South West filming boom benefitting region

The South West has become a popular filming location for TV and films

A rise in TV and film productions being shot in the South West has boosted the region in many ways, experts say.

The area has become an increasingly popular destination to be used as a backdrop for productions of all sizes ranging from small independent short films to Hollywood blockbusters.

Among recent examples is The Roses, released on Friday, which used parts of Salcombe in Devon to shoot the film set in northern California.

House of the Dragon, The Salt Path and Fisherman's Friends have also been made in the South West in recent years.

Devon and Cornwall have become particular hotspots for filming with TV shows including Beyond Paradise, Malory Towers, Playing Nice, Doc Martin and the upcoming AppleTV+ series Down Cemetery Way shot locally.

BBC series Malory Towers shot some scenes for its sixth series at Hartland Abbey near Bude

Jay Roach, director of The Roses - which stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Oscar-winner Olivia Colman, said coming to Devon had helped with his creative vision.

Roach said the vibes of the area reminded him of northern California, so he decided to use it as a stand-in for that part of the US.

He said filming in Devon was a great experience and described the local people as "amazing".

"We were constantly surrounded by really, really cool local people who also enjoyed watching and they would be the ones cracking up between takes, so it was really fun," he said.

Another A-list director who fell in love with the South West was one of Hollywood's big names - Steven Spielberg.

Steven Spielberg (left) said filming War Horse in Dartmoor gifted him with an abundance of natural beauty

The three-time Oscar winner filmed parts of his 2011 film War Horse in the Sheepstor area of Dartmoor.

In a letter published in the Plymouth Evening Herald a year before the film based on Michael Morpurgo's book was released, Spielberg said: "I have never before, in my long and eclectic career, been gifted with such an abundance of natural beauty as I experienced filming War Horse on Dartmoor."

'Why go to Canada?'

Algy Sloane runs Scout Productions which helps TV and film crews find the right locations to do their shoots.

Mr Sloane, who lives near Bath, said Devon and Cornwall had a lot to offer due to the range of landscapes from Dartmoor's hills to Cornwall's fishing villages.

He added while places like London and Manchester were still the most-used destinations in the country, the South West was right behind them.

He added with some budgets being tight, the fact places like Dartmoor could double up for other locations around the world was a big draw.

"Why go to Canada when you can use Dartmoor?" he quipped.

Laura Giles, managing director of Screen Cornwall, said shows like Doc Martin shooting multiple series in Port Isaac had helped develop crews locally.

She said there had been a post-Covid bump in the production numbers in Cornwall due to people wanting to stay in the UK.

ITV series Doc Martin which starred Martin Clunes was shot mostly in Port Isaac, which was used as the fictional village of Portwenn

She said there were still some issues to solve for the Cornish-based filming industry.

"One day it would be great to have a studio here," Ms Giles said.

"One of the challenges we have is people can film on location, but they're subject to the weather.

"Bad weather can be a big factor when it comes to filming on location, so having a studio and a place for people to use would be great."

'Ran out of gin'

Claire Horrocks, general manager of Screen Devon, said it "certainly felt like" Devon had become a busy place for filming.

She believed one of the factors for this was the region's "rich storytelling heritage".

"We're certainly seeing that people are looking to Devon to draw on the landscapes and that heritage, so it feels really authentic," Ms Horrocks said.

She added the productions can have lots of benefits to others in the area, including suppliers and businesses.

Ms Horrocks said: "I know that a very large production was taking place in East Devon recently and they ran out of gin in the local pub - which is unheard of."

Tourism leaders in Cornwall said the BBC's Beyond Paradise had led to new businesses being set up in Looe

Tourism bosses said the TV shows and films shot in the South West were also driving tourists to the region.

Kim Spencer, a non-executive director at Visit Cornwall and vice-chair of the South East Cornwall Tourism Association, said: "We've seen this first-hand in Looe, for example, where new businesses have launched offering walking tours of filming locations from Beyond Paradise."