TV locations for the Famous Five series

Discuss the television and film adaptations of Enid Blyton's stories.
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number 6
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by number 6 »

Thanks for the update, timv. I think you're right that Partridge bush was the location for the scene where the Children are on horseback escaping the Gypsies. I was told that PB had a lot more trees back in the 70's, but still retained that rounded 'little' copse look. The ex-forester had cut down some pine & deciduous trees from the copse some time after filming. Jane was adamant that some filming took place in & around PB. This makes sense, as the Pig bush CP isn't too far away.
Two of the photos I sent you were taken yards from the Pig bush CP looking over the heathland towards PB. I think one shows a close up of PB. The latter matches the rail scene, where PB is seen in the background.

The article you want to do sounds great. I think that'll go down a treat with the Society. If you contact Anita on these forums, then she'll put in contact with someone regarding the journal.
If you need to use any of my photos that I've posted on this thread, then don't hesitate. You're more than welcome to do so. :D

PS: I was hoping to get down to the NF before the end of the year, but that now looks an impossible ask. My visit next year will be between Sunday 22nd July & Friday 3rd August. I know it's a long way off, but if anyone fancies a jaunt to any of the F5 locations, then we've got plenty of time to arrange something.
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Interesting information, Tim and Number 6. Tony is the person to contact about Journal articles. People generally submit an article as a Word file, attached to an email. Photos are best sent as individual JPEGs of a high resolution. Even if they might appear in black and white in the Journal, it's best to send Tony colour versions if they were taken in colour.
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by number 6 »

Thanks, Anita! I knew we could always rely on you for the right info! :D
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by timv »

Thanks for the info, Anita. I'll see how far I get with the photos in the next month or two depending on the weather. I already have photos of Mudeford Quay (Demon's Rocks quayside), Hurst Castle (Demon's Rocks lighthouse), Highcliffe Castle and its beach (Fall Into Adventure, for 'Red' Tower's home and beach), St Leonards (Finniston Farm), Exbury House (Mr Perton's house in Get Into Trouble) and gardens (Secret Trail), and bits of Gatewood Heath and bridge (Off In A Caravan) plus House (Kirrin Cottage). I'll need to add to my Burley and Lepe photos.

For forumites visiting Lymington to follow the chase scene in the Get Into Trouble film: Mr Perton parks on the quay just N of the public toilets, with the camera looking S from the NW corner of the car park , by the edge of the slipway,across the car park. He then walks E to the edge of the quay; you can see the view S down the river to the ferry terminal in the distance. Richard walks behind him heading N off the quay into Quay Street - the big modern building behind him is Mariner's Court flats. Mr P then turns and sees him. The chase round the houses after Mr Perton spots Richard starts by heading into a large garden, probably the hillslope garden at the back of St Mary's Lodge on Captain's Row, the next street uphill (W) from the quay. You can see this garden looking W uphill from the quay: did the team already know or just ask the owner?
They head round the neo-Georgian 1970s town houses of Trafalgar Place on Gosport Street, running N/S at the N end of Quay Street/ Hill. R runs into and out of one house at TP with Mr P after him, onto Gosport Street, turns S there, and runs on down cobbled Quay Hill. From the latter it's a short run, turning left, along the street at the rear of Trafalgar Place to the 'police station' (ie the B and B)on the corner of Station Street, as located by No.6. It was a good deal quieter when this was filmed than it is in August nowadays!
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by number 6 »

Thanks timv! Another good round up of info regarding locations. I visited quite a few alleyways, etc, during my visit to Lymington in July. I saw that some were shut off with 'Private' signs on the gates. These were located on the side street leading from the quay up to the Police Station (B&B), & I suspect one or two were used in the Trouble episode.
It's usually standard practice of the pre-production unit (if that's what they're called!) to search out the area for suitable locations well before filming takes place, & acquire permission from the residents who own the houses, etc, that they intend to use. Think they would've had to seek permission from the local council to film, as well.
Hope you have good weather the next time you're out & about in the NF. I tried to wangle another week off so I could pop down & join you for a walk over Yew tree Heath in Sept, but the powers that be won't allow it!
It'll have to be next year now! :cry:


PS: We'll have to kidnap Gary & smuggle him to the Heath at DPF next year, then get him to walk/talk us through the end title sequence. As long as we ply him with tea & chocolate, then he'll sing like a canary! :D
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by number 6 »

This is Partridge bush copse as seen from Furzy brow, looking North. The Pig bush car park is situated a mere 100 yards in the opposite direction (behind the camera). This is the location where the Children find the 'lost rail tracks' on the moor in the Mystery Moor episode. PB can be clearly seen behind them in the scene. PB was also used for the scene where they escape on horseback at the end of the same episode. The Copse has been thinned out a lot since the 70's, but it still retains its compact stature. The Heath has been worn down by walkers & New Forest Authority vehicles on this side since filming took place, but retains its Heather further right. The B3056 is to the right of the copse, but out of view. And one location the ex-forest ranger told me about, is over the road from Partridge bush, & further down towards Pig bush CP, is the supposed location of one of the galloping scenes. This is where the cameras were fixed on to tracks to glide along & keep up with those on horseback riding over the moor. I can't confirm this, as I didn't venture into that area to have a look during my visit in July! :D

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Last edited by number 6 on 14 Oct 2019, 21:13, edited 5 times in total.
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by number 6 »

The Crossroads near Burley Street, where the Five encounter the Police car & Anne finds the sign for Gloomy Waters in the Hike episode. :D
(New Forest Pony rush hour traffic!) :D



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Last edited by number 6 on 15 Aug 2017, 17:50, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by number 6 »

Two pics of Roydon Manor, which doubled as Old Towers in the 'Get into a fix' episode. Top one was taken from the footbridge over the stream & the bottom one was from a fence near the stream. :D


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And the Ford/Footbridge Aily's Mum crosses in the same episode as above. Sadly, the bridge isn't the original one. :cry:

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Last edited by number 6 on 16 Aug 2017, 20:20, edited 5 times in total.
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by Moonraker »

number 6 wrote:Thanks, Anita! I knew we could always rely on you for the right info! :D
Of course, if you were a Journal subscriber, you would already know! (Sorry if you are and haven't added it to your signature.) :P
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by Gary Russell »

number 6 wrote:It's usually standard practice of the pre-production unit (if that's what they're called!)
Location Manager :D
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by number 6 »

Just testing you, Gary! :P
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by Eddie Muir »

Great pictures, Number 6. Thanks for sharing them. :D
'Go down to the side-shows by the river this afternoon. I'll meet you somewhere in disguise. Bet you won't know me!' wrote Fatty.

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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by number 6 »

Thanks, Eddie! This thread is actually drawing in a few Famous Five fans, who may decide to join the society one day & explore the other work's of Enid Blyton a little more deeply. :D
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by timv »

Another site I can identify definitely from my walks is the exact location of the scenes in the opening section of the 1978 Five On A Hike Together version. As identified earlier on this thread, the Hike Together episode is set around Castle Hill NW of Burley; it opens with the Five sitting on the top of Castle Hill looking W over Vales Moor. The steep drop of this bit of hillside is unmistakeable and rare for the Forest. The police in a typical standard issue 1970s police-car pull up as the Five are walking along a road, going downhill, and ask if they have seen an escaped convict - this is on the main road from Picket Post running SE to Burley, a hundred yards or so NW of its junction with the smaller Vales Moor road by Castle Hill which turns off this to the W. The Five are walking towards Burley. Afterwards the police drive off, stop a little way down the road, and get out of their car to search with an Alsatian, as the convict is hiding in some bushes up the hill above them watching . This is set on the Vales Moor road running W across the moor, into which the police have turned off the Picket Post-Burley road; the convict is on Castle Hill in the bushes just below the open ground at the top where the Five were sitting earlier. For those who have access to the UK Ordnance Survey map, number 195 (Bournemouth and Purbeck), we are at Burley SE of Ringwood, by the word 'fort' at 'Castle Hill' NW of Burley.

We are also only a mile or so from the Burley Manor Hotel, aka 'Mr Lenoir's House' in Smuggler's Top; and in reality this bit of moor does have a smuggling link and a genuine old 'Smugglers' Road', on the W side of Vales Moor, along which smugglers used to bring goods from Mudeford Quay (where the Five meet Jeremiah Bogle in the 'Demons Rocks' adaptation) to customers in central Hampshire. It is also as boggy here in winter down at the bottom of the valleys as the fictional moors are in the books, so this was a good place to shoot the Hike Together scenes.
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by number 6 »

Thanks timv. Quite interesting post. This pic shows the view over the heathland from halfway down Castle hill, which can be seen in the background in the Hike episode. The actual scene is viewed from nearer the top of Castle hill. Unfortunately, this photo was taken with my I-pad & is of poor quality. It doesn't capture any real detail, but you can just about make out the two distinctive humps in the background. I knew I should've waited to download the better photos on my camera! :roll: The second pic shows the Five standing near the top of Castle hill with the distinct 'humps' in the moor behind them. :D

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NOT a location as such, but when I saw this banking above a small gorge (below Castle hill), I couldn't help thinking of the publicity photo taken of the Children lying down peering over a similar banking! Where was it shot? One for Gary, I suppose :D

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Last edited by number 6 on 18 Oct 2019, 21:25, edited 6 times in total.
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