The Forest of Dean is one of the UK’s most striking filming destinations, offering a range of natural and built environments within a compact and easily accessible area.
Nestled between the River Wye and the River Severn, Forest of Dean and its historic woodland provide a combination of evocative locations, stunning landscapes and logistical practicality. The district has a strong track record of supporting film and television projects – Star Wars Episode VII, Merlin, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Doctor Who and Atlantis are just some of the productions that have utilised its natural beauty.
Why Choose the Forest of Dean?
While best known for its ancient woodland - dense, moss covered forests, towering oaks, winding tracks and steeped wooded valleys - the Forest of Dean offers far more than this alone. The district provides a rich and varied backdrop for filming, including lakes, caves, quiet country lanes, farmland, and a heritage steam railway.
At its southern edge, the Forest of Dean meets the Severn Estuary at Lydney Harbour - a quiet, atmospheric tidal dock where industrial heritage sits alongside vast, open water. The estuary itself offers a striking and ever-changing backdrop for filming, defined by dramatic tidal ranges and wide mudflats.
To the west, the River Wye winds through the dramatic Wye Valley - a landscape of limestone cliffs, wooded slopes, and big, open skies.
Beyond its scenery, the Forest of Dean offers a distinctive and highly filmable built environment. Its towns and villages combine charming market centres, traditional inns, and visible traces of its industrial past, including disused mines and former railway lines. The area’s housing reflects its layered history as a royal forest, industrial hub, and rural community, with a diverse mix of:
rural stone cottages
miners’ terraces and freeminers’ homes
Victorian villas
post war housing
modern developments
In locations such as Lydbrook, houses are set along steep valley sides, creating a striking composition of stone cottages, terraces, and hillside homes that feel organic, authentic, and closely tied to the landscape.
Surrounding farmland and a mix of traditional and modern agricultural buildings further expand the range of visual options.
From a practical perspective, the Forest of Dean is easily accessible via the M5, with close proximity to the major production hubs of Bristol, Cardiff, and Birmingham.
If you would like to film on land or property in the area, you will need permission from the relevant town, parish clerk or landowner.
If you are not sure who you need to contact or require further information on commercial filming in the Forest of Dean, contact us at filming@fdean.gov.uk
For town and village locations, visit our parish and town councils page to find contact information for the relevant parish or town council.
Find out about previous productions filmed in the Forest of Dean, as well as more about what the area offers in terms of hospitality and accommodation on the Visit Dean & Wye website.
We work closely with Creative England’s Film Friendly Partnership network.
If your filming will have any impact on the highway - such as road closures, temporary traffic restrictions, traffic management, or footway closures – you will need to contact Gloucestershire County Council.
