Basingstoke and Deane may not be the first location that springs to mind when you are looking to film but you may be surprised to find out what has previously been filmed in the borough.

North of the town centre is Stratfield Saye House where the battle scenes were shot for wartime epic, War Horse. The impressive Highclere Castle was home to Lord and Lady Grantham in ITV drama Downton Abbey. The Monuments Men was filmed at Bramley Camp and scenes for Pride and Prejudice and Zombies were shot at Basing House. Amazon also made use of the iconic grade II listed ‘Plant’ building known locally as the ‘Hanging Gardens of Basingstoke’ to film Citadel.

Lots of other films, tv shows, bloggers and commercials have also used Basingstoke and Deane as their shooting location.

Planning your next filming project?

Whether you are a blogger, film maker or business, make sure you think about Basingstoke and Deane for your next project. With great transport links, beautiful countryside and interesting locations, it’s perfect. Here are just some of the beautiful locations you could consider:

Chilton Manor Farm offers a diverse range of spaces to suit many briefs including parkland, the café, barn and loft. There are expansive views from fields of corn, enchanting woodland, to the backdrop of their vintage gypsy caravan.

With acres of beautiful scenery, elegant English charm and homely atmosphere, Silchester Farm has everything you can expect from a luxurious countryside venue, perfect for film shoots that need a touch of splendour in a rural setting.

We have two National Trust properties in the borough which can be used as film locations. Sandham Memorial Chapel in Burghclere is a 1920s red-brick chapel complex containing murals painted by Stanley Spencer, depicting his First World War experiences. The Vyne is a grand Tudor house with additions from other centuries set in attractive gardens. It also features woodland and lakes.

Hampshire Cultural Trust run Milestones Museum and Basing House, both of which are available for filming and have on-site parking, facilities and provision for catering and green rooms.  At Milestones Museum you’ll find life-sized immersive cobbled streets, the ‘world famous’ Milestones Pier, Teddy Bear Museum, vintage vehicles from Thornycroft and industrial objects, an operating pub, 1940s sweet shop and more. The museum is split across two levels and contains the detailed recreation of life from the Victorian times through to the 1930s and 1940s, with buildings, shops and vehicles recreated and restored. Just a short walk along the river Loddon lies Basing House, located in Old Basing. Basing House is a versatile location featuring, brick-lined fishponds, a battle-scarred Great Barn, dating from 1535, meadow and the ruins of the once great main house. The ruins are set in extensive 14-acre grounds alongside a Jacobean walled garden, visitor centre, cow byre and the Basing House Museum which holds artefacts found on the site and the full story of the house.

Thinking about filming somewhere a bit different? Looking for a spot to make your viewers gasp? Take a look at iFLY Basingstoke. It isn’t your average studio, though. It’s an indoor skydiving centre, so you’ll be able to shoot breathtaking aerial shots and scenes. You’ll no doubt have your audience sitting on the edge of their seats!

Looking for a prestigious Green Flag status park to film in? Basingstoke has three to choose from.

In Eastrop Park you will find a boating lake, tree trail, trim trail, children’s play area and a paddling pool and with the River Loddon running through the park, feeding into a balancing pond in the wildlife area you will have a great choice of backdrops

The War Memorial Park is a historic Georgian park that has an attractive parkland landscape of mature trees and garden features, it also has a bandstand, aviary, play area, BMX/skatepark, sports pitches and all-weather tennis courts.

Beggarwood Woodland Park is a 24-hectare site designated as a Local Nature Reserve, with many fantastic recreational facilities.

How to go about it

1. Look for your location – you’ll find some ideas above but you can also contact Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council for ideas. Most locations will look at applications on a case-by-case basis.
2. Once you’ve decided on your location, if it is on council land, a highway or in one of the borough’s beautiful parks, you’ll need to get in touch with the council to arrange permits, permissions, filming agreements and risk assessments. They encourage filming within the borough, supporting local film makers, festivals and industry related events.
3. If you are filming on a highway, read Hampshire County Council’s guidelines here.
4. If you need any support or have any questions about filming in the borough, the council is there to help and can be contacted at business@basingstoke.gov.uk or 01256 845356.

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council is proud to be a member of the Filming in England Partnership working with Filming in England, part of Creative UK Group, welcoming filming to Basingstoke and Deane, ensuring cooperation and commitment to assist productions to film on location. 

The Filming in England Partnership exists to connect different organisations across England, outside of London, in order to create a film-friendly environment.

Written April 2024, updated July 2024