Beowulf ITV Filming Locations – 12-Part 2016 Fantasy-Drama.
Where is Beowulf filmed?
Getting underway in March of 2015, the new ITV series Beowulf is being filmed on the site of a disused limestone quarry in Eastgate, County Durham, in the North East of England.
Quarry pool, Weardale Works – Image © Copyright Andrew Smith and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence
The former Weardale quarry, which closed back in 2002, had previously been earmarked for transformation into a brand new eco-village. However, following the abolition of regional development agency One North East, plans for the renewable energy development project were frozen, leaving the land once again unused.
With the original building plans on hold, ITV then obtained permission from Durham County Council to use the location for filming for a five year period. Plenty of time to film multiple seasons of Beowulf.
Before shooting on ITV’s new fantasy-drama could begin, this rugged and undeveloped landscape first needed to be transformed into the shows mythical Shieldlands, a village right out of Britain’s Dark Ages. To do this, a large film set was constructed from scratch in order to create the village settlement featured in the series.
In addition to being filmed on this specific site in County Durham, the production of Beowulf also uses locations in Northumberland.
The combination of having gone to great trouble and expense to build this huge custom set, plus the fact ITV have the rights to use the land for five years, means the British TV channel have even more incentive than normal to make the show a success. Thanks in part to the 2007 computer-animated movie of the same title and of course the original Old English poem, the name Beowulf is already well known around the world. ITV will no doubt be hoping this fact will help boost sales of the show to many different broadcasters outside of the UK.
Airing over 12 episodes (originally set for 13), season 1 of this action epic sees English actor Kieran Bew (WPC 56, Da Vinci’s Demons) take on the role of the shows hero and title character, Beowulf. Joining Bew in the cast of Beowulf is William Hurt (Humans, Damages) as Hrothgar and actress Joanne Whalley (Jamaica Inn, The Borgias), who plays Rheda.
