Film

Gloucester’s stunning architecture is quickly becoming a firm favourite with film and TV producers. Film fans can search Gloucester Cathedral for the hallowed corridors of Hogwarts School from the Harry Potter series, find the Mad Hatter in Gloucester Docks from Disney’s Alice Through the Looking Glass, discover BBC’s Sherlock Holmes solving his case in the Crypt of Gloucester Cathedral, and much more!

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Gloucester Cathedral

Gloucester’s iconic and world famous Cathedral has certainly been a destination of choice for both TV and the big screen, as such, it is the perfect place to begin your day exploring the many sites that have been the backdrop of some well known, and lesser known productions.

For the Harry Potter film series, Gloucester Cathedral was transformed to become one of the five locations making up the magical Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Keep your eyes peeled as you walk around and you may find the entrance to the Gryffindor Common room, petrified Ms Norris or even Harry and Ron skipping class!

The production filmed in very strategic ways to use these cloisters for various scenes across the first three movies, but they had to make some changes to disguise and protect the space such as covering modern electrical points with panels painted to look like the stone walls – these are still in place at the Cathedral now. The Cathedral featured in Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince (2009), The Chamber of Secrets (2002), The Philosopher’s Stone (2001).

(c) Warner Bros

Doctor Who – Fugitive of the Judoon (2020), the Judoon search modern day Gloucester for a fugitive, marching through Berkeley Street, Gloucester Cathedral grounds and inside the Cathedral itself. This episode features the thirteenth doctor played by Jodie Whittaker. The Cathedral grounds were also used as a filming location for the Doctor Who’s 2008 Christmas Special – The Next Doctor, featuring David Tennant.

The BBC’s Sherlock Christmas special, The Abominable Bride which aired in January 2016, turns back time to Victorian London in the 1890s to investigate a ghostly bride who appears to have committed murder. Sherlock Holmes, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, and Dr Watson travel to a Gloucester Cathedral which doubled as a desanctified church. The episode sees Sherlock and Dr Watson running through the dark night outside the Cathedral, followed by a descent into the hidden subterranean level – the Crypt. Here they follow a mysterious group dressed in purple hoods, and Sherlock proceeds to recount the series of events in an attempt to solve the case.

Mary Queen of Scots (2018) starring Margot Robbie and Saorise Ronan, follows the story of Mary Stuart’s attempt to overthrow her cousin Elizabeth I and become Queen of England, only to be condemned to years of imprisonment before being executed. See if you can spot the cloisters of Gloucester Cathedral.

Other productions filmed at Gloucester Cathedral include: The Hollow Crown (2012 and 2015), Wolf Hall (2015), The White Princess (2017), Spanish Princess (2020), Catherine Called Birdy (2022), The Famous Five (2023), Wolf Hall Series 2 (2024).

After exploring the Cathedral, you are only a 6 minute walk from your next stop, Gloucester Prison!

Gloucester Prison

With its rich history and interesting use including of course film and TV, Gloucester Prison is a must visit! In use since the Normans, the site was the location for a huge castle possibly bigger than the Tower of London! This was used as the original county prison until it was demolished, and the new Gloucester County Goal and Penitentiary was opened in 1791. Dates for guided tours are added monthly.

Former Gloucester Prison featured in The Pembrokeshire Murders series where Detective Superintendent Steve Wilkins, played by Luke Evans, investigates two unsolved murder cases that occurred on the Pembrokeshire coastline in 1980s. Gloucester Prison, closed since 2013, was used as a location on the series for the prison scenes after John Cooper, played by Keith Allen, was arrested. The Detective needs to find more evidence before the perpetrator is released, do you think we will still find him hidden in one of the cells?

Also filmed at the prison, was Warner Bros. production, The Informer (2019) where an ex-convict working undercover who intentionally gets himself incarcerated again to infiltrate the mob at a maximum-security prison.

Alney Island Nature Reserve and Gloucester Prison also paid host to scenes from the film Bad Day at the Office (2023), along with yet to be released TV series including Mudtown (2024) and Fallen Divas (2024).

Time to move to your next destination, Gloucester Docks, just a 3 minute stroll away.

Gloucester Docks

Fifteen Victorian warehouses stand as proud guardians to Britain’s most inland port. The former dock estate has become a popular destination where visitors can enjoy interesting views and a range of modern facilities while wandering around a remarkably complete example of a Victorian port. Views include many fine late Victorian era warehouses, a working dry dock, a Mariners Chapel, and other dockrelated buildings that have been found new uses.

From Disney Studios, Alice Through the Looking Glass, the sequel to Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland hit the big screen in 2016. The production took over Gloucester Docks for a week with Mia Wasikowska playing Alice and Johnny Depp playing the Mad Hatter. This maritime scene in the docks doubled as period London circa 1850 and featured 300 crew, 150 extras, 40 technical vehicles, 18 horses, two llamas and five magnificent tall ships.

Featuring Bakers Quay in Gloucester Docks, Amazing Grace (2006) used this background to recreate the atmosphere of the East India Docks in London circa 1780. The film tells the story of William Wilberforce and the Abolitionists movement to end the transatlantic slave trade, starring Ioan Gruffudd, Albert Finney, Michael Gambon, and Benedict Cumberbatch.

Gloucester’s beautifully restored Victorian warehouses at the docks provided the backdrop for Terry Pratchett’s feature-length adaptation of the first Discworld novel, The Colour of Magic (2006) starring David Jason. The much loved children’s favourite, saw Rosie & Jim travel to Gloucester Docks, in the ITV episode Blacksmith in 1999, to see how iron melted and moulded into different tools and objects!

In 2021, LV14 SULA Lightship, the UK’s only stay aboard lightship, a unique landmark sitting proudly in Gloucester Docks, welcomed comedy duo, Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse who stayed on board during the filming of their much loved BBC2 TV-show, Gone Fishing!

Complete the circular route of the city, and head back to the Gate Streets.

The Gate Streets

Northgate, Southgate, Eastgate and Westgate make up the four Gate Streets of Gloucester, built as a fort, dating back to Roman times. Today the streets represent both the ancient and the modern, with century old architecture, intermixed with modern shops, bars, cafés and restaurants.

Based on Beatrix Potter’s characters and the Tale of Peter Rabbit, Peter Rabbit 2 features scenes of Gloucester. The iconic College Court was recreated in a studio, featuring the famous House of the Tailor of Gloucester, also a Beatrix Potter Museum & Shop now. The film also sees some beautiful scenes of the historic Gloucester Docks and the Cathedral. Peter Rabbit and his friends also visit a fictional Gloucester Farmer’s Market, however, Gloucester has its very own Farmer’s Market every Friday for you to visit!

Series 3 of Alex Rider (2022), was filmed on Southgate Street and in Gloucester Cathedral. These British spy thriller television series are based on the novels of the same name by author Anthony Horowitz.

Westgate Street featured in 2023 in an Independent film called Melodrive, which sees a troubled musician on a homeward bound journey, directed by Oscar WenmanHyde and starring Michelle Collins.