Castle locations/forest scenes
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Several years ago I saw some old photos of the Phoenix which starred as the Santa Maria in Ridley Scott's film '1492: Conquest of Paradise' and thought there was a resemblance to the Cloudwalker, but I wasn't sure, and never got round to emailing Square Sail about it. The whole film is now available on a popular video-sharing website and after skimming through it, I'm pretty convinced it's the same ship that appeared in Knightmare that year - there are many scenes both above and below deck that look a perfect match!
The ship was based in Charlestown Harbour near St Austell in Cornwall for a long time, but Square Sail didn't move there until 1994 - they were previously based in Bristol, and credited as 'Square Sail of Bristol' in the 1992 film. It could have been anywhere when they used it for Knightmare, as an archived version of Square Sail's website reveals this information: "From 1992, when not involved in film work, she opened to the general public and schools as an Educational Museum showing 'life at sea during the 15th Century'. She toured the UK ports over the next 4 years and attracted tourism to her home port of Charlestown, Cornwall."
It is proving rather difficult to find photos of the ship from this period, but there is one here (which might be the one I saw originally and for some reason didn't make a note of): http://jonnyduddle.blogspot.com/2010/06/my-life-as-pirate.html
Taken about 3 years after Knightmare so it has a new paint job, but you can definitely see the resemblance to the Cloudwalker. The blogger reveals that it was sailing between Bristol, Cornwall, London, Chatham and Brighton at that time: "I dressed up in old-fashioned clothes, climbed the rigging and sailed the seas. We took kids on board to educate them in the ways of the waves, drank some rum (but not too much), waved our swords occasionally, fired the cannons at nothing in particular, clambered aloft for film crews making movies and beer adverts, and lazed about on deck in the sun."
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Smirkenorff's flight over something resembling a salt marsh during the end credits of Series 6 episode 3.
I saw a programme about the salt marshes of North Gower this evening, and wondered if it might be where they filmed that flight sequence. And looking at this photograph, I am fairly convinced that it is - the pine clumps in the distance are exactly the same shape.
This would be flying roughly north / northeast from Llanmadoc towards Burry Port, with Whiteford Burrows on the left. More pics here, here and here.This has been upgraded from "fairly convinced" to 100% certain (yes, I did go on Google Maps and find the exact pattern of streams that matches what Smirky flies over) and he's heading away from North Hill Tor. This drone video actually shows the exact same flight path, albeit slightly higher up!
I am wondering if these are in fact the same pine plantations seen at the start of Duncan's flight on Smirkenorff (Series 5 episode 14):
They do fly over a bit of salt marsh, and the hill in the distance bears a certain resemblance to Cwm Ivy Tor? The steep hill they fly over could possibly be North Hill Tor, but I've yet to find any conclusive shots taken from the same angles. Hmmmmm.
I'm now confident this is indeed from the same location, and the path of Duncan's flight is shown in this aerial view: http://www.ggat.org.uk/cadw/historic_landscape/gower/images/HLCA004_photolrg.jpg
He flies along the left-hand edge of the large pine wood (you can see the long row of trees that meets the end of the sea wall), then across the salt marsh and over North Hill Tor. This is the closest I can find to a "conclusive shot" of the latter!
NorthHillTor.jpgStill haven't been able to identify the headland from the end credits of S5 E03, which is frustrating as it feels like it should be gettable. Apart from that we're just left with a lake, a tree, another tree, and a stained glass window that may or may not be real. Not bad going when you consider the list we started out with!
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Still haven't been able to identify the headland from the end credits of S5 E03, which is frustrating as it feels like it should be gettable.
I think this is in fact the most glaringly obvious Gower coast location that I considered on multiple occasions and dismissed ages ago because it didn't appear to be a match in any of the images I looked at. But when you see it from just the right angle....
http://coflein.gov.uk/media/28/684/large_AP_2010_0288.jpg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A64CxsXME5o&t=7m34s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loE9wi_bP_A&t=3m50s
It actually is Worm's Head, isn't it?! Saw it from that side on telly this evening and had to take another look. All this time I've been looking for somewhere more obscure... gah!! Oh well, mystery solved.
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One more Gower location to add to the list! Smirkenorff's coastal flight in the end credits of S6 E02 begins just west of Hunts Bay:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSy61tlSZjk&t=51s
...and takes him past High Tor and Foxhole Bay, almost as far as Heatherslade Bay:
http://coflein.gov.uk/media/90/373/large_dd2015_009_123.jpg
I didn't expect to ever figure that one out, so yay!
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This is a wonderful thread. It's interesting to find out where these iconic backdrops were filmed.
Having recently taken early retirement, my partner & i have joined National Trust & English Heritage and begun visiting, starting with sites near to us in Kent. We recently took a short trip across the great divide to Bodiam Castle in Sussex.
Couldn't resist posing for a piccy on the "causeway".
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Having recently taken early retirement, my partner & i have joined National Trust & English Heritage and begun visiting, starting with sites near to us in Kent. We recently took a short trip across the great divide to Bodiam Castle in Sussex.
Couldn't resist posing for a piccy on the "causeway".
Nice! There are certainly plenty of Knightmare locations you'll be able to visit with those memberships.
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If anyone likes spotting Knightmare locations on the telly, Iolo's River Valleys S2E2: Tywi includes some dragon's eye views of Llansteffan Castle from 1:47 to 2:20 (plus some brief shots of Llyn Brianne at 26:57 - I never knew that's how you pronounce it!)
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It's had many other filming credits over the years, including the 1989 BBC series Voyage Of The Dawn Treader (pre-dating its caravel transformation)
...Or not? Thanks to Jake for bringing it to my attention that the Dawn Treader is credited as Sailing Vessel 'Carrie', which is another of Square Sail's ships that appeared as the Pinta in '1492: Conquest Of Paradise' alongside Phoenix as the Santa Maria. I think there has probably been a mixup at some point with Phoenix being mistakenly credited for this role!
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More photos of the good ship Phoenix in its Santa Maria / Cloudwalker incarnation, some taken mid-transformation:
After reading a comment on one of the photos, I was sad to discover the fate of the other ship Carrie, formerly known as the Dawn Treader as noted above - she was chartered for the Irish reality TV show 'Cabin Fever' (a cross between 'Big Brother' and 'Survivor' set on a ship circumnavigating Ireland) in June 2003, but ran aground off the coast of County Donegal and sank!
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The continuing quest for knowledge eventually leads to something you'd rather not know.
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I did wonder why there was no mention of Carrie among the fleet on Square Sail's website in later years, but guessed she had probably been sold at some point - I wasn't expecting this. Makes me glad the Phoenix is still around, even if it no longer resembles the Knightmare ship!
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It seems they've now divided the top floor of Hedingham Castle into two rooms, so if I ever get to visit, I sadly won't be able to take a photo that shows the whole view of Lord Fear's chamber in Series 5!
On a more amusing note, the passage where they started the Eyeshield sequence leading into that room is now a toilet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY_-BCb7OlY&t=1m33s
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Wow, from Norman dormitory chamber to Airbnb.
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Wow, from Norman dormitory chamber to Airbnb.
Could be worse. One of the Series 7 locations has recently changed from a tourist attraction to a five-star luxury spa hotel:
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How is Rothberry supposed to set up his table with all those chairs in the way?
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I'd be surprised if he was - he never was in the show
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It does look rather like the bridge/castle entrance where Fidjit first appeared (with Simon in the first episode of S7) but I believe that location (like so many in this season) is actually in Spain.
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