Surrey film locations

 Originally published in September 2008. Last updated March 2012.

Surrey has been used as a film location for many a blockbuster movie and the county's hotels, woods and villages are no stranger to visits from the Hollywood A-list. Here's just a few of the movies that have been, at least in part, filmed in Surrey

Compiled by Matthew Williams

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If you know of any other movies filmed in Surrey or stumble across a work in progress, get in touch by e-mailing matthew.williams@surreylife.co.uk, writing to the usual address or leaving a comment at the end of this piece. 

28 Days Later (2002)
Waverley Abbey, near Farnham
As a mysterious, incurable virus spreads throughout the UK, a handful of survivors try stop to find sanctuary in Surrey (well, for one scene at least).

47 Ronin (2012)
Frensham Ponds, near Farnham
The Keanu Reeves starring samurai movie was based at Shepperton Studios but also ventured further afield to Frensham Ponds. Tonnes of slate used in the film set was donated to be used as seating at the park that borders Shepperton Studios' backlot.

360 (2011)
Dunsfold Park, near Cranleigh
Hollywood actor Sir Anthony Hopkins took a moment out from filming 360 at Dunsfold Park (on their famous film-friendly Boeing 747 - see too, Casino Royale) to praise the efforts of the life-saving crew of Surrey Air Ambulance, who are based there.

44 Inch Chest (2009)
Ham House, Richmond
A jealous husband and his friends plot the kidnapping of his wife's lover in this caper starring John Hurt, Ray Winstone and Ian McShane. Scenes were shot at Ham House and somehow, a pair of Winstone’s boxer shots remain!

A Matter of Life and Death (1946)
Shere
Appearing briefly as Dr. Reeve's village, A Matter of Life and Death stars one-time Puttenham resident David Niven as a British wartime aviator - blink and you’ll miss the picturesque village.

A Night to Remember (1958)
Great Fosters, Egham
A group of wealthy people prepare for their doomed voyage on the Titanic at the luxurious Great Fosters hotel, Egham.

An American Werewolf in London (1981)
The Black Swan, Effingham
The Black Swan doubled as the ominously named Slaughtered Lamb in this cult classic starring Jenny Agutter and Brian Glover.

Basic Instinct 2 - Risk Addiction (2006)
Royal Holloway, Egham
Hollywood actress Sharon Stone was among the cast members who spent several days in the Founders Building at Royal Holloway which was used to double as a psychiatric Institute.

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2003)
Shere, near Dorking
Look closely at the final wedding scene and behind Renee Zellweger and co, and you'll spot the pretty St James's Church where 2007's Surrey Life carol concert was also held.

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Bourne Wood, near Farnham
While the bulk of this all American superhero flick was actually shot at Shepperton Studios, scenes were also filmed in our county's famous Bourne Woods.

Carrington (1995)
Winkworth Arboretum, near Godalming
The story of the relationship between painter Dora Carrington and author Lytton Strachey in a World War One England, starring Emma Thompson, featured scenes shot at the Surrey beauty spot.

Carry on Columbus (1992)
Frensham Ponds, near Farnham
We might not have any beaches in Surrey, but this didn't stop the makers of this classic Carry On film using Frensham Ponds, to the south of Farnham, to represent the American coastline.

Carry on Jack (1963)
Frensham Ponds, near Farnham
Starring Kenneth Williams and Bernard Cribbins, on this occasion Frensham Ponds was used to double up as the Spanish coastline.

Casino Royale (2006)
Dunsfold Park, near Cranleigh
Home to the popular BBC TV show Top Gear, Dunsfold Park, near Cranleigh, also doubled as Miami International Airport in the James Bond blockbuster, Casino Royale, starring Daniel Craig.

Children of Men (2006)
Bourne Wood, near Farnham
Dystopian science fiction film featuring Clive Owen and Leatherhead's own Michael Caine. The hideout of Jasper, played by Caine, was filmed in Bourne Woods.

Clash of the Titans 2 (2012)
Redlands Wood, Coldharbour
Based at Shepperton Studios for much of the filming, this movie starring Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes and Bill Nighy also ventured out into the Surrey countryside. Signs were spotted by the famous Dorking Cockerel roundabout.    

Close My Eyes (1991)
Newark Priory, Pyrford
Starring Alan Rickman and a picnic scene at Newark Priory, Pyrford, the cast then take a stroll along the Wey to Newark Lock. The grand party that is the stage for the film's climax was shot at Polesden Lacey, Great Bookham.

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The Da Vinci Code (2006)
Fairfield Halls, Croydon
Keep your eyes peeled in The Da Vinci Code, which starred Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou, and you might just spot the Fairfield Halls in Croydon, which was used to double as a lecture theatre.

The Dark Knight (2008)
Longcross, near Chertsey
Infamously, a stuntman was killed during filming at the QinetiQ site, Longcross, near Chertsey, in 2007.

The Dark Knight Rises (TBC)
Croydon
Delta Point in Croydon faces a Hollywood-style destruction for the latest instalment of the multimillion-dollar Batman movie series.

Dark Shadows (2012)
Bourne Wood, near Farnham
Tim Burton assembles an all star cast, including regular protagonists Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham-Carter, and decamps to Surrey.

Dorian Gray (2009)
Painshill Park, Cobham
The 18th century landscape garden's lakeside was transformed into Hampstead Heath for the Oscar Wilde adaption.

The Duchess (2008)
Clandon Park, East Clandon
Starring Keira Knightley in the title role, Fiennes as her husband and Hayley Atwell as his mistress, the cast spent several days at Clandon Park, which doubles for the former aristocratic residence Devonshire House in London.

Elizabeth, the Golden Age (2007)
Various
Cate Blanchett starring historical thriller filmed in part at Waverley Abbey, Bourne Woods and Frensham Little Pond.

Finding Neverland (2004)
Richmond Theatre, Richmond
One of a host of films to be shot at this famous theatre, Johnny Depp and co descended on Richmond for this semi-biographical film about playwright J M Barrie.

Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)
Betchworth, near Dorking
The beautiful St Michael's was one of three churches used in this classic romantic comedy that propelled Hugh Grant to international fame. Another was St Peter and St Paul, the Saxon church at Albury Park, Albury.

From Time to Time (2010)
Nonsuch Mansion, Cheam
Dominic West, Timothy Spall and Dame Maggie Smith star in this adaptation of Lucy M Boston’s magical Green Knowe books.

Gladiator (2000)
Bourne Wood, near Farnham
The opening battle scene of Ridley Scott's epic, starring Russell Crowe and former Surrey resident Oliver Reed, was filmed in Bourne Wood, near Farnham, where the wooded countryside provided the perfect substitute for the forests of Southern Germany.

The Golden Compass (2007)
Bourne Wood, near Farnham
One of the biggest films of 2007, some of the woodland scenes in The Golden Compass, starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, were shot at Bourne Wood.

Golden Eye (1995)
The Queen's Stand, Epsom Racecourse
The Queen's Stand at Epsom Racecourse has been used in several films, and on this occasion doubled up as a Russian army airport in this Bond classic.

Green Zone (2010)
Sandown Park, Esher
Matt Damon movie, Green Zone, features airport scenes at Saddam International Airport, which were actually shot at Sandown Park in Esher. Scenes also featured Windlesham's £70 million mansion, Updown Court.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
Virginia Water, near Egham
There was not much whinging to be heard in Virginia Water, as Harry spots a Hippogriff and later confronts the Dementors at the famous lake.

Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire (2005)
Virginia Water, near Egham
Scenes from the fourth instalment of The Goblet of Fire were filmed on the banks on Virginia Water lake (incidentally, Harry's only surviving relatives, The Dursleys, live in Little Whinging, a fictional town located in Surrey...).

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
Bourne Wood, near Farnham
The cast spent several days on location in Farnham for the filming of The Half-Blood Prince - though it didn't all go quite to plan... Filming suffered a setback when the set was "oversmoked" after the movie crew used too much special-effect fog and several scenes had to be reshot. Scenes were also shot at Surbiton train station.

Hippie Hippie Shake (2007)
Albury, near Guildford
Actress Sienna Miller caused a stir when she filmed a 'naked' scene in a pond at Albury, near Guildford, dressed in next to nothing.

The Holiday (2006)
Shere, near Dorking
Cameron Diaz and Jude Law were among a host of stars who descended on Shere for the filming of romantic comedy The Holiday. Several shops and the 15th century pub, The White Horse, appear in the film. Scenes were also shot in Godalming.

Hound of the Baskervilles (1959)
Frensham Ponds, near Farnham
Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee star in this version of the famous Sherlock Holmes tale, which paid a visit to Frensham Ponds during filming.

Howard's End (1992)
Royal Holloway, Egham
Starring Vanessa Redgrave, Helena Bonham Carter and Emma Thompson, as well as the stunning Founder’s Building at Royal Holloway.

Hugo (2011)
Shepperton Studios, near Walton-on-Thames
Martin Scorsese's first venture across the pond and in 3-D, too! Executive produced by Johnny Depp, delays in filming caused parking chaos at the famous studios as Captain America and Dancing on Ice were also on location.

Inception (2010)
Chertsey
No stranger to turning dreams into reality, the modern steel and glass lobby of a Chertsey building, previously used by gaming giants EA, was where Arthur demonstrates the paradox of the Penrose steps to Ariadne.

Iris (2001)
River Wey Navigation
True story of the lifelong romance between novelist Iris Murdoch and her husband John Bayley, starring Dame Judi Dence, Kate Winslet, Jim Broadbent and the River Wey.

The Iron Lady (2011)
Wentworth Estate
This quiet corner of Virginia Water got the Hollywood treatment when a house on the Wentworth Estate was transformed for Meryl Streep's biopic about former Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher.

Jack the Giant Killer (2012)
Bourne Wood, near Farnham
A modern day fairy tale in which the long-standing peace between men and giants in Farnham (well, during the filming at least) is threatened. Filming has also taken place at the Hampton Estate in Seale where a 30-foot bean stalk has been built.

John Carter (2012)
Ham House, Richmond
Celebrating its 400th anniversary in 2010, Ham House became the set of this Disney sci-fi.

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Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Chobham Common, Chobham
Peter O'Toole comes off his bike at the largest National Nature Reserve in the south-east, rather than, say, Morocco.

Love Actually (2003)
The Queen's Stand, Epsom Racecourse
Everyone's favourite scene in Love Actually - the bit where they show the arrivals hall at Heathrow Airport - was actually shot at Epsom Racecourse. Another airport in the film was actually Sandown Park in Esher, which was transformed into Milwaukee International Airport – apparently, if you freeze frame as Colin is coming out of the doors of the airport, you can see the Sandown Park logo on the doors.

Made in Dagenham (2010)
Fairfield Halls, Croydon
Starring Bob Hoskins, this dramatisation of the 1968 strike at the Ford Dagenham car plant, where female workers walked out in protest against sexual discrimination, was, in fact, partly made in Croydon.

The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997)
Dingwall Road, Croydon
In this film starring American actor Bill Murray, there is a scene where he is involved in a police chase on Croydon flyover and Dingwall Road.

Maybe Baby (2000)
The Queen's Stand, Epsom Racecourse
On this occasion, the distinctive building doubled as the BBC's offices in the Ben Elton directed film, Maybe Baby.

The Mummy (1999)
Frensham Ponds, near Farnham
Another film to feature the stunning Frensham Ponds – Surrey’s own landlocked sandy beach – is The Mummy, which stars Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz and John Hannah.

My Week with Marilyn (2011)
Parkside House, Englefield Green
Filmed at Parkside House, which Marilyn Monroe had rented during her stay in England in 1956 when she was filming The Prince and The Showgirl with Laurence Olivier, the screen siren’s visit to Surrey has been immortalised with this star-studded film by Simon Curtis.

Never Let Me Go (2011)
Ham House, Richmond
Andrew Garfield (raised in Epsom and taking the lead role in Spiderman 3), Carey Mulligan (Oscar nominated former Woldingham School pupil) and a certain Keira Knightley (who attended Esher College) star. Scenes were also shot at Hampton Court House in East Molesey.

The Omen (1976)
Guildford Cathedral, Guildford
Several scenes from this cult film, starring Gregory Peck and Lee Remick, were shot in the impressive building that is Guildford Cathedral.

Outside Bet (2012)
Sandown Park, Esher
Starring Jenny Agutter, Bob Hoskins and Lucy Drive, Outside Bet sees a life-long group of friends at the bad end of a redundancy pay-out and invest their savings into a racehorse. Scenes were shot at the Esher racecourse.

Reds (1981)
Frensham Ponds, near Farnham
A radical American journalist becomes involved with the Communist revolution in, erm, the usually tranquil Frensham Ponds – which provided the setting of a house in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Starring Warren Beatty and Diane Keaton.

Robin Hood (2010)
Bourne Wood, near Farnham
One of the many blockbusters to be filmed in these Farnham woods, Robin Hood saw Russell Crowe staying at Pennyhill Park in Bagshot and filming battle scenes in the woods, where a castle was temporarily erected. Filming also took place on the Hampton Estate around Elstead and at Virginia Water Lake.

Sex and Drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll (2010)
Runnymede Campus, Egham
Much of the Ian Dury biopic, Sex and Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll, was based at the Runnymede Campus, which was formerly part of Brunel University.

Sherlock Holmes 2 (2011)
Richmond Park, Richmond
Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law are set to reprise their roles as Holmes and Watson respectively, with Guy Ritchie filming at Richmond Park, Hampton Court Palace, East Molesey, and Bourne Woods, Farnham, among other locations. 

Skyfall (2012)
Hankley Common, near Elstead
Shooting has already taken place on MoD land near Elstead and dog walkers are currently running in to the construction of a Scottish Monastery.

Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)
Bourne Woods, Farnham
Twilight star Kristen Stewart leads a cast that have been busy shooting at Bourne Wood and Frensham Ponds, near Farnham for a twisted version of the fairy tale.

Spiceworld: the Movie (1997)
Ham House, Richmond
Richard E Grant joined the Spice Girls at the National Trust’s Ham House for this madcap musical adventure.

War Horse (2012)
Longcross Studios, Chertsey
Steven Spielberg has been filming his adaption of War Horse on set in Chertsey and also location shooting at an abandoned Wisley airfield (trench scenes) and at Bourne Woods, Farnham (an army base).

W.E. (2011)
Coverwood Lakes, Ewhurst
Pop star turned director Madonna, filmed scenes for her two-tiered romantic drama focusing on the affair between King Edward VIII and American divorcée Wallis Simpson at the privately owned lakes.

The World is Not Enough (1999)
Hankley Common, Elstead
The Pierce Brosnan starring Bond flick features action sequences, including the main pipeline explosion, filmed at Hankley Common.

World War Z (2012)
Dunsfold Park, near Cranleigh
Not only have Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie been making quite a stir in Richmond by moving to the town during filming, but Dunsfold Park was also invaded by zombies as part of the nightmarish post-apocalyptic film.

Young Victoria (2007)
Ham House, Richmond
A dramatization of the turbulent first years of Queen Victoria's rule, Ham House saw Rupert Friend, Miranda Richardson and Mark Strong on location for filming.

HAVE YOUR SAY!
If you know of any other movies filmed in Surrey or stumble across a work in progress, get in touch by e-mailing matthew.williams@surreylife.co.uk, writing to the usual address or leaving a comment below.

Members Comments

• Comment by: suelocke 11 May 2010 - 15:35

  Elizabeth, the Golden Age (2007) filmed at Bourne Woods (it was supposed to be Spain!) and also Frensham Little Pond was used for building the Armada scenes.
  Army buildings on Hankley Common used for a Bond movie (Die Another Day? Not sure) in the early 2000's.
  Children of Men (2006) filmed in Bourne Woods

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• Comment by: MatthewWilliams 12 May 2010 - 10:46

  Thanks very much for the suggestions Sue; researched and added.

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• Comment by: TheGrumpyMole2 03 August 2010 - 22:12

  I heard that parts of Gulliver's Travels were filmed around Weybridge. I'm sure there were a couple of other Da Vinci Code settings, but I can't remember where..

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• Comment by: TheGrumpyMole2 03 August 2010 - 22:14

  Try to post another one but apparently, it's unsuitable content. I suppose I can understand why it was construed that way but it was a legit and very popular film with Brad Pitt that was apparently filmed in part near Warlingham - I don't have any proof of this though.

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• Comment by: Anro 19 October 2010 - 12:02

  A lot of movies have been filmed at Ham House http://beta.nationaltrust.org.uk/home/item251542/

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• Comment by: MareeP 27 January 2011 - 22:22

  'Foster', a new film due out in 2011 and starring Toni Collette, Richard E Grant, Ioan Gruffud & Hayley Mills, was filmed in part at Frensham Heights School near Farnham. Some scenes were also filmed at Legoland Windsor.

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• Comment by: surreyPam 21 March 2011 - 01:34

  Do you know if beautiful scenes by tree-lined river in the Boorman film "Hope and Glory" , when the family stayed with grandparents after they were bombed out in the blitz, were in Surrey and if so where? River Wey? Wisley?
  and what of the bucolic scene at the end of "Careful He Might Hear You" with Alan Rickman, Saskia Reeves, and Clive Owen - when they gather at Sinclair's summer property for an outdoor party? Is that in Surrey?
  
  ... how beautiful both these scenes are.

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• Comment by: suelocke 21 March 2011 - 16:10

  surreypam, the Rickman film is Close My Eyes and yes the picnic scene is at Newark Priory, Pyrford and they then walk along the Wey to Newark Lock. Sinclair's house in the film is actually on the Thames next to Marlow Bridge, Bucks and the picnic scene where Rickman and Owen go on the boat trip is filmed on an island on the Cliveden Reach of the Thames. The final party scene is filmed at Cliveden. (One of my favourite films!)

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• Comment by: tripston 20 May 2011 - 14:42

  Never knew there was so many big film locations in Surrey. I will definitely have to check some out!

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• Comment by: Sirtaggy 21 May 2011 - 06:09

  I have seen many film sets in & around surrey, some times when watching a film you just get a short clip & you right away where it is. Best one for me in 2009 was Robin Hood. Have a look http://youtu.be/0qSv39ri9U4

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