Who will replace Jodie Whittaker as the fourteenth Doctor in Doctor Who? Will it be Hugh Grant? While we wait for the news, Christopher Watt uncovers some of the TV show's famous Hampshire filming locations
When the Doctor Who episode Witchfinders, which starred Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor’s thirteenth Incarnation in 2018, was being filmed at The Little Woodham 17th Century Village Experience in Gosport, it became the latest in a long line of classic Doctor Who episodes, that were filmed in Hampshire since the series began, nearly sixty years ago, in 1963.
The first Doctor Who adventure to be filmed in Hampshire was the now-classic six part mini drama serial The Sea Devils, in 1972. Written by Malcom Hulk and starring Jon Pertwee as the third Doctor, Katy Manning as Jo Grant, and Roger Delgado as The Master. It was filmed at Norris Castle and Whitecliff Bay on the Isle of Wight, various naval sites in Portsmouth, and at the Sea Fort in The Solent.
Jon Pertwee’s connections with the county began with his time serving in the Royal Navy. The actor was not only stationed at various naval bases in Portsmouth; he also spent time at HMS Collingwood in Fareham, HMS Sultan and the St. Vincent barracks, both in Gosport.
In an interview with BBC Radio Solent during the making of The Sea Devils, Pertwee recalled a near-death experience he had in the Navy, explaining that during the Second World War, the Naval base in Portsmouth where he was working came under heavy bombing. Two of his fellow officers were killed in the explosion and Jon was rushed to Haslar Hospital. Later, an Officer in the Wrens, who was his girlfriend at the time, heard about the explosion, and was shocked to see that Jon was still alive!
The second Doctor Who story to be filmed in the county was another six-part mini drama serial in 1972 called The Time Monster. This was filmed at Stratfield Saye Park, near Basingstoke, once home to the Duke of Wellington.
Jon Pertwee left the series in 1974, and was succeeded by Tom Baker, who starred as the Doctor’s fourth and longest incarnation, for seven years from 1974-1981. The four-part story The Pyramids of Mars, which starred Tom, Elizabeth Sladen as Sarah-Jane Smith, and Michael Sheard as Laurance Scarman, was filmed at Stargrove Manor in East Woodhay in 1975. As well as being a filming location for Doctor Who, Stargrove Manor was once owned by The Rolling Stones star, Mick Jagger. And some of The Stones’ popular top-ten hit singles and albums of the 1970s were all recorded at the mansion.
Michael Sheard had connections with Hampshire himself, as a resident of the Isle of Wight. And another four-part story called Image of the Fendahi in 1977 was also filmed at Stargrove. While the interior location filming of the four-part mini drama serial Warriors of the Deep, which starred Peter Davison as the fifth Doctor in 1984 was filmed at the Royal Engineers’ Diving Establishment in Marchwood.
A year later, the two-part story Revelation of the Daleks, which starred Colin Baker as the sixth Doctor, Nicola Bryant as Peri Brown and Terry Molloy as the Daleks’ creator, Davros, in 1985, was filmed at both Queen Elizabeth Country Park in Petersfield and at the IBM UK buildings in Cosham. The following year, the epic fourteen-part adventure The Trial of a Time Lord, in 1986, was filmed at both Queen Elizabeth Country Park and at Butser Hill.
It would be another 32 years until the series returned to Hampshire. When the aforementioned, The Witch Finders starring Jodie Whittaker as the thirteenth Doctor was filmed at The Little Woodham 17th Century Village Experience, and in nearby Stokes Bay, in Gosport, in 2018.
As the series continues to go from strength to strength, and with Hugh Grant as the rumoured new Doctor, let us hope it will once again return to Hampshire, and, hopefully, some brand-new Doctor Who episodes will be filmed in this wonderful county of ours!
