insideKENT Magazine Issue 132 - April 2023 | Page 52

KENTSTAYCATION
LIGHTS , CAMERA , STAYCATION CONT .
When it comes to history and biopics , Kent again falls centre stage . Dover Castle , Penshurst Place and Knole House all played host to Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johanssen in The Other Boleyn Girl ( 2008 ), but it is Anne ’ s real home of Hever Castle ( www . hevercastle . co . uk ) that guests can today see the costumes used in the film alongside the ancient prayer books belonging to the ill fated wife of Henry VIII - a brand new exhibition for 2023 . Penshurst Place ( www . penshurstplace . com ) not only saw the making of this Tudor spectacular , but also saw Margot Robbie and Saoirse Ronan film scenes set in the Baron ’ s Hall and the Inner Courtyard for Mary Queen of Scots ( 2018 ). Medieval Baron ’ s Hall is shown at the start of the official trailer for Mary Queen of Scots , providing an atmospheric backdrop for Mary ’ s execution , one of the pivotal scenes in the film . The Inner Courtyard was used to showcase the solemn procession of spectators waiting to witness Queen Mary ’ s execution . Guests can visit Penshurst to get a real feel for this Elizabethan drama and then delight in some coffee and cake at the Porcupine Pantry . Other starlets to visit Kent for their work include Keira Knightly , who filmed Pride and Prejudice ( 2005 ) at Groombridge Place ( www . groombridgeplace . com ), which featured as the slightly disorganised yet cosy Longbourn House ; Emma Roberts who filmed Wild Child ( 2008 ) at Cobham Hall School ( www . cobhamhall . com ); and Michelle Williams who starred in My Week with Marilyn ( 2011 ) at Saltwood Castle ( www . saltwoodcastle . com ).
However , the place credited as being the stage for the most blockbusters in Kent is the transformative movie set of Chatham Historic Dockyard ( www . thedockyard . co . uk ). Countless films have been created on the carefully constructed streets made to resemble those of the past , including titles such as Les Miserables ( 2012 ), The Mummy ( 2017 ), Sherlock Holmes ( 2009 ) and The Golden Compass ( 2007 ). Popular TV series have also utilised the adaptable location to set the scene too , including Netflix ’ s Bridgerton and brand new Enola Holmes with Millie Bobby Brown , as well as Call the Midwife , a set which fans can now visit themselves .
CORONATION GOWN FROM THE 1998 FILM , ELIZABETH
HEVER CASTLE
CATHERINE OF ARAGON AND ANNE BOLEYN ’ S BOOKS OF HOURS
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CALL THE MIDWIFE SET IN CHATHAM HISTORIC DOCKYARD