Film & TV

From Bond to Batman, The Essex Serpent, ‘The Only Way is Essex (TOWIE)’ and ‘Say Yes to the Dress’, Essex is home to stunning rural locations, and marvellous medieval towns which have been featured in countless popular TV programmes and films.

While many might only associate Essex with TOWIE, The Sugar Hut and the beautiful town of Brentwood, there is so much more to this historic county, so why not take a trip and visit the location of your favourite film or TV show?

Take a trip to Southend Pier where Jamie and Jimmy’s Friday Night Feast was filmed at Tea with the Tide. Perched 1.33 miles out on Southend Pier this tearoom offers a range of delectable treats. Southend is the perfect place to go for sun, sea, sand and to taste the original award-winning Rossi ice cream which has been producing ice cream in  the town since 1932.

Filmed in the heart of the Essex countryside is the popular TV thriller, 'Liar'. Starring Joanne Froggett and Ioan Grufford. The second season aired in March 2020 and saw filming take place at Tollesbury Marina and on Tollesbury Wick Marshes (in fact the opening shot of Liar sees Joanne Froggett’s character ‘Laura’ canoeing through the marshland). This small coastal Essex village is perfect for a sight-seeing tour as everything is within walking distance. Also, relying on harvests from both land and sea Tollesbury is known as the ‘Village of the Plough and Sail’.

One for all shopping aficionados is to combine a day of retail therapy with a trip to Lakeside Shopping Centre where ‘Say Yes to the Dress’ is filmed. Unveiling the inner workings of Confetti & Lace, one of England’s top bridal boutiques, the programme followed brides in their quest to find the perfect dress for their big day. With cinemas, food courts and all of the top high street names all under one roof why not make a day of it at Lakeside Shopping Centre?

The elegant villa, Hylands House and its magnificant parkland in Chelmsford have featured in some high-profile productions like ‘Killing Eve’ and ‘The Crown’. Hylands Estate is perfect for a walk and has an award winning childrens play area. You can also browse the resident artists studios, second hand bookstore or grab a bite to eat in the Stables café.  The hosue and grounds are host various events held throughout the year that are sure to inspire.

If you prefer the big screen over the small, then Essex has plenty of filming locations to visit which have been featured in some of tinsel town’s biggest blockbusters. Film crews have been using the towns and countryside of Essex since the 1960’s.

One the first major films was ‘Goldfinger’ when they filmed Auric Goldfinger’s (played by actor Gert Fröbe) Rolls Royce being loaded onto the plane before James Bond (played by actor Sean Connery) drives his Aston Martin into the original terminal building at Southend Airport.

Since then Essex has featured in many top Hollywood films from atmospheric thrillers to summer blockbusters over the years, including Downton Abbey: A New Era at Electric Palace Cinema.

Why not Visit Essex, follow in the footsteps of stars and relive scenes from your favourite film or TV programme!