TV programmes which have been shot in the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley include:

Sex Education (2019-2021)

Click here to find out more.

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Cursed (2020)

Produced by: Netflix
Starring: Katherine Langford, Devon Terrell

Netflix's Cursed released in 2020 was filmed in the Forest of Dean including at Clearwell Caves and Puzzlewood, these iconic filming locations serving as ancient England in a retelling of the Arthurian legend from the point of view of Nimue, the Lady of the Lake, and tells the story of the origins of the mighty sword Excalibur. Writer Frank Miller said of the locations used: "What I wasn’t ready for was the forests, I’m still staggered thinking about those places, and can’t wait to get back and see those ancient trees again".

Watch the powerful trailer here:

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His Dark Materials (2019-2020)

Produced by: BBC One and HBO
Starring: Ruth Wilson, James McAvoy, Andrew Scott, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Dafne Keen as Lyra Belacqua

Based on the novel series of the same name by Philip Pullman the second series was filmed across the South West including the Forest of Dean, Oxford and the Brecon Beacons. Usk Reservoir features in a scene with Lee Scoresby (Lin-Manuel Miranda) and the Forest of Dean features in these stunning scenes in Series 2 which Lin-Manuel himself mentioned on his Twitter account:

We filmed it in The Forest Of Dean. It really was the most beautiful week. And isn't @cristela9 wonderful?
Thank you for watching. #HisDarkMaterials. pic.twitter.com/O6EVRHqVUr

— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) December 29, 2020

Series 3 is now being filmed and may well include more fantastic forest and river locations. Watch the trailer for Series 2 here:

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The End of the F***ing World (2019)

Produced by: Netflix
Starring: Alex Lawther, Jessica Barden

In 2019, Netflix's The End of the F***ing World was filmed deep in the Forest of Dean and saw a massive wooden cafe with neon light built. 

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A post shared by Jessica Barden (@jessybarden)

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Atlantis (2013-2015)

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Merlin (2008-2014)

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New Worlds (2014)

Produced by: Channel 4
Starring: Pip Carter, Phil Cheadle

A drama series about settlers to America in the 17th century, New Worlds constructed a fort on the open picnic ground at Beechenhurst and populated the set with actors bearing muskets and actors sporting mohicans as part of their portrayal of native Americans.

Beechenhurst has a large open ground bordered by a treeline. It could almost be the eastern seaboard of America and the kind of site where pioneers might settle which is exactly how Beechenhurst was recently used when Channel 4 tv series New Worlds arrived for filming.

View the trailer here:

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Wizards Vs Aliens (2014)

Produced by:CBBC
Starring: Starring: Scott Haran, Annette Badland

Wizards vs Aliens is a CBBC adventure programme that follows encounters between a teenage schoolboy hero and the alien, Nekross.

Located in the Forest of Dean, Puzzlewood provided a magical backdrop for this popular children’s TV series.

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Doctor Who (2005-2013)

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The Dare Devil (2013–Ongoing)

Produced by: CBBC
Starring: Dan Antopolski

This CBBC production seeks to put willing contestants to the test with devilish dares.

Digging in their passions, fears and phobias this popular children’s programme was once filmed at The National Diving and Activity Centre near Chepstow.

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Da Vinci’s Demons (2013)

Produced by: BBC Worldwide Productions/Fox
Starring: Tom Riley, Gregg Chillin, Eros Vlahos

Da Vinci’s Demons is a historical fantasy drama that imagines what Leonardo Da Vinci’s life was like as an adventuring young man. Puzzlewood has been used by the producers of the series to create the look and atmosphere of 15th century South America. The series was created by David Goyer whose other credits include the Blade and Batman film trilogies.

In the episode The Sun and The Moon, DaVinci and his men find themselves in unknown territory. As the episode develops we realize that the adventure is set in the South American jungle. This is where Puzzlewood’s exotic terrain came into its own for the episode. In the episode The Fall from Heaven, Leonardo and Riario escape the troublesome matter of almost being sacrificed.

View the trailer here:

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Tree Fu Tom (2012–Ongoing)

Produced by: Cbeebies
Starring: Tim Whitnall, Sophie Aldred

Tree Fu Tom is a popular children’s show produced by CBeebies. The series offers innovative programs to encourage young children with their movement skills as they copy the magic actions of Tom, a young boy who goes into the woods behind his house where he enters a magical world and becomes a superhero.

Puzzlewood was used to film the magical opening and closing sequences for the animated CBeebies adventure series. Watch it here:

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Primeval (2007-2011)

Produced by: Impossible Pictures ITV
Starring: Andrew Lee Potts, Hannah Spearritt, Ben Miller

Primeval is a popular television drama series that portrays unexplained holes in the fabric of time and space, allowing dangerous creatures from the past to walk the earth once more.

This primeval production was produced by the BBC and was filmed in various locations in the Forest of Dean.

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Tess of the D’Urbervilles (2008)

Produced by: BBC
Starring: Gemma Arterton, Eddie Redmayne, Ruth Jones

TV mini-series adaptation of one of Thomas Hardy’s novels, Tess of the D’Urbervilles produced by the BBC detailing low-born country girl whose family find they have noble connections.

Some scenes in the mini-series were filmed in the Forest of Dean at Soudley Ponds.

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Robin of Sherwood (1984-1986)

Produced by: ITV
Starring: Michael Praed (series 1 & 2) and Jason Connery (series 3)

Way back in the 1980s, ITV produced a hugely popular Saturday evening TV series entitled Robin of Sherwood. For a number of episodes, Chepstow Castle served as a key location.

In the very first episode, Robin Hood and the Sorcerer, the castle was showcased, as it was in the episodes The Enchantment and The Inheritance. In the series the castle was a setting known as Castle Belleme named for the character Baron Simon de Belleme, a nobleman and sorcerer.

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Other TV programmes filmed here include:

The Green Planet (2022) in Episode Three: Seasonal Worlds.

Casualty (2021) including a dramatic wedding disaster filmed at Parkend.

The Pact (2021) a BBC One drama was filmed across South Wales including in Monmouth and Usk.

Intergalactic (2021) a Sky Original set in space features Puzzlewood as one of its otherworldly planet.

Killing Eve (2019) a key scene sees the main characters travelling to the Forest of Dean.

The BBC's adaptation of War of the Worlds (2019) was filmed in the Forest of Dean.

Netflix's The Dark Crystal (2019) filmed in the Forest of Dean including Puzzlewood.

Sky Atlantic's Britannia (2017-2019) filmed in the Forest of Dean including Clearwell Caves and Puzzlewood.

BBC's Hidden Kingdoms (2014) filmed in the Forest of Dean.

Countryfile, Escape to the Country, Time Team and The One Show have also been here several times.

Survivors (1975-1977), a BBC drama by Terry Nation filmed in Herefordshire.

Several of Dennis Potter's TV shows were filmed here including Pennies from Heaven (1978) with Bob Hoskins, Blue Remembered Hills (1979) with Helen Mirren, The Singing Detective (1986) with Michael Gambon (who later went on to play Dumbledore in Harry Potter) and Cold Lazarus (1997) with Albert Finney.

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Other Claims to Fame

Game of Thrones

Did you know that Puzzlewood also hosted an iron throne? In recognition and celebration of the highly-anticipated eighth and final season of Game of Thrones, in March 2019 HBO and Sky Atlantic announced the Quest #ForTheThrone with just a mysterious photo and an instruction to ‘Seek the Weirwood in this Kingdom on Earth' posted on their social media accounts. A symbol marked on one of the rocks showed a spiral pattern known to be used by the children of the forest and 'Find it amongst the children of the forest' was a caption used on a 360 degree video on YouTube. A second clue ‘Put together the puzzle pieces to go find this Godswood’ soon meant that rumours were swirling that Puzzlewood was indeed the secret location. 

Six thrones were hidden around the world and a new cryptic clue was released daily until all six were found. Puzzlewood's throne remained in place for visitors to get a chance to sit on the iron throne and get their photo taken until the new series began.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla

The Ubisoft game released in the autumn of 2020 features Puzzlewood in the Forest of Dean as one of the epic locations brought to life in the game. The graphics are truly impressive with many English locations used including other parts of Gloucetershire (called Glowecestrescire in the game!). See a fun video comparing the game to real life here. There is also an article comparing real life to the virtual Valhalla here.