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Lucinda Stucley
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The Hartland Abbey Estate as a location for filming and events

BBC Filming of ‘Sense and Sensibility’
During May 2007 the BBC spent three weeks here for the filming of Jane Austen’s classic, ‘Sense and Sensibility’, adapted by Andrew Davis. Janet McTeer, Mark Williams and a star studded cast braved the rain and gales which May so cruelly provided for them! Our car park was the unit base with all the usual paraphenalia associated with filming – huge lorries for make up, catering and costume, actors’ Winnebagos, horses, carriages etc; it was very exciting! The donkeys had a particularly good time; the smart horses used in the film arrived with some very special hay most of which was stolen by the very greedy donkeys! Our visitors were amazed to see actors and actresses wandering about in period costume or coachmen buying ice creams; it was certainly an added attraction. At the end of the week all the huge vehicles cleverly departed without leaving a sea of mud for which we are eternally grateful.

Blackpool Mill Cottage was transformed with some beautiful additions and a particularly lovely seaside garden. The BBC screened this in the spring 2008 and it certainly was a wonderful production.

Picture Gallery

Hartland Abbey has been used not only as a location but also as a production base.  It contains many different periods of architecture and decoration from mediaeval to Georgian, Regency and Victorian with a strong Gothic influence.  There is plenty of hard-standing near to the house for vehicles and the Abbey has 24 telephone lines which can be reconnected at any time. Helicopters can land within 100 metres of the Abbey.

The Abbey, Hartland Quay, Blackpool Mill and the estate have been used recently by German TV for Rosamunde Pilcher’s The Shell Seekers, for American Vogue (2004), The Dark ( a supernatural thriller 2004), BBC Hercules (2003), BBC A Natural History of Britain with Alan Titchmarsh (2003).  BBC Gardeners World, War Zone, The Shout, Water, An Element of Doubt and Treasure Island have all been filmed here in the past.  The Hartland coastline became a very convincing St Lucia in Water with Michael Caine, thanks to some well positioned palm trees!

Affeton Castle

Affeton Castle is also part of the estate and lies approx 10 miles south of Exmoor in totally unspoilt, hilly countryside.  The small castle and its thatched, Devon longhouse is situated on top of a hill overlooking the a spectacular river valley.  Surrounded by 1,000 acres of traditional farmland with wooded valleys, it is in a very peaceful part of the county with virtually no sights or sounds of modern life.