Top 10 UK film and telly location vacations
The nights are drawing in and we are settling down for cosy nights at home in front of the box, but this autumn's TV and film premieres include some fabulous locations across the UK that should inspire us to turn off the telly and do something more interesting
THE nights are drawing in and we are settling down for cosy nights at home in front of the box.
But this autumn's TV and film premieres include some fabulous locations across the UK that should inspire us to turn off the telly and do something more interesting.
From dramatic coastal delights in Cornwall to the magnificence of the Scottish Highlands, shows such as Poldark and Outlander can get us exploring the great outdoors.
Here, LISA MINOT looks at some of the big shows hitting our screens in the coming months - and how you can visit the locations.
POLDARK- Cornwall
THE smash-hit period drama returns tonight for a second series - and so does gorgeous Aidan Turner, who plays the lead.
But Cornwall is very much the star of the show, with highlights including the rugged backdrops of Charlestown Harbour, Lizard Point, Porthgwarra, Constantine Bay and Porthcothan.
Experience some of the best horse riding you can get on Bodmin Moor, courtesy of a new Poldark Trail with Hallagenna. Or explore from the water on a two-hour guided tour with Koru Kayaking.
Walk to the filming location of St Agnes Head along the beautiful South West Path and take a sunset stroll across Holywell Bay to catch the sunset and see the iconic Gulf Rock, which forms the backdrop to many scenes in the new series.
Visitors can even stay in the same accommodation as the cast.
Retallack Resort & Spa between Newquay and Padstow was used as a base for the main cast members during filming while Gwel an Mor at Portreath is a great base for multiple Poldark locations and includes the luxury lodges where "Ross" and "Demelza", inset, lived during the filming of the latest series.
For more details, see .
VICTORIA-London and Yorkshire
THE spectacular Castle Howard in York featured in the first episode of ITV's big-budget Sunday night drama.
The show - which stars Jenna Coleman, below right - used many of Castle Howard's rooms and its Great Hall as a double for Kensington Palace, below, where Victoria spent her early years.
The house and grounds are open all year round. Stay on-site at Lakeside Holiday Park with pitches from £15 per night in September and October.
Or check out Victoria's London palaces with a Superbreak trip including a night's B&B at the Queens Park Hotel with tickets for Kensington Palace, the Tower of London and Hampton Court. Based on Sept 15 arrival.
See for details or call 0800 042 0288.
BAKE OFF: Berkshire and Devon
MILLIONS are watching the latest battle of the bakers, fought in a tent in the grounds of Welford Park, a private estate near Newbury, Berks.
The house was originally home to a monastery but became Henry VIII's personal deer-hunting lodge.
The grounds are known for their gorgeous snowdrop displays in February and early March, when the doors are opened to the public.
It is said that while the contestants toil away, judge Mary Berry enjoys deadheading the roses in the gardens.
For opening times, see .
Or for a different Bake Off stay, try the Old Manse in Salcombe, Devon. This imposing four-bed detached home, which sleeps eight, was once owned by Mary herself and has a gorgeous kitchen, as you might expect.
Prices are from £601 in total for seven nights, self-catering, arriving October 14.
See or call 0345 498 6900.
BRIDGET JONES'S BABY: Oxfordshire
BRIDGET is back this autumn, now in her forties, with yet more mishaps.
London once again plays a starring role with Borough Market - around the corner from Bridget's singleton flat - featuring heavily.
Beyond the capital, the Cotswolds plays its oh-so-English part as the scene of Bridget's baby's christening at St Mary's Church in Swinbrook, right. And in Buckinghamshire, the National Trust's West Wycombe Park also makes an appearance.
Experience Swinbrook life with a stay at the Swan Inn - also the location for Lady Sybil's elopement in Downton Abbey.
A night's B&B at this pub with rooms next to the River Windrush is from £125. See .
BROADCHURCH: West Bay, Dorset
FILMING for the third and final series of Broadchurch took place in West Bay, Dorset, left, the same location as the first two series.
This time, the awardwinning cast - which includes David Tennant and Olivia Colman, pictured - were joined by Sir Lenny Henry and Roy Hudd.
Fans of the show can follow Visit Dorset's Broadchurch Trail, which covers key filming locations including West Cliff, Harbour Cliff Beach, the Jurassic Pier and Hooke Woods.
Discover more about the locations at.
Stay in West Bay itself at Heatherbell Cottage - a B&B with three rooms all leading on to sun terraces. Prices from £70. See .
OUTLANDER: Highlands
SERIES two of the hit Amazon drama is released on DVD next month.
It tells the story of a 1940s wife who travels back in time in Scotland and highlights the rugged beauty of the Highlands.
There are sights aplenty including the Clava Cairns - an ancient stone formation thought to have inspired Diana Gabaldon, who penned the books on which the show is based.
The Dunalastair Estate provides the backdrop for the many scenes at the stone circle. Stay nearby at the Kinloch Rannoch Hotel, with rooms from around £105 per night. Book at .
VisitScotland has a full list of Outlander set locations at .
ONE OF US: Edinburgh and Borders
THIS new four-part BBC thriller has been running for two weeks, reaching its climax on September 13.
It follows two close families and their neighbours, who are united in grief when two of their children - married childhood sweethearts - are murdered in Edinburgh.
Shockingly, the killer then arrives on their doorstep.
Much of the filming for the show took place in Edinburgh and the Highlands and Scottish Borders.
Stay at the Brooks Hotel in Edinburgh, a ten-minute walk from the cobbled streeets of the Old Town and show locations including the Sheep Heid Inn and Royal Mile Tavern.
Double rooms for a night's B&B cost from £89. Go to .
THEIR FINEST: Pembrokeshire
A LOVELY romantic comedy starring Gemma Arterton, Bill Nighy, Jack Huston and Richard E Grant.
Set during World War Two, it tells the story of a group struggling to make a moraleboosting film.
It was shot in south-west Wales. Swansea's Grand Theatre is featured and the city's Guildhall is used as the Ministry of Information.
Locations in Pembrokeshire include Freshwater West Beach, Porthgain Harbour, Haverfordwest's Palace Cinema and the Cresselly Arms in Cresswell Quay.
Stay at Cheriton View, an elegant first-floor apartment sleeping four in Tenby.
A seven-night break in October costs from £415. See or call 01437 772760.
HINTERLAND: Aberystwyth
THE "Celtic noir" TV series Hinterland was filmed in and around the market town of Aberystwyth with the surrounding areas providing a backdrop of mountains, farms and villages.
The detective drama, which stars Richard Harrington, pictured, uses Aberystwyth's former Town Hall as the police station.
Filming also took place at Devil's Bridge. The River Mynach crossing is best visited by the narrow-gauge Vale of Rheidol Railway. The series' producer Ed Talfan credits the Ceredigion landscape for much of the BBC show's haunting feel.
Stay at the 5H Gwesty Cymru Hotel and Restaurant in Aberystwyth from £70 per person, B&B. See .
SHERLOCK: Cardiff and West Wales
THE updated Sherlock Holmes, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, is back for a fourth series. As well as Cardiff, filming also took place on St Catherine's Island, which is accessible by foot at low tide from Tenby.
The island's 19th century Palmerston fort, built to ward off the threat of invasion by Napoleon, is set to feature in the show's climax. Tenby has 2.5 miles of sandy beaches and there is plenty to see in the town.
Stay at Heywood Spa Hotel from £99 per night for two, including breakfast. Call 01834 842097 or check out . Go to for more info.