Movies Filmed in the Lake District
IT'S no surprise that many movies are filmed in the Lake District. The range and diversity of stunning landscapes packed into a small area makes it a perfect choice for directors. So do you have a favourite that was filmed in the Lake District? Here’s a few of ours.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
Maybe the most dramatic scene of all that’s been filmed in the Lake District is here when those two X-Wing fighters zip across a lake in front of Walla Crag. In fact, two lakes, Derwentwater and Bassenthwaite, were merged in the movie to create the forested planet of Takodana. That's what directors can do, play around with our geography. You can see Skiddaw, our fourth highest mountain, in some of the shots. When Rey (Skywalker) arrives at Maz Kanata's Castle on Takodana for the first time, she says: “I didn’t know there was so much green in the whole galaxy.” Yep! That’s thanks to all the rain that makes us the LAKE district.
Withnail and I (1987)
Withnail and I (1987)
The most weird and wonderful cult classic from the 1980s, Withnail and I remains as outrageously funny after all this time. It is largely set in and around Penrith, but most of the filming was done at Shap and Bampton, in the northeastern corner of Lake District. For those still unaware, the film stars Richard E Grant and Paul McGann as Withnail and Marwood, two unemployed actors. The plot, for what it’s worth, revolves around their decision to take a holiday in Withnail’s Uncle Monty’s cottage in the country in a bid to escape their uneventful lives. That's actually Sleddale Hall. Don’t ask what happens next. Just watch it!
Miss Potter (2006)
Miss Potter (2006)
Miss Potter starred Renee Zellweger in the title role in this charming film about the life of Beatrix Potter. Her children’s books were themselves located all around the Lakes, and the film locations included Loughrigg and Grasmere as well as Yew Tree Farm near Coniston, which was once owned by Miss Potter herself. Her most famous creation, Peter Rabbit, was made into a film in 2018 starring James Corden, Daisy Ridley and Margot Robbie, and parts of it were filmed around Ambleside and Windermere.
Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)
Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)
Snow White and the Huntsman, directed by Rupert Sanders and starring Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron and Sam Claflin was shot partly shot in the Langdale valley, at Blea Tarn and Cathedral Cavern in Little Langdale. This is not a comfortable fairy tale. But it's a new twist on the traditional story about the Huntsman who was ordered to take Snow White into the woods to be killed, ends up becoming her protector, and they join forces to try and vanquish the Evil Queen.
Paddington 2 (2017)
Paddington 2 (2017)
As the steam-powered train chase picks up in Paddington 2, you will see the trains power through the Cumbrian countryside around Ullswater. So says one report. But hold on? As regular Cedar Manor visitors will know, there aren’t any train lines around Ullswater. The west coast main line via Shap, though, would certainly fit the bill. Paddington 2 was also filmed in Primrose Hill, along Camden’s canals and on Portobello Road. Action-packed (and marmalade-filled) scenes were also shot at two historic jails, several London landmarks and on other railway lines across England. Not at all bad for a little bear from darkest Peru. In fact it’s not the Lakes at the heart of the train chase, but Nidd Gorge Viaduct (Bilton Viaduct over the River Nidd in North Yorkshire, near Harrogate). But we'll leave it in cos Paddington is so cute. Stars Hugh Grant, Hugh Bonneville, Brendan Gleeson, and the voice of Ben Whishaw as the Bear.
Swallows and Amazons (1974)
Swallows and Amazons (1974)
The remake in 2016 of Arthur Ransome's classic story also used some Lakes locations, but the original film is the one that’s stayed in the hearts of all generations for nearly 50 years. As Ransome did himself, the film plays around with the geography of the Lakes. If you’re in the know, you’ll recognise Peel Island on Coniston, as Wild Cat Island. And “Rio bay” as Bowness. But if the children are sailing on Windermere or Coniston, how come we can see the path up to Catbells in the background? That’s Derwentwater. It doesn’t matter at all, though. Sophie Neville, who starred as Titty in the film and went on to be a director and writer, wrote a whole book about the filming of this movie, which starred Virginia McKenna and Ronald Fraser.