Norfolk Film Locations

Norfolk (and some Suffolk) Film and TV Locations
A Cock and Bull Story Heydon Hall	Filmed at Felbrigg, Blicking and Heydon Halls in 2004. Based on Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne and starring Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon and Gillian Anderson.
A Warning to the Curious (1972)	Adaptation of M.R. James ghost story. It was directed by Lawrence Gordon Clark and features St Mary's Church at Happisburgh.
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes	TV production which used Burgh Castle near Yarmouth as a location.
Alan Partridge	The TV series incorporated film of Norwich railway station, Norwich Cathedral and the River Bure at Wroxham.
Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa (2013)	Full-length movie spin-off from the original series - starring the eponymous Radio Norwich DJ. Used Cromer Pier and other locations in Norwich.
'Allo 'Allo!	Lynford Hall, near Mundford and Thetford Forest. Much loved BBC TV sitcom created by David Croft and Jeremy Lloyd which ran from 1982-1992. Lynford Hall provides the set for Rene's cafe in Nouvion. Denver Windmill also featured in the series - as did the railway bridge at Briston and Beeston Church.
All the King's Men (1999)	Sandringham, Sheringham, Cromer, Blickling, Burnham Deepdale and Holkham Hall. TV production starring David Jason and Maggie Smith. The atrocious Norfolk accents in the film prompted the formation of the Friends of Norfolk Dialect.
And Now for Something Completely Different (1971)	A number of the linking scenes featuring John Cleese at his desk were filmed in Norwich near the castle. They also used Elm Hill for the Beethoven sketch. Another Cleese film with a Norwich connection is the road-movie Clockwise - in which he stars as a headmaster heading for a conference in Norwich. However, the film was actually shot in Shropshire.
Atonement (2007)	Scene filmed at Walpole St. Andrew near King's Lynn - recreating a WW2 massacre at Dunkirk. The film starred James McAvoy and Keira Knightley and was based on the book by ex UEA Creative Writing student Ian McEwan.
Backs to the Land (1977-78)	Heydon. Anglia TV sitcom about the Women's Land Army which undertook agricultural work during WW2.
Barbarian Princess, The (2009)	Holkham Hall. Film telling the story of Hawaiian Princess Ka'iulani who flees civil war in her own country to come to Victorian England. Here she falls in love with an Englishman and then, eventually, heads back to Honalulu to fight in the conflict. Stars Q'orianka Kilcher and Shaun Evans.
Barnacle Bill (1957)	Ealing comedy starring Alec Guinness as a retired sea captain; filmed partly at Hunstanton.
Betjeman Goes By Train (1962)	The poet laureate travels on the (pre Beeching) line from King's Lynn to Hunstanton via Wolferton and Snettisham.
Big Six, The (1984)	BBC TV adaptation of Arthur Ransome's children's detective story. Directed by Andrew Morgan.
Campion (1990)	LWT series featuring Peter Davison as the affable detective Albert Campion and based on the books by Margaret Allingham. Employed scenes in Loddon and Hales.
Challenge Anneka	In 1990 the maniacally cheerful presenter repainted Happisburgh Lighthouse using the wrong type of paint.
Chief, The (1990)	Anglia TV police drama starring Tim Piggott-Smith (and then Martin Shaw). Set in East Anglia, it used locations in Norwich, Great Yarmouth and Gorleston.
Conflict of Wings (1954)	Conservation comedy set in Norfolk and starring John Gregson and Muriel Pavlow. It used locations at Ludham, at Wells beach and at West Raynham. Locals fight to protect an island in the marshes which has been ear-marked as a target range by the RAF.
Conspirator (1949)	Film starring Elizabeth Taylor and Robert Taylor. It utilised Cley windmill and the North Norfolk marshes.
Coot Club (1984)	BBC TV adaptation of Arthur Ransome's classic children's adventure story - set in the Norfolk Broads. Directed by Andrew Morgan and starring Rosemary Leach as Mrs Barrable and Julian Fellowes as one of the Hullabaloos. Horning featured (appropriately) in the film.
Cuckoo (2009)	Locations at Great Yarmouth, Norwich and UEA and starring Richard E. Grant, Laura Fraser and Tamsin Greig. The film concerns Polly - a medical student who is going mad. The film was written and directed by Richard Bracewell.
Dad's Army	Thetford. Many of the external scenes from Dad's Army where filmed in Thetford or the surrounding area. Particular locations include: Thetford Guildhall (Walmington-on-Sea Town Hall), Nether Row, The Bell Hotel, The Anchor Hotel (now derelict), the Palace Cinema and the Stanford Battle Area. Lynford Hall, north of Mundford, was also used in the series - as it was in other David Croft productions including: 'Allo, 'Allo! and You Rang My Lord? Other Norfolk locations in Dad's Army include: Honington, Bardwell, Bressingham, Wacton, Brandon, Santon Downham, Oxburgh Hall and Weybourne. The series - which was created by Jimmy Perry and David Croft - ran from 1967 to 1977and each year the cast and crew would come up to Thetford and stay in the Anchor or Bell Hotels. See more locations on my new Dad's Army page...
Thetford Guildhall where the German pilot dangled in Time on Our Hands (1972)	The Anchor Hotel where the first scene of episode one The Man of the Hour (1968) was filmed.
Dad Savage (1998)	Film starring Patrick Stewart, which was filmed at Hunstanton, Wells lifeboat station, King's Lynn and Welney St Lawrence.
Dambusters, The (1954)	Classic WW2 film starring Richard Todd and Michael Redgrave. Some scenes were shot at Langham airfield in North Norfolk. The airfield, which is now deserted, lies between Langham and Cockthorpe. King's Lynn and the Wash also doubled as the Dutch coast.
David Copperfield (2000)	King's Street, King's Lynn. TV series starring Bob Hoskins and Nicholas Lyndhurst.
Dean Spanley (2008)	Film starring Peter O' Toole and Sam Neill and directed by Toa Fraser. Set in Victorian England, the film concerns a father-son relationship (via canine reincarnation) and employs locations at Holkham Hall, Peckover House, Wisbech (Cambridgeshire), Elveden Hall (Suffolk), Elm Hill and the Cathedral Cloisters in Norwich. It's a delightfully off-beat movie with a great script and great acting. The film is based on the book by Lord Dunsany (1878-1957) which was first published in 1936.
Defence of the Realm (1985)	RAF Lakenheath. Starred Denholm Elliott, Gabriel Byrne and Robbie Coltrane.
Devices and Desires (1991)	Anglia TV mini series starring Roy Marsden (as Commander Adam Dalgliesh) and based on the book by P.D. James. Also starred Susannah York (as Meg Dennison) and Gemma Jones (as Alice Mair). Featured many Norfolk locations including: Cley Mill (Larksoken Mill), Great Yarmouth, Holkham Beach, Wells, Salthouse and Norwich Cathedral. Unfortunately it was badly acted and melodramatic. Dalgliesh inherits a remote Norfolk windmill from his aunt Jane, but his tranquillity is soon disturbed by a serial killer known as 'The Whistler'. One of the victims is a worker at the Larksoken Nuclear Power Station.
Die Another Day (2002)	Burnham Deepdale. James Bond movie starring Pierce Brosnan and Halle Berry. Farmland here was transformed into a North Korean paddy field. RAF Marham was also used.
Diets That Time Forgot, The (2008)	Channel 4 documentary - hosted by Sir Roy Strong was filmed at Sennowe Hall and Park at Guist.
Drowning by Numbers (1988)	Film directed by Peter Greenaway which used locations at Thorpeness, Southwold (including the lighthouse) and the River Blyth.
Duchess, The (2008)	Holkham Hall, North Norfolk. Period drama directed by ex-UEA student Saul Dibb and starring Keira Knightley as Georgiana the Duchess of Devonshire. Also starring Ralph Fiennes, Hayley Atwell, Dominic Cooper and Charlotte Rampling. Locations on the Cley Marshes - a nature reserve owned by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust - were also used.
Eagle Has Landed, The (1976)	Parachute jumps were filmed over Holkham. The book was inspired by Jack Higgins' visit to North Norfolk and Blakeney in particular.
EastEnders (1998)	Long running BBC TV soap opera used Ludham Bridge Stores and locations at Horning for a holiday episode.
East of Ipswich (1987)	BBC drama written by Michael Palin and based on his own memories of seaside holidays in the 1950s. It was shot at Southwold in Suffolk.
Evacuees, The (1975)	BBC children's drama - which made use of Sheringham railway station.
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)	Elveden Hall (Suffolk). Directed by the legendary Stanley Kubrick and starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.
45 Years (2015)	Slow-paced, bitter-sweet love story starring Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay. Features many shots of central Norwich - including: London Street, St Benedict's, the Royal Arcade and the Assembly Rooms. Also features the Norfolk Broads. Iconic Norwich hardware shop Thorns is mentioned in the script.
Fighting with my Family (2019)	Written and directed by Stephen Merchant. Concerns a family of small-venue, Norwich-based wrestlers who try to break into the world of WWE. Scenes shot on Norwich Market and St James' Hill. Stars Dwayne Johnson.
Full Metal Jacket (1987)	Another Stanley Kubrick movie - this time about Vietnam. Contained a scene that was shot in the Norfolk Broads. A US helicopter flies low over a paddy field (the broads) - firing as it goes.
Glorious 39 (2009)	Wartime thriller starring Julie Christie, Romola Garai, Eddie Redmayne, Juno Temple and David Tennant. Directed and written by Stephen Poliakoff. It employs locations at Salthouse (St. Nicholas' Church) and Holkham Hall. However, the main location is Little Walsingham Abbey and Little Walsingham House.
Go Between, The (1970)	The main location was Melton Constable Hall in North Norfolk. However, the producers used a host of other classic Norfolk settings including Hickling Broad for the swimming scene, Thornage village green for the cricket match and the picturesque village of Heydon. When Leo visits Norwich with Marian the The Maid's Head Hotel in Wensum Street is used for lunch (just as in the novel). He then wonders round the cathedral close and the cathedral and also passes a horse auction on Tombland. Thorpe Station also puts in an appearance. The film starred Julie Christie and Alan Bates, was directed by Joseph Losey and was based on the novel by L.P. Hartley. The film script was written by Harold Pinter. The fictional Brandham Hall was actually based upon Bradenham Hall near Dereham - which Hartley visited as a child. See more about the Norfolk locations used on my new Go-Between page.
Goob, The (2015)	Edgy film set in the world of stock car racing.Written and directed by Guy Myhill, it features locations at Swaffham Raceway and Wisbech.
Great Expectations (1999)	Used the Coalhouse Barn at Thornham near Hunstanton as Pip's childhood home.
Grotesque, The (1995)	Film starring Alan Bates, Anna Massey, Sting and Trudie Styler. Used Heydon Hall as a location. Based on the novel by Patrick McGrath and featured Sting in nude scenes. Also used Norwich Guildhall, the old hospital in Bethel Street and the Halvergate marshes.
Gulliver's Travels	Elveden Hall near Thetford. TV production starring Ted Danson.
In Love With Alma Cogan (2011)	Film starring Keith Barron, Roger Lloyd Pack and Niamh Cusack; features Cromer lifeboat house and other locations at Wiveton.
Iris (2001)	Starred Judi Dench and Jim Broadbent and featured beach scenes at Southwold.
Jack the Giant Slayer (2013)	Fairytale adventure directed by Bryan Singer and starring Ian McShane, Bill Nighy, Nicholas Hoult and Ewan McGregor. Norwich Cathedral was used to create a medieval castle.
Jonathan Creek	Wangford and Wrentham in Suffolk. Classy BBC TV series starring Alan Davies and scripted by David Renwick. (Creek's windmill though is at Shipley in West Sussex.)
Julia (1977)	Oscar winning film starring Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave which was shot at Winterton-on-Sea (aka Cape Cod). Based on the novel Pentimento by Lilian Hellman.
Keeping Up Appearances	BBC TV sitcom - used Yarmouth Pleasure Beach.
Kingdom	Swaffham and Wells-Next-The-Sea. ITV series starring Stephen Fry as avuncular Norfolk solicitor Peter Kingdom. The series is set in the fictional town of Market Shipborough which is a composite of Swaffham town centre - including the 18th Century buttercross and Oakleigh House (Kingdom's office) - and the quayside in Wells. Stephen Fry also appears in the title sequence walking across Holkham Beach (which was also used for Shakespeare in Love). The Greyhound pub in Swaffham was transformed to become The Startled Duck. Hunstanton, Happisburgh Lighthouse, Dereham, Little Snoring Airfield and Thetford have also featured. Norfolk locations have also influenced the story lines e.g. the recent episode featuring nudists. There is a famous nudist beach at Holkham. The series also stars Celia Imrie, Hermione Norris (Beatrice Kingdom), Tony Slattery (as the cantankerous Sidney Snell) and Karl Davies as Lyle. The scripts were written by Jeff Povey. See more locations on my new Kingdom page....
The Kingdom Office, Swaffham.	Happisburgh Lighthouse
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)	Elveden Hall, Suffolk. Preposterous action movie starring Angelina Jolie and Daniel Craig. It was based on the computer game of the same name. Elveden Hall is used extensively as Lady Croft's family home. The hall, a beautiful Georgian country house, was once owned by the Maharajah Duleep Singh. (Now owned by Lord Iveagh.) The hall lies close to the notorious singletrack section of the A11 which passes through the village.
Living Daylights, The (1987)	Elveden Hall, Suffolk. James Bond movie starring Timothy Dalton.
Lost Prince, The (2003)	Holkham Hall and Weybourne Railway Station. Directed by Stephen Poliakoff.
Lovejoy Elm Hill	BBC TV series concerning the roguish but lovable antique dealer Lovejoy - played by Ian McShane. It was mainly filmed in Suffolk employing locations at Bungay, Bury St. Edmunds, Lowestoft, Lavenham, Newmarket and Somerleyton Hall. Lady Jane's home, Felsham Hall, was in reality Belchamp Hall south of Sudbury. However, Norfolk and Norwich make an occasional appearance - as in 'The Real Thing' (Series 1, Episode 7). This episode featured the Elm Hill area of the City.
Love on a Branch Line	1994 TV mini series based on the novel by John Hadfield. Used Oxburgh Hall, Heydon and Weybourne Station (Arcady).
Martin Chuzzlewit (1994)	The BBC TV production was filmed in King's Lynn - in the old waterfront section of the town.
Mill on the Floss, The	1997 BBC TV series based on the book by George Eliot and starring Emily Watson and Bernard Hill. Bintree Mill on the River Wensum was used. The walls of the mill were blackened to give it a distressed look. The mill lies in a beautiful, isolated location - closer to Guist than to Bintree.
Bintree Mill	Bintree Mill
Monty Python's Flying Circus	The sketch entitled 'The Idiot in Society' (aka the village idiot) in episode 20 was filmed at Heydon. John Cleese (dressed in smock) sits on the church wall and then falls off backwards into the churchyard. Part of the sketch was also filmed outside the cottage on the green which was such a key location in The Go-Between.
Moonstone, The (1996)	TV movie which featured Barningham Hall and Heydon Hall.
One of Our Aircraft is Missing (1941)	King's Lynn
Operation Crossbow (1965)	Film starring Sophia Loren - which made use of Holkham Beach. Purfleet Street in King's Lynn was also used.
Out of Africa (1985)	Castle Rising near King's Lynn was turned into Denmark. Film starring Robert Redford and Michael Gough.
Password is Courage, The (1962)	Starred Dirk Bogarde and made use of the STANTA Battle area near Thetford.
Peace and Conflict (2013)	Bio-pic about the composer and pacifist Benjamin Britten. Written and directed by Tony Britten and filmed at Gresham's School near Holt (Benjamin Britten's real alma mater). Also features Weybourne Station.
Poppyland (1985)	TV drama about Clement Scott, the 19th Century theatre critic, who popularised North Norfolk as a holiday destination. Directed by John Madden (see 'Shakespeare in Love') and starring Alan Howard as Scott, Phoebe Nichols as Louie Jermy (the Sidestrand mill owner's daughter who he fell in love with) and John McEnery as the outrageous poet Swinburne. Used locations at Cromer, Weybourne, Overstrand and Trunch.
Revolution (1985)	King's Street, King's Lynn was transformed into 18th Century New York. Directed by Hugh Hudson and starring Al Pacino, Natassia Kinski and Donald Sutherland. The film, which also used West Tofts and Ely, was a massive flop.
King's St, King's Lynn
Rolling Road. The (1926)	Silent film starring Carlyle Blackwell and Flora Le Breton; shot in Great Yarmouth.
Scouting Book for Boys, The (2009)	Celador Film about a girl who goes missing from a caravan site. Directed by Tom Harper and written by Jack Thorne. Shot mainly at Broadland Sands Holiday Park at Corton (near Lowestoft) but also Holkham Bay, Trimingham, Hunstanton, Beeston Regis, Gorleston, Kessingland and Great Yarmouth.
Secret of Eel Island, The	Small screen children's drama which was shot at Strumpshaw Fen and the Norfolk Broads. Made by Norwich-based Eye Film Co.
September Song	TV production shot in Cromer.
Shadows in the Sun (2009)	Low-budget film starring Jean Simmons and written by David Rocksavage (owner of Houghton Hall). Set in the 1960s, it makes use of locations at Walsingham, Holkham and Brancaster.
Shakespeare in Love (1988)	Holkham beach. Famous beach scene with Gwyneth Paltrow. Directed by John Madden and also starring Joseph Fiennes (as the bard) and Dame Judi Dench.
She Stoops to Conquer (2008)	New film version of Oliver Goldsmith's comedy - directed by Tony Britten - and filmed at Wiveton Hall near Blakeney.
Shuttered Room, The (1965)	Starred Flora Robson and Oliver Reed and controversially involved the burning down of Hardingham Mill.
Silver Fleet, The (1943)	King's Lynn.
Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1970s)	Runham Church featured in an xmas episode of this classic sitcom. Frank Spencer (played by Michael Crawford) disappears through a hole in the roof.
Springwatch (2008 and 2009)	Pensthorpe Nature Reserve lies on the A1067 near Fakenham. Popular BBC TV nature series presented by Bill Oddie, Chris Packham, Kate Humble and Simon King. Pensthorpe is home to one of Europe's best collection of endangered and exotic water birds - with over 120 species represented. It is located in the Wensum Valley and the site covers 200 acres. It is owned by Bill and Deb Jordan.
Stalls of Barchester, The	M.R. James ghost story - first shown on the BBC in 1971 - and shot at the church of St Peter Hungate, Princess Street, Norwich and in the Cathedral Close.
Stardust (2007)	The Briton's Arms in Elm Hill, Norwich was transformed into 'The Slaughtered Prince' with the addition of a thatched awning and some paintwork. All paint and structures had to be removed after the shoot. The rest of Elm Hill also featured as a street scene. Fantasy adventure film based on a story by Neil Gaiman and starring Clare Danes.
Briton's Arms
Tales of the Unexpected	TV series produced by Anglia Television between 1979-1988 - which employed many exterior locations in Norwich and Norfolk. The series was based on the stories of Roald Dahl: 25 were Dahl originals and 112 episodes were made in total. Dahl used to introduce each episode. (The famous fireside chat was filmed at the Magdalen Street studios - now occupied by Epic.) Specific locations included: Oxburgh Hall (The Vorpal Blade), Lime Tree Farm, Thurning (Royal Jelly), Norwich Union's Marble Hall (Completely Foolproof), Sennowe Park (Poison), North Walsham (Neville Wharton's Chemist), Upper St. Giles, Princes Street and Bowthorpe Cemetery in Norwich, Thetford Forest and Aylsham. In The Boy Who Could Talk to Animals, Hunstanton beach was turned into Jamaica and the giant turtle was operated by Peter Dukes - an Anglia TV employee.
Tarka the Otter (1979)	Scenes filmed on location at Bintree Mill on the River Wensum - near Fakenham. (See also Mill on the Floss)
Tomb of Ligeia, The (1964)	Castle Acre Priory. The film is a version of Edgar Allan Poe's ghost story. Directed by Roger Corman and starred Vincent Price and Elizabeth Shepherd.
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)	RAF Lakenheath. Bond movie.
Tulip Fever (2016)	Historical movie based on the novel by Deborah Moggach and set in 17th century Amsterdam. The cloisters at Norwich Cathedral were used extensively. The presbytery and south aisle also featured. The script was written by Tom Stoppard.
Uninvited, The	1997 ITV sci-fi drama starring Leslie Grantham and Douglas Hodge. Used locations in Norwich (Magistrate's Court, Orford Place and Golden Star Pub) and also at Lenwade.
Up Rising (2000)	Heydon village and Heydon Hall. Iffy ITV sitcom starring Anton Rodgers and Nicola Pagett.
Vanity Fair	TV production which was filmed at Barningham Hall near Holt, Rainthorpe Hall near Tasburgh, Heydon and at Thelveton Hall near Diss.
Weavers Green (1966)	Anglia TV soap opera which was filmed on location in the cul-de-sac village of Heydon. The show concerned a rural veterinary practice and provided an early role for Kate O'Mara. Also featured the railway station at North Elmham.
When Marnie Was There (2014)	Ghibli animation film based on the classic children's story by Joan G. Robinson. The film is set in Norfolk and features the Norfolk Broads and the Norfolk coast.
Whistle and I'll Come to You (1968)	Adaptation of M.R. James ghost story; directed by Jonathan Miller. Used the dunes at Waxham to great effect.
Wicked Lady, The (1945)	Filmed at Blickling Hall and starred Margaret Lockwood and James Mason.
Wilt (1989)	Film version of Tom Sharpe's comic novel starring Griff Rhys Jones as the eponymous hero, Alison Steadman as Eva Wilt and Mel Smith as Inspector Flint. The script was co-written by David Renwick and Andrew Marshall. External scenes were shot in Norwich - outside the City Hall and in St Augustines. Also used Horning, Ranworth and Thetford. Unfortunately, the film wasn't as funny as the book.
Witchfinder General, The (1968)	Violent film set during the Civil War and starring Vincent Price and Ian Ogilvy. Used St. John's Church, Rushford (near Thetford), Norfolk. Also features Knettishall Heath, Dunwich, Brandeston Church and Lavenham.
Yesterday (2019)	Struggling musician realises that he's the only person on earth who can remember The Beatles. Directed by Danny Boyle with a screenplay by Richard Curtis. Massive crowd scene filmed on Gorleston beach.

Supported by Norfolk Tourism

Home | About Us | Advertise on Literary Norfolk

Norfolk (and some Suffolk) Film and TV Locations