Film & TV

Epping Forest District has been host to a number of film locations, television programmes and as a background for advertising. It also has historical connections to famous people or events that have portrayed on screen.

Perhaps the busiest location has been North Weald Airfield which famously allowed a 360 degree pan without modern buildings getting in the way, making it the ideal for period airfield shots for films like Band of Brother and the location for the iconic film, Battle of Britain. Aircraft based on the airfield have themselves been the stars of history programmes. One of the hangers was also the home of the original Crystal Maze television hit whilst the runway itself has been the perfect location for motoring shows where they’ve needed to go a bit faster than is allowed on the road!

The Royal Gunpowder Mills has proved the ideal location for a range of settings. Scenes from the Bletchley Park film, Enigma, were filmed on the site and in honour of one particular location featuring the leading actors, a bridge is now known as Kate's Bridge after Kate Winslet. Another popular location for filming is the Epping Ongar Railway which has been used in a number of adverts and music videos using the trains, the interior of the carriages and the stations themselves.

Television has referenced local landmarks for many years with series like Birds of  a Feather putting Chigwell on the map, to be followed most recently by the filming of a new sitcom, 'King Gary'. Of course TOWIE has cemented the theme and created the TOWIE triangle encompassing Chigwell, Loughton and Buckhurst Hill.