Trying to find the filming locations - my Diary
Oct 13, 2007 5:44:31 GMT
Post by ukzombie on Oct 13, 2007 5:44:31 GMT
I thought this was a great film, so decided to sleuth the locations and here is my diary of the days events. Photo's and video fotage to follow.
Dead Man’s Shoes Diary
06 October 2007, Saturday
Just before 8 o’clock on a foggy Saturday morning, Maina (the assistant) and I picked up our nephew for a day out in the Derbyshire countryside, visiting the places used in the filming of Shane Meadow’s Dead Man’s Shoes. Most of the filming took place around Matlock area which would prove to be pleasant and invigorating.
Starting off from Belper, we drove through Cromford and used the Via Gella Road to get to Bonsall where the dilapidated farmhouse in the film is supposed to be found. We went past the village and followed the winding single lane leading to Matlock hoping to find the said farmhouse by this road. We eventually hit Matlock without any luck. None of the farmhouses we had gone past looked similar to our printed still image at all. We went back up the lane at a turtle’s pace in case we missed it on our way down. Without any luck, our nephew started to complain of belly ache and was getting car sick of the winding bumpy road mixed with high altitude. We thought of coming back another day when we saw a gentleman about in the village square of Bonsall.
We stopped and showed him our printed photos and asked if he was familiar with the farmhouse. He recognised it straight away from his past walks in the countryside and said that it was in Upper Town of which he gave us directions of how to get there. With renewed spirits we managed to excite our nephew by promising him a nice walk and more time out of the car once we locate the dilapidated farmhouse. We found Upper Town and were lucky again to find another gentleman about by the farm shop. We parked and walked over to enquire. The lady of the house soon came out and both identified the farmhouse as their very own which was used for a movie filming a few years back. They gave us permission to take shots of the dilapidated building bearing in mind to close back the gates as they had cows about. Mr Spencer (the owner of the old farm buildings) told me he was invited for breakfast with the crew up at the old farm house. He said they were a great bunch of people. They also pointed out some more places that they recognised from our still images. We were on the roll and our nephew even forgot his belly ache!
Barely nine o’clock in the morning, we were on a rough and narrow dirt road thinking a run down 4X4 would have been more ideal to drive when gallivanting in such places. We recognised the farmhouse straight away albeit built a long way off the track. With our trousers and shoes getting wet from the moist grass, we walked up and around the dilapidated building which we figured our as only used for the outer shots since the indoor scenes we soon discovered were filmed in the outbuilding a few yards away. Everything looked as they were in the film except for the absence of a red tank on the side which is now replaced with a smaller blue one. Even the 2 pallets that Richard (Paddy Considine) used as his bed were still there. The place was still beautiful and had so much character despite the strong smell of cows’ dung which were scattered everywhere. Having taken all the photos and video footages we needed, we reversed all the way back towards the bottom junction since there was nowhere to turn. We then took shots of the lane by Oker House before heading back to say thank you to Mr. And Mrs Spencer of Mooredge who were so kind to let us have a look around in their old farmhouse. As an added titbit Uppertown was the last Quacker settlement in Derbyshire.
We then headed towards Slayley where we needed to take a shot of the car as it turns opposite the chapel. The lady was indeed not kidding when she mentioned we had to go past a very steep and sharp hairpin bend. It was a very bad bend and required extra care in manoeuvring so if you can use the lower road from Bonsall, just do so. We easily found the spot we were looking for and took our photos and video footage with our car positioned exactly like in the film. Dale bottom is what this area is known locally.
We proceeded to our next destination which was Salter Lane, the narrow and winding road that leads to Matlock where we searched for the farmhouse in vain earlier that morning. We easily found the branching road with an open space opposite that has a marvellous view overlooking Matlock. Third time lucky, we the land owner was also there herding his cattle. We waited for all cattle to clear and asked if we could take some photos from the inside of his stone walled property. He was very agreeable and even pointed out a few more places that he recognised from our still images. We went back up to the Bonsall turn-off and veered to the right towards Bonsall Moor, we found the exact spot with the telltale tree not too far from the junction. My photographer/videographer assistant once again got out of the car to take photos and video of the car coming along the bend as seen in the movie.
Next on our list was a house in Darley Dale which was quite easy to locate as it was the only one with a porch extension on the front. To my wife’s consternation, I went to knock on the door. The gentleman owner was happy enough to oblige and was relating the story how his house was first used for the filming of Peak Practice before the locations scout of the Shane Meadows film approached him. He posed with me in front of his house and pointed out the cut through opposite his house that was also used in the film. Having taken all the shots we needed, we headed towards Matlock looking for toilets and some decent cup of coffee. Hold on..........the bus shelter where we see Richard on his lonesome is next to the school. The bus shelter has not changed at all, the school in the background shot is the
?? primary school.
As we followed the new road, our GPS did not recognise the road at all and soon enough we found out that the road system entering the Matlock has totally changed due to the new Sainsbury’s store that opened a couple that morning. Having to fight our way to find a parking space, we were not prepared to do the same in the cafe. A number of people were already queuing for tables so we just grabbed some drinks and bites and got Kyah an animal balloon from the clown in stilts. We ate our snack inside the comforts of our car and were soon ready to get on with our day’s mission.
St Giles Church with its massive graveyard was our next destination. With the aid of our SatNav, we located it without any mishaps. The church was very charming with its beautiful surroundings. We went to the graveyard behind and were so amazed with the spectacular views of Matlock and Riber Castle while surrounded with headstones. We found the exact grave and spot used in the film so we took more photos while appreciating the peaceful and relaxing atmosphere of the place. The heart shaped gravestone which you see in the shot may have been a dummy stone, as their is no evidence of any headstones shaped like that.
In no time, we were on the steep winding road to Riber. We found a spot to park at the top and were informed by a local that the castle grounds were now off limits to the public since the zoo closure about 5 years ago, however many locals still walk around the castle ruins. We found the public footpath without any difficulty and we followed it until we came into a clearing offering spectacular overlooking view of Matlock and a close up view of the majestic castle atop. We soon found a big opening in the wire fence and followed a frequently used trail leading to the castle entrance. Up close and in full view, the Riber Castle was even more beautiful and imposing. We surveyed the ruins inside out and took photographs and video footages from all angles. We found a way to get inside the newer part with less piles of rubble to block our way. The aura and spiritual atmosphere of the place was just so strong and I felt totally in tune with my surroundings. Yeah, I know, the hairs on my back were rising too!
Hand in hand, Maina and Kyah were hesitantly walking far behind me so it seemed I had the whole place to myself which just suited me fine. We walked around the extensive grounds and ventured to what used to be the zoo area that was still complete with fences, stalls and cages. Now keeping up with my pace, we came across the stone outbuilding and the railed path that were used in the film. We were in the middle of taking some photographs when we were startled by the presence of another couple. For a moment, from the frightened look of my wife’s face, I thought we may have been caught red handed until the newcomers declared that they were fellow trespassers too. What a relief! Having concluded our business, it was time to leave which I did with much reluctance as I felt so aware, attuned and guided wandering around the place. We met a group of walkers from Nottingham as we came back to the clearing. We got talking and discovered that they had also watched several of the Shane Meadow’s films. When I disclosed that a part of Dead Man’s Shoes was filmed inside the Riber Castle, they also eagerly followed the trail and wandered inside.
We drove back to Matlock to visit the large estate where various houses and locations were mostly seen in the film. Our first stop was the house on the corner or Lime Tree Road and Cavendish, which was used as Sonny’s house. The house was quite different from what was seen on the film as new windows had been put in and the front garden has been landscaped with only the front door serving as a clear indication and clue that it was the right house. All the neighbouring houses as seen in the movie’s background looked exactly the same though. We then proceeded to the Hurst Farm Social Club where I met a couple of lads more than eager to point out more places in the estate that were featured in the film. Having taken the photos of the building’s interior and armed with detailed directions of the other filming locations; we drove down to Hazeldene Residential Home and took some external photos. We easily located the house on Lumsdale Crescent which was confirmed by the youngsters hanging around. Everything just followed on smoothly as we located the alley way by Mettesford Rd and what used to be the old garages in Hurst Rise just before the Londis convenient store.
It was nearly four o’clock in the afternoon and Kyah was getting tired so we headed to our last stop of the day which was the fuel station in Wessington before heading home. This old fuel station is on the site of the storage 2000 storage depo. It was indeed a full and long day and we were just thankful that it stayed dry and that we met nice people who had been helpful in our search. Our day ended with an appreciative note on how lucky we are to be in Derbyshire surrounded by beautiful and historic countryside and populated by very nice local folks.
07 October 2007 (Sunday)
We had an early start that beautiful Sunday morning. We hurriedly showered and dressed Kyah who woke up much later than us and were on the A6 road to Matlock at 8 in the morning. We left out the busy streets and workmen’s club used in the Dead Man’s Shoes filming yesterday knowing we could get better shots and ambience by coming back early in the morning. Indeed, we were right as the main town centre road was deserted and we managed to take good shots of the main streets of Matlock and the workmen’s club opposite the Crown pub.
Because of the wonderful experience I had inside the grounds of Riber Castle yesterday, we decided to pay the ruins another visit . My wife decided to take Kyah for a walk to the bottom of the hill and back while I wandered alone inside the monstrous building and its extensive grounds. I found an opening to roam around the inside ruins of the old castle part and dabbled in a bit of dowsing to see what I could find, nothing only memories. While I had my head in the clouds a couple with their dogs come up behind me and scared the living out of me. Joking aside, the lady declared she had once worked in the zoo part and loved every minute of it. She told me of the history and how the castle lost its new roof to gypsy’s and the castle and zoo feel in desperate needs. She also mentioned a bunch of bikers had also used the ruins to hold parties etc.
Half an hour later, I was in the clearing taking in the great views and enjoying the peace and quiet when Maina and Kyah appeared and I was struck by a realisation that the what was in front of me was another shot from the film that I had been figuring out since yesterday. I felt so good to have solved another piece of the puzzle. It then occurred to me that the wooded area to our left also perfectly matched to the still images I had in my hands. We excitedly scrambled towards the woods and tried to locate the exact spot. We treaded carefully in the moss carpeted uneven grounds and thoroughly enjoyed our exploration. It was a great pleasure seeing the rays of the morning sun sifted through the thick leaves of various old trees. We found the spot which could have been possibly used in the movie shooting but was not 100% sure as erosion brought about by recent heavy rains could easily change the shape of the ground. Accompanied by the musical chirping of birds, we took plenty of photos and video footages while admiring our beautiful surroundings.
Not too long was time to go as we had to bring Kyah back to his Mum. We stopped at a cafe at Arkwright Mill in Cromford before heading back to Belper. Our nephew went home full of tales for his mates at school about his adventure-filled weekend!
Dead Man’s Shoes Diary
06 October 2007, Saturday
Just before 8 o’clock on a foggy Saturday morning, Maina (the assistant) and I picked up our nephew for a day out in the Derbyshire countryside, visiting the places used in the filming of Shane Meadow’s Dead Man’s Shoes. Most of the filming took place around Matlock area which would prove to be pleasant and invigorating.
Starting off from Belper, we drove through Cromford and used the Via Gella Road to get to Bonsall where the dilapidated farmhouse in the film is supposed to be found. We went past the village and followed the winding single lane leading to Matlock hoping to find the said farmhouse by this road. We eventually hit Matlock without any luck. None of the farmhouses we had gone past looked similar to our printed still image at all. We went back up the lane at a turtle’s pace in case we missed it on our way down. Without any luck, our nephew started to complain of belly ache and was getting car sick of the winding bumpy road mixed with high altitude. We thought of coming back another day when we saw a gentleman about in the village square of Bonsall.
We stopped and showed him our printed photos and asked if he was familiar with the farmhouse. He recognised it straight away from his past walks in the countryside and said that it was in Upper Town of which he gave us directions of how to get there. With renewed spirits we managed to excite our nephew by promising him a nice walk and more time out of the car once we locate the dilapidated farmhouse. We found Upper Town and were lucky again to find another gentleman about by the farm shop. We parked and walked over to enquire. The lady of the house soon came out and both identified the farmhouse as their very own which was used for a movie filming a few years back. They gave us permission to take shots of the dilapidated building bearing in mind to close back the gates as they had cows about. Mr Spencer (the owner of the old farm buildings) told me he was invited for breakfast with the crew up at the old farm house. He said they were a great bunch of people. They also pointed out some more places that they recognised from our still images. We were on the roll and our nephew even forgot his belly ache!
Barely nine o’clock in the morning, we were on a rough and narrow dirt road thinking a run down 4X4 would have been more ideal to drive when gallivanting in such places. We recognised the farmhouse straight away albeit built a long way off the track. With our trousers and shoes getting wet from the moist grass, we walked up and around the dilapidated building which we figured our as only used for the outer shots since the indoor scenes we soon discovered were filmed in the outbuilding a few yards away. Everything looked as they were in the film except for the absence of a red tank on the side which is now replaced with a smaller blue one. Even the 2 pallets that Richard (Paddy Considine) used as his bed were still there. The place was still beautiful and had so much character despite the strong smell of cows’ dung which were scattered everywhere. Having taken all the photos and video footages we needed, we reversed all the way back towards the bottom junction since there was nowhere to turn. We then took shots of the lane by Oker House before heading back to say thank you to Mr. And Mrs Spencer of Mooredge who were so kind to let us have a look around in their old farmhouse. As an added titbit Uppertown was the last Quacker settlement in Derbyshire.
We then headed towards Slayley where we needed to take a shot of the car as it turns opposite the chapel. The lady was indeed not kidding when she mentioned we had to go past a very steep and sharp hairpin bend. It was a very bad bend and required extra care in manoeuvring so if you can use the lower road from Bonsall, just do so. We easily found the spot we were looking for and took our photos and video footage with our car positioned exactly like in the film. Dale bottom is what this area is known locally.
We proceeded to our next destination which was Salter Lane, the narrow and winding road that leads to Matlock where we searched for the farmhouse in vain earlier that morning. We easily found the branching road with an open space opposite that has a marvellous view overlooking Matlock. Third time lucky, we the land owner was also there herding his cattle. We waited for all cattle to clear and asked if we could take some photos from the inside of his stone walled property. He was very agreeable and even pointed out a few more places that he recognised from our still images. We went back up to the Bonsall turn-off and veered to the right towards Bonsall Moor, we found the exact spot with the telltale tree not too far from the junction. My photographer/videographer assistant once again got out of the car to take photos and video of the car coming along the bend as seen in the movie.
Next on our list was a house in Darley Dale which was quite easy to locate as it was the only one with a porch extension on the front. To my wife’s consternation, I went to knock on the door. The gentleman owner was happy enough to oblige and was relating the story how his house was first used for the filming of Peak Practice before the locations scout of the Shane Meadows film approached him. He posed with me in front of his house and pointed out the cut through opposite his house that was also used in the film. Having taken all the shots we needed, we headed towards Matlock looking for toilets and some decent cup of coffee. Hold on..........the bus shelter where we see Richard on his lonesome is next to the school. The bus shelter has not changed at all, the school in the background shot is the
?? primary school.As we followed the new road, our GPS did not recognise the road at all and soon enough we found out that the road system entering the Matlock has totally changed due to the new Sainsbury’s store that opened a couple that morning. Having to fight our way to find a parking space, we were not prepared to do the same in the cafe. A number of people were already queuing for tables so we just grabbed some drinks and bites and got Kyah an animal balloon from the clown in stilts. We ate our snack inside the comforts of our car and were soon ready to get on with our day’s mission.
St Giles Church with its massive graveyard was our next destination. With the aid of our SatNav, we located it without any mishaps. The church was very charming with its beautiful surroundings. We went to the graveyard behind and were so amazed with the spectacular views of Matlock and Riber Castle while surrounded with headstones. We found the exact grave and spot used in the film so we took more photos while appreciating the peaceful and relaxing atmosphere of the place. The heart shaped gravestone which you see in the shot may have been a dummy stone, as their is no evidence of any headstones shaped like that.
In no time, we were on the steep winding road to Riber. We found a spot to park at the top and were informed by a local that the castle grounds were now off limits to the public since the zoo closure about 5 years ago, however many locals still walk around the castle ruins. We found the public footpath without any difficulty and we followed it until we came into a clearing offering spectacular overlooking view of Matlock and a close up view of the majestic castle atop. We soon found a big opening in the wire fence and followed a frequently used trail leading to the castle entrance. Up close and in full view, the Riber Castle was even more beautiful and imposing. We surveyed the ruins inside out and took photographs and video footages from all angles. We found a way to get inside the newer part with less piles of rubble to block our way. The aura and spiritual atmosphere of the place was just so strong and I felt totally in tune with my surroundings. Yeah, I know, the hairs on my back were rising too!
Hand in hand, Maina and Kyah were hesitantly walking far behind me so it seemed I had the whole place to myself which just suited me fine. We walked around the extensive grounds and ventured to what used to be the zoo area that was still complete with fences, stalls and cages. Now keeping up with my pace, we came across the stone outbuilding and the railed path that were used in the film. We were in the middle of taking some photographs when we were startled by the presence of another couple. For a moment, from the frightened look of my wife’s face, I thought we may have been caught red handed until the newcomers declared that they were fellow trespassers too. What a relief! Having concluded our business, it was time to leave which I did with much reluctance as I felt so aware, attuned and guided wandering around the place. We met a group of walkers from Nottingham as we came back to the clearing. We got talking and discovered that they had also watched several of the Shane Meadow’s films. When I disclosed that a part of Dead Man’s Shoes was filmed inside the Riber Castle, they also eagerly followed the trail and wandered inside.
We drove back to Matlock to visit the large estate where various houses and locations were mostly seen in the film. Our first stop was the house on the corner or Lime Tree Road and Cavendish, which was used as Sonny’s house. The house was quite different from what was seen on the film as new windows had been put in and the front garden has been landscaped with only the front door serving as a clear indication and clue that it was the right house. All the neighbouring houses as seen in the movie’s background looked exactly the same though. We then proceeded to the Hurst Farm Social Club where I met a couple of lads more than eager to point out more places in the estate that were featured in the film. Having taken the photos of the building’s interior and armed with detailed directions of the other filming locations; we drove down to Hazeldene Residential Home and took some external photos. We easily located the house on Lumsdale Crescent which was confirmed by the youngsters hanging around. Everything just followed on smoothly as we located the alley way by Mettesford Rd and what used to be the old garages in Hurst Rise just before the Londis convenient store.
It was nearly four o’clock in the afternoon and Kyah was getting tired so we headed to our last stop of the day which was the fuel station in Wessington before heading home. This old fuel station is on the site of the storage 2000 storage depo. It was indeed a full and long day and we were just thankful that it stayed dry and that we met nice people who had been helpful in our search. Our day ended with an appreciative note on how lucky we are to be in Derbyshire surrounded by beautiful and historic countryside and populated by very nice local folks.
07 October 2007 (Sunday)
We had an early start that beautiful Sunday morning. We hurriedly showered and dressed Kyah who woke up much later than us and were on the A6 road to Matlock at 8 in the morning. We left out the busy streets and workmen’s club used in the Dead Man’s Shoes filming yesterday knowing we could get better shots and ambience by coming back early in the morning. Indeed, we were right as the main town centre road was deserted and we managed to take good shots of the main streets of Matlock and the workmen’s club opposite the Crown pub.
Because of the wonderful experience I had inside the grounds of Riber Castle yesterday, we decided to pay the ruins another visit . My wife decided to take Kyah for a walk to the bottom of the hill and back while I wandered alone inside the monstrous building and its extensive grounds. I found an opening to roam around the inside ruins of the old castle part and dabbled in a bit of dowsing to see what I could find, nothing only memories. While I had my head in the clouds a couple with their dogs come up behind me and scared the living out of me. Joking aside, the lady declared she had once worked in the zoo part and loved every minute of it. She told me of the history and how the castle lost its new roof to gypsy’s and the castle and zoo feel in desperate needs. She also mentioned a bunch of bikers had also used the ruins to hold parties etc.
Half an hour later, I was in the clearing taking in the great views and enjoying the peace and quiet when Maina and Kyah appeared and I was struck by a realisation that the what was in front of me was another shot from the film that I had been figuring out since yesterday. I felt so good to have solved another piece of the puzzle. It then occurred to me that the wooded area to our left also perfectly matched to the still images I had in my hands. We excitedly scrambled towards the woods and tried to locate the exact spot. We treaded carefully in the moss carpeted uneven grounds and thoroughly enjoyed our exploration. It was a great pleasure seeing the rays of the morning sun sifted through the thick leaves of various old trees. We found the spot which could have been possibly used in the movie shooting but was not 100% sure as erosion brought about by recent heavy rains could easily change the shape of the ground. Accompanied by the musical chirping of birds, we took plenty of photos and video footages while admiring our beautiful surroundings.
Not too long was time to go as we had to bring Kyah back to his Mum. We stopped at a cafe at Arkwright Mill in Cromford before heading back to Belper. Our nephew went home full of tales for his mates at school about his adventure-filled weekend!
