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Daniel Hall

Filming Friendly Charter aims to attract more productions and visitors to Northumberland

Harry Potter, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and last year, Indiana Jones and Dungeons & Dragons.

What do they all have in common? They've all used Northumberland as a filming location.

And it's not just those listed above, Vera showcases the county's sweeping landscapes, and Lloyds' black horses have galloped along the sands at Druridge Bay. There have also been a handful of documentaries and travel programmes filmed in the area, such as David O'Doherty's Along for the Ride, Kate Humble's Coastal Britain, and Villages by the Sea.

Read more: Five films you may not know were filmed in the North East

And Northumberland could be in line to have its name in lights more in the coming years, after its tourist board signed a Filming Friendly Charter in partnership with North East Screen to reaffirm the county council's commitment as a filming friendly destination. It aims to recognise the positive economic and cultural benefits hosting filming activity has on Northumberland, in the hope of maximising those benefits - and ideally bringing more visitors to the region.

Andrew Fox, chair of Visit Northumberland, said: "Filming opportunities are so important for Northumberland due to the everlasting impact that filming locations have on tourism and encouraging visitors to explore new destinations after seeing them on the screen. In 2021 alone, economic investment to the county from productions filmed in Northumberland amounted to almost £10 million on crew and technical staff, cast and extras, hotels, catering and many other services, which is equivalent to £27,200 per day."

"Northumberland couldn’t be more suited to the screen, with outstanding scenery to offer an incredible backdrop for any film or series and historical buildings that can be adapted for all genres. With its track record of fantasy fiction, historical and modern epics and TV series, there are endless filming opportunities in a county as diverse as Northumberland."

Glen Sanderson, Leader of Northumberland County Council, said: "We've a long history of welcoming productions of all sizes, from small independent film-makers through to regional and national television and huge blockbuster movies. Northumberland is a unique place - full of history, castles, wide open spaces, golden beaches, hills and mountains and above all very friendly people - what a backdrop for any work of art!

"We sincerely hope this charter will raise the profile of our beautiful county to an even wider audience."

Brenda Blethyn stars as Vera in the popular North East-based detective series (Arriva PR/ITV)

Alison Gwynn, Chief Executive of North East Screen, said: "The economic and tourism benefits of a production filming in our area and the jobs it can create for local crew, as well as local businesses across the supply chain, is something we don’t want any part of the North East to miss out on."

Next month, Northumberland is set to champion the county alongside North East Screen and other regional destinations at Focus Film, an annual showcase of filming destinations to the film and production industry.

What's your favourite film or TV show set in Northumberland? Let us know!

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