DORSET’S spectacular coastline, historic towns and rural charm continues to attract major film and television productions.
Over the past three financial years, Dorset Council has generated £68,820 in income from filming permissions on council-owned land and properties.
This includes a wide range of productions, from high-end TV dramas to feature films and documentaries.
While this income helps support council services, the wider benefit to the local economy is even more significant.
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Many productions also film on privately owned land, National Trust sites and heritage locations across the county – such as the latest Rings of Power filming on Portland.
Recent productions have also supported local businesses and raised Dorset’s profile as a filming destination.
Crews often stay in local accommodation, dine in local cafés and restaurants, and hire services such as drivers, security and equipment suppliers. Some residents are even employed as extras or support crew, gaining valuable experience in the screen industry.
High-profile examples include the ITV crime drama Broadchurch filmed at West Bay, Wonka, featuring Timothée Chalamet filmed at the iconic Cobb in Lyme Regis, Mary Anning film Ammonite also filmed at Lyme, scenes for the 2017 movie Dunkirk filmed in Weymouth and Swanage, and the Disney Star Wars series Andor which was filmed at Winspit Quarry near Worth Matravers.
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The Netflix thriller The Woman in Cabin 10 – featuring Keira Knightley – had scenes filmed in Portland Harbour and has just been released on the streaming platform.
Portland Harbour and surrounding area was also used for the 2009 pirate radio film The Boat That Rocked.
Other productions across the county include Enola Holmes 2, The Famous Five, Heartstopper, and World War Z.
Older productions include The French Lieutenant’s Woman filmed at Lyme Regis in the 1980s starring Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons and a host of adaptations of Thomas Hardy novels including Far From The Madding Crowd from the 1960s, among many others.
Dorset Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for property & assets and economic growth, Cllr Richard Biggs, said: “Dorset’s growing reputation as a film-friendly destination is not only a testament to our stunning landscapes and heritage, but also to the collaborative efforts of our communities and local businesses.
“The economic and cultural benefits of hosting film and television productions are significant—from boosting tourism and supporting local jobs to showcasing Dorset on the global stage. We’re proud to work with partners like Creative England to ensure these opportunities continue to grow and benefit residents across the county.”
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These productions not only showcase Dorset’s natural beauty to global audiences, but also inspire screen tourism, with fans visiting filming locations to see where their favourite scenes were shot.
The council is a local authority partner of Creative England’s Filming in England and has said it is committed to being a film-friendly area.
Charlotte Wood, production liaison manager for the south west at Creative England has said that big productions like those seen in Dorset help generate close to £190,000 a day to local economies.
She said: “The county of Dorset has always been a draw for large-scale productions, with the iconic coastline, standout landmarks and quintessential villages.
“A high-profile feature film production can contribute an estimated £187,000 daily spend to the economy of Dorset utilising local services, accommodation and hospitality in the area and last financial year 24/25 the estimated impact from high-end TV drama and feature films shooting on location in the south west region was £39.5 million.
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“Creative England’s Filming in England team works closely with Dorset Council and the BCP Film Office (part of BCP Council) to attract further productions to the county, making the case for investment in infrastructure and skills developments on a local level.”
To help ensure the benefits of filming are felt locally, the council encourages crew members, freelancers and suppliers to register on the Filming in England’s Crew and Suppliers Directories.
These national directories are used by production companies to source local talent and services, helping to build skills and keep more of the economic benefit within Dorset.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source uk.news.yahoo.com ’
