Local residents have accused productions teams on HBO show House of the Dragon as acting "aggressively" and with a "total lack of respect". The hit show is being filmed at multiple locations across Gwynedd, Conwy and Anglesey.
Recent pictures show coastal scene being shot near 12th century Penmon Priory, on Anglesey, where parts of the beach below were closed to the public and heavily armed cavalry soldiers were filmed riding across fields, North Wales Live reported. There is also restricted access at Dinorwig Quarry, Gwynedd, where two days of incendiary filming started this week after almost three weeks of site preparation.
The site has been transformed into a massive battlefield set. There are photos of the set here. It’s speculated the Battle of Rook’s Rest is being filmed there - the first major battle in the storyline’s civil war, and included fighting between war dragons.
The quarry is a popular destination for walkers and history hunters and there are some concerns about the restricted access during filming. One local, eager to walk the quarry’s public footpaths while taking photos, claimed they were “aggressively” stopped by a security guard. Warner Brothers Discovery - the production company behind HOTD - have been asked to comment on the claims.
In a series of Tweets, the walker said: “As someone who regularly walks this route in Dinorwic quarry, I am disappointed at the total lack of respect shown to local residents by members of your production crew, some of whom think themselves above the law.
“Whilst taking pictures, I was aggressively accosted by a security guard who told me I was not allowed to take pictures, even though I was on a public right of way. Could you please ensure members of your team familiarise themselves with local laws which give them no powers to prevent such photography from public rights of way.”
Road access issues at Newborough forest irked several visitors and after a beach at Penmon was closed off for filming this week, a few isolated voices questioned whether Anglesey will benefit financially from the disruption. However, the majority have welcomed HOTD and say the spin-offs are clear.
A Pentraeth woman said: “Of course the island makes money. Where do you think a lot of these people stay, eat, spend time when not on set? And when the series is released, people often visit where filming has taken place.”
One person said it was an "exciting time" to be in North Wales. Other filming projects took place in and around Llandudno recently and this week the cameras were back at Llanddwyn, Anglesey. "North Wales is back on the filmmaker’s catalogue of awesome places to be!" enthused one resident.
Another key HOTD character was spotted on Anglesey this week when Steve Toussaint, who plays Corlys Velaryon, was pictured filming at Beaumaris pier. HOTD geeks speculate he may have moved there from Penmon, where a man in Velaryon armor and a wig was photographed travelling in a boat.
Film crews have also been spotted at several locations in Eryri (Snowdonia), including in the Ogwen Valley. In Dolwyddelan, Conwy, fake cadavers of men and horses were piled up near shattered carts for a post-battle scene. Footpaths around Llyn Y Gader, near the Eryri village of Rhyd-Ddu, were also closed off recently.
HOTD studio HBO was approached for a comment about the Dinorwig quarry complaint. Cyngor Gwynedd Council declined to comment.
