N an idyllic corner of Dovedale, all
is quiet but for a growing rumble of
horses hooves approaching.
As cameras and sound are readied,
a hush descends.All eyes face forward
in anticipation. And as a huge
entourage of horses come into view,
there’s an almost audible intake of
breath from onlookers.
More than 50 horses and actors in
splendid period costume herald the
grand arrival of the handsome Henry
VIII.This is just one of many dramatic
scenes included in the film The Other
Boleyn Girl, due to hit the big screen
in March.
While Hollywood actor, Eric Bana,
takes the lead in what is set to be this
spring’s period blockbuster, once again
the majestic Peak District will be
playing a starring role. As the drama
unfolds, viewers will be able to look
out for scenic Dovedale, imposing
North Lees Hall, romantic Haddon
Hall and picturesque Cavedale.
The film follows the tale of sisters
Anne and Mary Boleyn and how they
compete for the heart of the King. It
promises high drama and intrigue as
the film brings to life the epic love
triangle.While both girls won the love
of their King, only one ascended the
throne for a brief and turbulent reign
that ended with the swing of the
executioner’s sword.
One of those able to get a sneak
preview behind the scenes was
Andrew Thompson. As Property
Manager of the National Trust’s South
Peak Estate, he was on hand during
the filming at Dovedale to support the
needs of the crew as they filmed on
the National Trust owned land.
At the same time he got chance to
do a little celebrity spotting as
actresses Scarlett Johansson and
Natalie Portman prepared for their
big scenes.
‘Surprisingly, filming didn’t actually
take long,’ he explained. ‘There were
a couple of days beforehand to set
up and then a couple of days
afterwards to clear up. It was a really
busy time with lots going on and the
filming itself took place over a very
long day. It was exciting for me as an
onlooker and it was interesting to
see how it was all done.
‘When the cameras rolled and 50-
plus horses came into view it was quite
a scene. It all looked very dramatic.We
were also lucky enough to be able to
watch smaller scenes between the
Boleyn sisters filmed in Dovedale. It
was exciting to watch from the
sidelines, and I’m looking forward to
seeing the end result on film.’
Some of the filming took part in the
very same spot in Dovedale that was
used as a backdrop to BBC’s Jane
Eyre. Eagle-eyed fans of the popular
series may notice that it was used to
capture the moment when the
unlikely heroine, portrayed by Ruth
Wilson, met the brooding Rochester,
played by Toby Stephens.
But then the Peak District is
certainly no stranger to film crews,
and has been a scene-stealer on more
than one occasion. It has appeared on
screens ranging from the popular TV
series, Peak Practice, to epic films such
as Pride and Prejudice and the award
winning Elizabeth.
‘We were delighted that the Peak
District was chosen for the filming of
The Other Boleyn Girl,’ said Ellen
Outram, of Visit Peak District and
Derbyshire, who was directly involved
with the sourcing of the locations.
When the organisation was
approached for ideas for suitable
Tudor film locations in the East
Midlands, they weren’t stuck for
choices.
‘Derbyshire is a beautiful part of the
world but it also has many interesting
historic buildings, including Haddon
Hall, which made it a perfect location,’
she added.‘It was quite some time ago
when we were first approached and it
does take quite a long time from the
initial recce of the locations to the
actual release of the film.’
If past experience is anything to go
by, the release of the film will unleash
fresh interest in the Peak District.
While the area will always draw in
huge numbers of tourists, big screen
exposure has in the past boosted
visitor numbers still further.‘Only time
will tell,’ said Ellen. ‘If the film is
popular then who knows? I’m
certainly looking forward to seeing it.’
One of the areas to be showcased
is the magnificent Haddon Hall, which
dates back to the 12th century and
last appeared on our screens in the
BBC drama Jane Eyre. It made such an
impression then that it was a natural
choice for one of the locations.
The magnificent stone hall, which
has been in the Manners family for
almost 500 years, boasts medieval
kitchens, a banqueting hall, painted
chapel and a Tudor long gallery, as well
as impressive Elizabethan gardens.
Much work took place behind the
scenes before the stars arrived for
filming. Preparation included hanging
banners from the original beams in
the banqueting hall and placing a large
oak table in the centre of the room.
Meanwhile, a major two-day
operation took place to protect the
Hall’s long medieval table. Due to its
age and fragility, it wasn’t possible to
include the original piece in the
filming, and it was impossible to move
the treasure. Instead, a team of
specialists built a cradle around the
table top, removed the table legs and
lowered the table to the floor. A
platform was then built over it to
protect it during filming.
For a short time the Hall became
host to the film crew. The Hall’s staff
got the chance to have a look behind
the scenes during filming. Some even
got the chance to become extras and
join the elite star-studded cast. Hall
Administrator Janet O’Sullivan was
delighted to appear as one of the
courtiers in the Boleyn household
when King Henry came to visit
Sir Thomas Boleyn, played by Mark
Rylance.
One of the highlights for her was
when they all lined up for the arrival
of the King. All complete in period
costume, skirts rustling and air
rippling with excitement, they waited.
The extras, fully intending to appear
quiet and demure, had their work cut
out for them as actor Mark Rylance
stood at the end of the line,
continually cracking jokes.
The extras got a real insight into the
making of the film and were able to
watch scenes that included big stars
such as Eric Bana, Kristin Scott
Thomas and David Morrissey. And
they witnessed another side to the
beautiful BAFTA Award winner
Scarlett Johansson, who proved to be
reassuringly down to earth.When one
of the young extras needed a comfort
break after being laced into a heavy
costume, Scarlett came to her rescue
and invited her to use her private
bathroom in the green room.
Off the film sets, meanwhile, there
were plenty of opportunities for local
people to do some star spotting.
During the filming cast and crew were
seen out and about the Peak District.
Many were based over in Buxton for
much of the filming and the town’s
accommodation was filled with crew
members.The Peacock, meanwhile, in
Rowsley, played host to the main cast.
The same hotel, which hosted stars
Keira Knightley and Matthew
Macfadyen during the filming of Pride
and Prejudice, looked after such
stellar guests as Natalie Portman,
Scarlett Johansson, Eric Bana, Kristin
Scott Thomas and director Justin
Chadwick.
And when The Other Boleyn Girl
comes to the big screen, it is sure to
spark huge interest in the Peak
District. One thing is for sure: from
start to finish the area will once
again take centre stage.
The Other Boleyn Girl is
scheduled for release by
Universal Pictures on March 7