From The Dig to Harry Potter - 5 films shot in Suffolk

Suffolk has found itself as a key filming location for several productions over the years.

With a variety of natural landscapes and charming historical buildings scattered all over the county, it’s easy to see why Suffolk is popular within the industry.

Here are five films that were shot in the county

The Dig

Filming for The Dig at Snape Marshes along the River Alde (Image: Screen Suffolk)

The Dig charts the excavation of the Sutton Hoo burial ship in 1939, which is arguably the most significant Anglo-Saxon archaeological discovery ever made. The film stars Ipswich-born Ralph Fiennes as Suffolk archaeologist Basil Brown. It features locations such as the Deben estuary, Snape Marshes, Boyton Marshes and the coastal hamlet of Shingle Street.

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows - Part 1

The chocolate-box village of Lavenham doubles up as Godric’s Hollow, the birthplace of Harry Potter in The Deathly Hallows. It’s easy to see why this charming Suffolk village was chosen to feature in the wizarding world. As a result, De Vere House, which featured heavily, has become one of the most photographed houses in England, second only to Number 10 Downing Street.

Yesterday

Danny Boyle's Romantic Comedy Yesterday shot scenes in Halesworth and several other Suffolk locations. (Image: Screen Suffolk)

A struggling Suffolk musician experiences a freak accident and becomes the only person in the world to remember The Beatles in Danny Boyle’s 2019 romantic comedy. Several scenes were shot in Halesworth and at Latitude Festival in Henham Park. Suffolk’s very own Ed Sheeran also makes an appearance, playing himself in a supporting role.

The Personal Life of David Copperfield

Filming of The Personal Life of David Copperfield outside The Angel Hotel on Angel Hill in Bury St Edmunds. Charles Dicken's himself stayed in this very hotel in the suite now bearing his name. (Image: Screen Suffolk)

Based on the Charles Dickens novel, this comedic reimaging stars Dev Patel as the eponymous David Copperfield. The charming historic market town of Bury St Edmunds provided several key locations for the film. Keep your eyes peeled for Angel Hill, Chequers Square and the Theatre Royale, the UK’s oldest Regency theatre.

Barry Lyndon

ICON OF SUFFOLK: According to the National Trust, the Guildhall of Corpus Christi – commonly known as Lavenham Guildhall – is a fine timber-framed building that helps make Lavenham one of the best-preserved medieval villages in England. It owes its wealth to the bumper years of the cloth trade in the 15th and 16th Centuries – when, reports the NT, the good folk of this west Suffolk settlement paid even more in tax than the city of York! (Image: Archant)

Stanley Kubrick’s ground-breaking period drama Barry Lyndon was shot all over England, Ireland and Germany. For the film, Lavenham Guildhall, a beautiful Grade-I listed property, was transformed into an 18th century Inn where Lyndon recuperates after a duel gone wrong. Scenes were shot inside and outside of the historic building.

Lavenham Guildhall has a rich and important local heritage stretching far back to Tudor times, and with its gorgeous timber framing, it’s no wonder it was selected by Kubrick, a notorious perfectionist, to feature in his film.