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Have you ever thought that somewhere you're walking looks a bit familiar, but you've never been there before?
Could be that one of the stars from your favourite film or TV series has at one time trodden these same paths, or that a fictional battle scene took place right ahead of you! We have some beautiful landscapes in Sussex and Surrey so it's not surpising that movie makers have adopted many of these locations for the sets of their films.
Here are a few that I am aware of but sure there are more. And sorry for Southcentric focus but hopeuflly as the walks around the country increase we can have more lists throughout the UK too!
Most significantly for me was learning that the opening battle scenes for Gladiator were shot here. I love this film and as you walk into the bowl-like arena you can picture the troops lining the hills!
This location has a huge list of films and TV credits, including the opening sequence storming the castle in Ridley Scott's Robin Hood. Clearly a vision for a director's scope of a battle actually as the following films all had battle scenes filmed here: Thor, Dark World, Snow White and The Huntsman, Transformers the Last Knight, Napoleon.
This list goes on with Children of Men, Wonder Woman, War Horse, a couple of Harry Potter's, Sherlock Holmes....and on and on. A clear winner and great visit for film buffs.
Another area with quite a large film list is Hankley Common. I've only visited here the once in torrential rain but again it's a very unique landscape so you can see the appeal for movie set scouts. There's a large open heathland with criss-crossing paths, surrounded by a perimeter of trees and the colours are not typical, muted dull colours with browns and purples!
Most famously for me is Skyfall, and if you Google you'll see the scene I mean with the house right in the centre which is the setting for much of the ending of the film.
Many more credits including another James Bond, The World is Not Enough, along with The Man from U.N.C.L.E, 1917, Black Widow, Doctor Who and the absolute classic Soldier, Soldier.
Stately homes and grand manor's are often used for historical and period dramas so it may not be too much of a surprise that the spectacular house at Petworth Park has been a filming scene for Netflix's Bridgerton series, and another one for the Ridley Scott biopic Napoleon starring Joaquin Phoenix.
It's also been used for the Angelina Jolie fantasy epic Maleficent, and Mr. Turner starring Timothy Spall about the life of eccentric british painter J.M.W Turner.
Classic 1953 Sci-Fi movie The War of the Worlds written by HG Wells filmed the scene where the Martians first landed right here.
Walking through the woods, fairly close to the start of the walk there's a large clearing with a wide sandy area which Hank loved going nuts in, and I think this is the spot for this one as looks a bit surreal and out of place so you can see why.
They also filmed here again in homage to the orginal for the 2023 remake. No? I hadn't heard of that either! Not one to solely rely on reviews but at time of writing, a 3.2 IMDB score is not particulalry tempting me to go and check it out either!
Not particlarly a filming location here so a little bit of a cheat but Ashdown Forest including 100 Acre Wood and Pooh Sticks Bridge were of course the inspiration and setting for AA Milne's timeless Winnie the Pooh stories.
Just knowing this makes the area a really sweet nostalgic trip, and as you explore the Ashdown Forest area it is littered with references such as Piglet's Car Park, The Enchanted Place, Gill's Lap and a memorial to AA Milne.
True to the story, the forest was also used in the 2017 film Goodbye Christopher Robin about AA Milne's relationship with his son - Christopher Robin.
Stepping away from all that sticky sweetness and warm hearted nostalgia, horror fans will appreciate the attention to detail with the inspiration too for the 2023 slasher film: Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey which also had scenes filmed here!
