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 »

Gatewood Bridge nr Exbury. The Elephant scene in Five go off in a caravan is in the background of the photo, & in the forefront is where Jennifer (Anne) is seen filling up her bucket with water in Five go off to camp! :D

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Last edited by number 6 on 13 Oct 2019, 21:40, edited 1 time in total.
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Gary Russell
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by Gary Russell »

Bam wrote:Decoy Pond Farm certainly matches up with scenes in the Mystery Moor episode anyway. Happy hunting! :)

Not sure if anyone here has already found this next one, but I have come across the farm in Five Go Down To The Sea too... Rolf Park Farm near the coast, near where 'Kirrin Cottage' is. It doesn't have a website but the first photo on this link seems to match up with the aerial view on Google Maps...

http://beaulieuparish.co.uk/agriculture" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This is fun, going through the episodes then trying to find more stuff on the maps. I'd better remember to feed the kids! :lol:
You could be right about the farm.When we filmed there, the farm was called Park Farm, at Sowley. It was, however, owned by a Mr Rolf! So it's not inconceivable that 40 years later the place has been renamed with the family name.
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Gary Russell
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by Gary Russell »

Bam wrote: It's called Decoy Pond Farm (near Beaulieu Hotel) and if you check the image gallery of their website against the episode you will see they seem to match.
Spot on, Decoy Pond farm is indeed the Mystery Moor farm.
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by Machupicchu14 »

Anita Bensoussane wrote:Good to meet you, Bam! I also have fond memories of watching the 1970s Famous Five series as a child. I haven't visited any of the locations but it's always interesting to see people's photos and links.
The first thing I'm going to visit in England are these locations. They just mean the world to me, the 1970's Famous Five series have accompanied me since I was about 10, so I think it'll be nice to go there, to bring back many happy memories :D
(Sadly I wasn't alive during the 1970's but it makes no difference to me)
"All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love."
(все, что я понимаю, я понимаю только потому, что люблю)
Lev Tolstoy


You can call me Machupicchu14 or María Esther

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Bam
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by Bam »

Hi Gary, thank you for your reply, it made my day a bit more smiley to hear from you and hear your feedback! :D It's great that you keep in touch here on this site. Thanks for that! :D

I'm looking forward to watching more of the episodes again, together with Google Maps, to see what else I might be able to spot.
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by number 6 »

Well spotted, Bam! I had a good look at the farm on the Internet, along with your link, yesterday evening & I was going to post a reply sometime today, but Gary has beat me to it! :lol:

You've got the bug now, Bam...happy searching! :D
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by number 6 »

According to my Brother, we went to Decoy farm in 2010! I shown him the photos from Bam's link this morning. He said he remembers accompanying me to the New Forest & driving me around various locations, as I was on crutches at the time & was struggling to get about. He's adamant we've already been there before. My Bro has a great memory...I'm not so good! I can remember being on crutches, but I can't remember the farm, although it did look familiar when I saw Bam's link! However, I never like to say I've been to a location if I can't back this it up with photos/paperwork!

Therefore, I will try to visit Decoy farm in the Summer & get some photos, just in case I have been & my original ones are lost for good! Again, thanks Bam for spotting the farm & for the links provided. Great stuff! :D
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by Bam »

Thanks, number 6, it's great to be part of the 'adventure' ... now, where's my ginger beer?? :D
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by number 6 »

Cheers Bam! Have a ginger beer on me! :lol:
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by timv »

Park Farm and Bergerie Farm are adjacent holdings, along the road that goes off the main B3054 at Beufre hill just West of Beaulieu village; this road goes South , down the West side of the Beaulieu River, on the opposite side to Exbury; it passes Salternshill Farm then goes to St Leonards Barn near the river mouth. It turns West there past Park Farm to Bergerie and then Sowley Pond. 'Bergerie' is so called after the French for 'shepherd's as all these were medieval farms owned and run by the Beaulieu Abbey monastery estate, whose monks spoke mainly French (and Latin). 'Beufre' is 'Beef Farm' in medieval French The farms on the current Beaulieu estate, owned by Lord Montague, seem to have been consolidated into several larger holdings , one of which is the one run by the Rolf family - hence the recent name 'Rolf Park Farm'. The road should be marked on 'South Coast Path' maps as it is part of the SCP, which here cannot access the actual shoreline (about half a mile away over fields).

I live around six miles away and sometimes walk round these farms, as I also did when the TV series was on in 1978-9 and I recognised St Leonards and Exbury House; St L is in fact an ex-monastic barn, like the ex-chapel at Stourton Caundle on Enid's farm which she used as Finniston Farm barn (but roofless). Hopefully I can get to the July meeting , but do not know my other commitments yet; I will keep you posted.
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by number 6 »

Great post, timv! Quite a lot of sound info you've provided. Very interesting to know that you walked around the areas you mentioned whilst the F5 episode(s) were being filmed! Did you manage to meet any of the cast?
I, too, have walked throughout that particular area over the past seven or eight years, whilst researching the locations in the series. :D
Coincidently, I'll be walking from Lymington through to the St Leonard's farm/Sowley area en-route to Beaulieu, when I'm down that way in the Summer. Maybe you'd like to join me for a short walk & possibly show me areas I may have missed on my previous visits! The walk will take place anytime between Mon 24th July & Fri 4th August. :D
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by number 6 »

Bam, just dug this map out of a storage box I keep my walking maps in. Rolf farm is still named Park farm on my map for the New Forest! It's been highlighted in Yellow marker, as is St Leonard's farm & Black Water house (Kirrin Cottage), which I normally do when I find a location. On the map index I've handwritten 2010..a reminder when I visited these places for the first time. No wonder I thought it looked familiar from your link. :D

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Last edited by number 6 on 30 Jan 2017, 18:53, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by Gary Russell »

Ade I think you're getting mixed up. Park farm is the old name for Rolf Farm, which is the Go Down to the Sea farm, not Decoy Pond Farm, which is (and always has been) the name of the Mystery Moor farm.
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by number 6 »

Sorry! My mistake. I meant to say Rolf farm NOT Decoy farm! Thanks for correcting me, Gary...again! :roll:
I've now corrected my last post. :D
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Luke
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by Luke »

Thanks a lot, Bam, for the two locations found from “Mystery Moor” and the farm from “go down to sea”. I was looking for these two as well.

With these two locations found, may I post an updated list of all the sites known so far from the 78/79 series:

Five on Kirrin Island again: Blackwater House at Warren Lane (“Kirrin Cottage”), Exbury House (“Ministry”), Exbury Village (pub scene), Lepe Watch House at Lepe Beach, Lepe road above beach (villain observing Watch house), Lepe beach

Five go Adventuring Again: Blackwater House at Warren Lane (“Kirrin Cottage”)

Five go to Smuggler’s Top: Burley Manor Hotel in Burley, Burley Village

Five go off in a Caravan: Gatewood Bridge (between Blackfield and Exbury), road from Gatewood Bridge to Blackfield, Exbury Village (tree scene)

Five go off to Camp: Blackwater House (Warren Lane), Gatewood bridge (where car passes and Anne is filling water), Lepe Farm (between Lepe and Exbury), Marchwood railway station (where they asked man about tunnel), Sea Mounting Centre Marchwood (where the tunnel was, the tunnel itself was a fake construction made out of wood and the grass around was painted onto a glass panel right before the camera, inside the “tunnel” a dark cloth with a hole in it gave the impression of distance, the rails were real of course), camp site Exbury Gardens, Lepe road/ Exbury road intersection (police cars scene)

Five go on a Hike together: Castle Hill near Burley Street (first scene), Burley Street (stopping the police car scenes), Sowley Pond

Five go to Mystery Moor: Decoy Pond Farm near Beaulieu Road (Horse stables), Beaulieu

Five on a Secret Trail: Exbury Gardens (where they see twins), Rock Garden at Exbury Gardens, Jubilee Pond at Exbury Gardens (where they find tunnel), Blackwater House (“Kirrin Cottage”)

Five go to Billycock Hill: Exbury Gardens (camp site), Exbury House Glasshouse (“butterfly farm”), Exbury House (inside and front)

Five on Finniston Farm: St Leonards Farm near entry of Warren Lane (Finniston Farm), Exbury village (scene in old Post office)

Five get into Trouble: Blackwater House at Warren Lane, Summer Lane in Exbury (Richard Kent with bicycle scenes), Top Pond in Exbury Gardens (bathing scene), Exbury Gardens Home Wood (where Dick is captured), Shotts Lane / S Baddelsley road intersection near Lymington (“Owls Dene” iron gate), Exbury House in Exbury Gardens (features as “Owls Dene”), Lymington Quay and High Street (where Richard Kent escaped from car)

Five get into a Fix: Roydon Manor near Brockenhurst (“Old Towers”), Roydon Manor Ford in Roydon Woods in Brockenhurst (wooden bridge)

Five are together again: Marchwood railway station, Arundel Castle in West Sussex (as seen from train), Blackwater House at Warren Lane (“Kirrin Cottage”), Gatewood House Front (opposite Exbury Gardens on country lane towards Exbury Road), Highcliffe beach

Five have a wonderful time: Rhinefield House Hotel (outside and inside scenes) in Brockenhurst

Five fall into adventure: Blackwater House (“Kirrin Cottage”), Highcliffe Beach (where they see Jo, several beach scenes), Gatewood House (where Jo runs away with the papers, this is not at Blackwater House!), Exbury Gardens Home Wood (where the trailer is), Durlston Head and castle (where Jo is pointing to from the boat), Lepe House at Lepe beach (where George is being kept), Malaga (where Quentin is calling from….just kidding :P )

Five run away together: Blackwater House (Warren Lane), Marchwood railway station, Highcliffe beach

Five go to Demon’s Rock: Marchwood railway station, Mudeford Quay, Hurst Lighthouse

Five go down to sea: Marchwood railway station, Dancing Ledge in Dorset (coast scenes), Rolf Park Farm at Park Lane near coast (farm where they stay), Highcliffe Castle (where they find the lamp), Highcliffe beach (where Julian is attacked), Exbury House roof in Exbury Gardens (where they are on the roof)

I hope I haven't forgotten anything. :)
Last edited by Luke on 31 Jan 2017, 12:05, edited 2 times in total.
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