| Norfolk (and Suffolk) Film Locations Most
of the external footage for the series was filmed in and
around the town of Thetford
in Norfolk. Each summer
the cast and crew would come up to the town and stay in
either the Bell or the Anchor Hotels in Bridge Street.
The actors usually stayed at the more 'up-market' Bell
while the crew lodged at The Anchor. (The Anchor Hotel
is now boarded up and derelict but is likely to be
re-developed shortly.)
Stanford Battle Area
It was BBC director Harold Snoad who was ultimately
responsible for choosing Thetford saying: 'I wanted a
battle area we could have control over and had narrowed
it down to Stanford, which I knew was going to work very
well.'
The Stanford Battle Area (STANTA) lies a few miles
north of Thetford and was created during WW2 as a
training area for British and NATO forces. Five villages
were evacuated to create the area - namely: Stanford,
Lynford, Tottington, West Tofts and Buckenham Tofts. The
area provides many of the iconic locations for Dad's
Army including the marvellous end-credit sequence
where the platoon move across open ground wearing
camouflage. This sequence was filmed at Frog Hill - in
the centre of the Battle Area. Many of the other
exterior scenes featuring vehicles and chases were also
filmed here. These scenes often ended up with Hodges,
and his wonderful motorcycle and sidecar, in a lake. The
sequence where Private Pike falls into the bog in 'The
Big Parade' was another episode that was filmed at
STANTA - as was 'We Know Our Onions' where the platoon
fire onions at their opponents.
Thetford
Thetford Guildhall became Walmington-on-Sea Town Hall
- and it was from the
Guildhall clock tower that the German pilot dangled in 'Time On My
Hands' (1972). The Guildhall was also used in 'The
Captain's Car' (1974).
The flint cottages of Nether Row were used in four
episodes: 'Man Hunt', 'The Armoured Might of Corporal
Jones', 'The Big Parade' and 'Time On My Hands'. Thetford's Palace Cinema featured
in both 'The Big Parade' (1970) and 'A Soldier's
Farewell' (1972). The Palace was also the place were the cast
gathered at the end of each week's filming to view the
'rushes'. Newtown, Old Bury Road and Mill Lane, in the
town, also make an appearance.
The Bell Hotel was
used for the first scene of the first show called 'Man
of the Hour' (1968). It made use of the 'Norvic Room'
which is now the hotel's restaurant.
Many other
external scenes were shot in Norfolk or Suffolk. 'Sons
of the Sea' (1969) was shot on the Norfolk Broads and
'Don't Forget the Diver' (1970) at Drinkstone windmill
in Suffolk. Other locations used include: Honnington, Bardwell, Bressingham, Wacton,
Brandon, Santon Downham, Oxburgh Hall, Weeting, Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft and Lynford Hall (Mundford).
Many of the extras for the series were drawn from the Thetford Music and Drama Society
or the Thetford Senior Citizen's Club.
Weybourne Railway Station in
North Norfolk was the location for 'The Royal Train'
(1973) The Steam Museum at
nearby Bressingham provided authentic fire engines,
steam rollers and traction engines for a number of the
episodes. Today, Bressingham hosts an impressive recreation of Walmington-on-Sea
- as well as a collection of Dad's Army
memorabilia. A Dad's Army museum has recently
been set up inside Thetford Guildhall by the Friends of
Thetford Dad's Army. It is quite hard to find as it lies
on Cage Lane behind the Guildhall.
The Dad's Army Museum The friends are also trying to
raise money to erect a statue of Captain Mainwaring on
ground close to the River Little Ouse. If you would like
to contribute to the appeal please click
here.
Local councillors have also approved plans for the
redevelopment of the Anchor Hotel and it is hoped that,
in future, this will provide accommodation for
Dad's Army fans wanting to visit Thetford.
|
Supported
by Norfolk Tourism