO World Heritage Site has been the location for a host of hugely popular films ranging from Harry Potter and The BFG to James Bond and Mission Impossible.

Midsomer Murders

Since its first broadcast in 1997, Midsomer Murders has since become one of the country’s best-loved British television series.  Popular filming locations for the series include Thame in South Oxfordshire and  areas within Buckinghamshire, where fans of the popular book and TV series can explore behind the scenes and visit filming locations (no doubt constantly looking over their shoulders).

Downton Abbey

Hampshire's Highclere Castle is home to the hit ITV drama series Downton Abbey. Despite the show has now ended after five amazing years, there is still plenty to do and see at the Castle.

The hugely successful series had over 11 million viewers in the UK and was shown in over 100 countries around the world.

Oxfordshire is also home to some of the filming locations of Downton Abbey including Bampton and Greys Court.

Famous Actors from the South East

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 Olivier, 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!