The Maldon District is a regular feature on screen, the landscapes of the Saltmarsh Coast can seen in many television and film productions and our maritime heritage is often the focus of documentary makers.
The District has provided the backdrop to many films including 'The Mercy' and 'The Woman in Black'. We have also appeared on television including 'Britain at Low Tide', 'Tales from the Coast with Robson Green, 'Liar', 'Great Expectations' and 'Britain Afloat'.
Did you know that we are also a creative england Filming in England Partner!

FILM
THE THIRD DAY
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!
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 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
A PATTERN OF ROSES
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.

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.


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
LOVEJOY
THAMES SAILING BARGES
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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
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.
FILM, TV & PHOTO SHOOTS
For more information, please visit the Maldon District Council website.