Visit Gardens and Landscapes That’s Been Seen on the Big Screen

It doesn’t go unrecognised that movie productions throughout the years have made buildings and backdrops in the UK famous. Mentmore Towers in Buckinghamshire became the Dark Knight’s Wayne Manor in Batman and scenes in Durham Cathedral became the classroom for a well-known wizard and his friends in Harry Potter.

As for our stunning landscapes and gardens, If you’ve spotted a scene in a film that you’d like to visit, then read on as Suttons, garden lovers and retailers of vegetable seeds, tell us where to find them:

Bregagh Road, Game of Thrones

Made famous by the popular TV Series ‘Game of Thrones’, Bregagh Road in Northern Island is the Dark Hedges- an avenue of beech trees. It was first featured in episode one of the second series as King’s Road — the path that Arya took as she escaped from King’s Landing dressed as a boy, travelling through the Hedges to reach the Night’s Watch.

It has become a huge tourist attraction since its TV appearance. To locals, this is a surprise as it is a rural road in Ballymoney, out of the way from the main villages. The avenue is quite difficult to find though and there is to be more signs built so that it is easier for tourists to visit the spot. Local legend says that the avenue is home to a grey lady who walks between the trees as it gets dark.

Attractions such as Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge and the Giant’s Causeway are also situated close to near the trees on the northern coast. They are part of the popular Game of Thrones tours that are in Northern Ireland.

The Dark Hedges are a sight to behold for tree-lovers, especially with it being voted one of the worlds most beautiful places by the Architectural Digest Magazine. They were planted in the 18^th century and intertwine to create a mystical avenue. If you’re one for bright hues and colours that stand out, this might not be for you. However, the earthy tones of the trees are certainly spectacular.

Stourhead Garden: Pride and Prejudice

Stourhead Landscape garden in Wiltshire is a must-see garden that was featured in the 2005 production of Pride and Prejudice. It is the place where Mr Darcy first proposed to Lizzie, before she made her exit across the Palladian Bridge. Work on the garden begun in 1740 and wasn’t completed until 1780. It’s since been described as a ‘living work of art’ — if that doesn’t convince you to visit, we don’t know what will!

The gardens magnificence is heightened even further by a lake that is situated in the centre. See a range of trees, from beech to Spanish chestnut, and explore the temples that sit close to the lake. Visit the garden in spring and you’ll also see rhododendrons in bloom, while in early summer you can enjoy the azaleas.

Hogwarts school or Alnwick gardens?

During the filming of Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone in 2000, Alnwick Castle was transformed into the world-wide known Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was also in the grounds of this castle where Harry and his friends learnt to fly their broomsticks. Students of Hogwarts walked through the courtyards and baileys of Alnwick Castle too, as they went about their day-to-day lives. Features of the castle were even shown as a path to Hagrid’s cabin and the Forbidden Forest.

For garden lovers, the gardens situated around the castle would be of interest despite not being the main focus in the Harry Potter movies. The gardens are home to 200 different species of roses; see the Christmas Rose bloom in December and the English Shrub Rose open up in June. It’s wonderful all year round too, so you can enjoy brightly coloured water lilies in March and the delicate Peruvian Lily in June. There is also a large water feature that sits in the centre of the garden, which is something else to admire.

Discover plants that can kill by taking a trip down to Poison Garden. Educate yourselves on a range of flora that can cause death through pleasure or pain and see how some of the most popular drugs are grown. Just be sure to follow the recommendations that you do not smell or touch the plants, as visitors have been known to faint due to inhaling toxic fumes.

Record breaking indoor rainforest; The Eden Project, Die Another Day

Situated in the county of Cornwall, south of the UK, is the Eden Project. It’s considered to be the world’s biggest indoor rainforest and is made up of two huge biomes — a Rainforest Biome and a Mediterranean Biome. It is home to the longest zip wire in England too, which flies you over the biomes to give you a birds-eye view of the spectacles beneath. In 2002 though, the Eden Project became Gustav Graves’ Ice Palace and high security lair in the James Bond film, Die Another Day.

Usually you would have to cross oceans to be around the type of plants and wildlife that are in these biomes. Experience tropical heat in the Rainforest Biome and discover over 1,000 varieties of plant — it’s even complete with a waterfall. Visit an authentic south-east Asian home too, as well as a vegetable garden to see how herbs, flowers and trees grow in the climate.

Experience what it’s like to be in a climate most popular for luscious fruits and tasty wines by entering the Mediterranean Biome, where temperatures range from 9 to 25 degrees. Take a walk through the iconic grass trees, see huge aloe veras and walk past tulips in the springtime. There’s also a perfume garden, which is filled with scented plants such as jasmine, roses, lavender and thyme.

Visit Yorkshire Dales – Aysgarth Falls, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

Situated near the Aysgarth in the Yorkshire Dales, visit the waterfall where Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves famously fights Little John. The falls are made up of three different waterfalls that are within walking distance. It was at the upper and middle fall that shot to fame in the Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves film. You can pay a small, voluntary fee to get close to where the scene was filmed.

Take a walk along the River Ure through the woodlands, it’s right beside the falls too. You can walk further than the falls to explore the village or Carperby and Castle Bolton as well, while in the spring and summer, expect to see wild flowers through the valley. Visitors have said that the site is best explored after heavy rainfall, when the water is most powerful and the falls look especially spectacular.