-Marion-Sidebottom160720-1200x480.jpg "The Hythe Quay, Maldon")
The Maldon District regularly features on screen, whether it be on film or television programmes. The landscapes of the Saltmarsh Coast are often used in various films and the district's maritime heritage is usually showcased in documentaries. Movies filmed in the district include 'The Mercy' and 'The Woman in Black', and television programmes include 'Britain at Low Tide', 'Tales from the Coast with Robson Green, 'Liar', 'Great Expectations' and 'Britain Afloat'.
FILM
THE THIRD DAY
Osea Island is part of the story in the new six-part psychological thriller The Third Day - starring Jude Law, Naomie Harris, Emily Watson, Paddy Considine and Katherine Waterston.
Created by Dennis Kelly and Felix Barrett, directed by Philippa Lowthorpe and Marc Munden, this groundbreaking series from Sky Studios in collaboration with HBO, Plan B and Punchdrunk, will be told by three stand alone but inter-connected stories, not only on the screen but also in an innovative theatrical broadcast!
It’s not for the faint hearted and all is not what it seems...
Watch on HBO, Sky Atlantic and NowTV!
THE MERCY
Starring Colin Firth and Rachel Weisz, 'The Mercy' is a biographical drama film based on the true story of amateur sailor Donald Crowhurst. The film shows Crowhurst's disastrous attempt to complete the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race in 1968 and his subsequent attempts to cover up his failure to complete the journey.
Filming locations in Maldon include the Down Yard Boat Yard, Hythe Quay, Heritage Marine and the Ironworks Building.
'The Mercy' was directed by James Marsh, who also directed the multi award-winning film 'The Theory of Everything' (2014) and the documentary 'Man on Wire' (2008).
The 2012 horror film 'The Woman in Black' starred Daniel Radcliffe and was directed by James Watkins. This is the second adaptation of Susan Hill's horror novella of the same name which was published in 1983.
The production moved to several locations in the UK, including Northamptonshire, Yorkshire and Essex. The fictional Nine Lives Causeway leading to Eel Marsh House was filmed at the causeway of Osea Island. The causeway itself was originally built by the Romans, and the island used to be called 'Uvesia.'
LAWLESS HEART
'Lawless Heart' is a 2001 British film starring Bill Nighy, Douglas Henshall and Tom Hollander. The film was extensively shot in the Maldon District, particularly in Maldon and along its High Street, as well as the causeway of Osea Island, along the coastal marshes of the Dengie Peninsula and north of the Blackwater Estuary near Goldhanger.
A PATTERN OF ROSES
'A Pattern of Roses' is a 1983 TV movie based off the 1972 children's novel of the same name, and is about teenagers Tim and Rebecca who investigate a ghost story involving a boy who mysteriously died in 1910. Filming took place at Braxted Park and St. Nicholas & St. Mary's Chapel in Little Braxted. The movie was also the first significant on screen role for Helena Bonham Carter.
TELEVISION
Channel 4's 'Britain at Low Tide', featured the wrecked barges on the River Blackwater by the Promenade Park in Maldon. On the third episode of the first series, the programme showcases Essex and also the Blackwater Estuary. Throughout the series, Tori Herridge and Alex Langlands explore Britain's coastal archaeology, revealing stories from our extraordinary maritime, industrial and natural history.
The programme also highlights the excellent work that CITiZAN’s (Coastal and Intertidal Zone Archaeological Network) dedicated network of volunteers are doing. CITiZAN is the first systematic national response to the threat of erosion to significant archaeological sites along the coast and its tidal estuaries. The CITiZAN project focuses on exposed archaeological sites such as the remains of prehistoric forests, Roman buildings, ancient salt-working sites, lost medieval ports, fishing settlements, coastal defences from both World Wars and countless abandoned boats, barges and ships.
BBC's television drama 'Great Expectations' from 2011 was a three-part adaptation of the novel of the same name by Charles Dickens. This drama starred Gillian Anderson as Miss Havisham, Ray Winstone as Magwitch, Douglas Booth as Pip, Vanessa Kirby as Estella, and also David Suchet as Jaggers.
The production of the drama filmed in Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire, Kent, Bedfordshire and Essex. The Gargery House/Forge was built on marshland to the east of Tollesbury. Filming also took place on the Tollesbury marshes with Ray Winstone, who played the escaped convict Abel Magwitch.
The beginning of 'Great Expectations' shows Young Pip who is out on the marshes when he meets escaped convict Abel Magwitch, who then tells Pip to steal a file so that he can remove his shackles. When Pip returns with the file, he also brings along a mutton pie with him, much to Magwitch's amazement.
'Tales from the Coast with Robson Green' featured Maldon and the Blackwater Estuary on its series finale. Robson visited Essex and Suffolk, exploring one of the most varied coastal landscapes in Britain. Filming took place in Maldon where Robson followed the route of the Maldon Mud Race, finding himself knee deep in the mud. The programme also showed numerous aerials shots of the Blackwater Estuary and its saltmarsh landscape.
Discover Tollesbury, as seen on ITVs 'Liar' which is a psychological thriller about a teacher and a surgeon who go on a date that has far-reaching consequences for the couple and the people around them as lies and secrets are revealed.
Joanne Froggatt, known from Downton Abbey, plays Laura Nielson who is a dedicated teacher unsure about getting back on the dating scene. Ioan Gruffudd, known from Fantastic Four, plays Andrew Earlham, a handsome and renowned surgeon whose son is a pupil at Laura's school.
The opening scene of the drama was filmed in Tollesbury and features Laura kayaking through the saltmarshes at high tide. There are several panoramic shots of Tollesbury's landscapes throughout the show. A crucial moment of the series was filmed in the dark boat shed and subsequent scenes showcase the sail lofts and Tollesbury Marina.
The shocking finale to the series again features Tollesbury saltmarshes, this time at low tide and it was reportedly the toughest scene to shoot. Work has already begun on the second series, and it is possible that production will return to Tollesbury to resolve the cliffhanger ending.
THE MURDER GAME
'The Murder Game' is a 2003 reality television series which was set in the fictional town of Blackwater, where a woman has been murdered and ten contestants are set the challenge of finding the killer. The series was filmed in Maldon, and the fictional town's name came from the River Blackwater.
LOVEJOY
'Lovejoy' is a comedy-drama series which ran from 1986 to 1994 with six series and 71 episodes. The show is about a roguish antiques dealer based in East Anglia called Lovejoy, who is played by Ian McShane. Several episodes were filmed in various locations in Essex, and one episode was filmed in Maldon.
THAMES SAILING BARGES
-Marion-Sidebottom160720-960x303.jpg "Thames Sailing Barges at the Hythe Quay")
The iconic Thames Sailing Barges have featured both on film and on television. The barge Xylonite was used in Christopher Nolan's WWII blockbuster 'Dunkirk'. The film depicts the Dunkirk evacuation of Allied soldiers, code-named Operation Dynamo, which took place in 1940. The barge Xylonite wasn't actually involved in the Dunkirk evacuation but was used for filming due to its more historically accurate interior.
The Thames Sailing Barge Trust's barge Pudge took part in the Dunkirk evacuation of 1940, and though an explosion lifted Pudge out of the water, the barge managed to take survivors on-board and return to England. The trust's barge Centaur went to Dover to join the other ships preparing for the evacuation, but was unfortunately damaged by another vessel whilst berthed there and was unable to cross the Channel.
The barges were also shown on BBC's 'Britain Afloat' which was a six part series exploring the regional distinctiveness of boat design around the country. The Thames Sailing Barges of Maldon were featured on the documentary and detailed the barge's history of trade around London and the South East coast.
STOW MARIES GREAT WAR AERODROME
Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome is Europe's largest surviving WWI aerodrome and has been greatly restored over the last few years. The aerodrome is open to the public year round and also hosts events throughout the year for all the family to enjoy.
The aerodrome is known not only for its aviation and historical significance, but also its wildlife significance. Its surrounding area has conservation areas and is home to a group of barn owls. Russell Savory, who originally helped to buy the 100 acre site, has over 300,000 stills and spent eight years taking photographs of these owls. Savory is featured in the Channel 5's 'The Secret Lives of Owls' which is a two-part documentary. The video shown to the left is by Russell Savory and showcases wildlife and nature in the Maldon District.
Stow Maries Aerodrome is home to several planes which have been featured in films over the years, and the site has been used for other television documentaries including most recently, 'Nazi Megastructures' for National Geographic.
-Marion-Sidebottom161020-320x200.jpg "Maldon High Street")
FILM, TV & PHOTO SHOOTS
We welcome filmmakers to the Maldon District. As a Council, we are keen to ensure your shoot runs as smoothly as possible and can support a broad range of filming requests, including permissions, from photo shoots, short films and commercials to TV dramas and even feature films.
For more information, please visit the Maldon District Council website.
