Any crew - filming locations

Questions for the cast and crew of Knightmare
Post Reply
Canadanne
Fright Knight
Fright Knight
Posts: 1996
Joined: 12 Oct 2010, 18:53
Location: Poole, Dorset
Contact:

Any crew - filming locations

Post by Canadanne »

Question for any crew member who might know the answer - where did they film the lake from Series 5 & 6, the ship from Series 6, and the town from Series 7, and where did they find the stained glass window used in Series 2 & 3?
User avatar
HStorm
Fright Knight
Fright Knight
Posts: 2838
Joined: 30 Nov 2003, 13:12
Location: Salford, UK
Contact:

Re: Any crew - filming locations

Post by HStorm »

I'm fairly sure the stained glass window was entirely hand-drawn by David Rowe.
Knightmare Audio Plays from The Dunshelm Players.
User avatar
HobGoblin
Staff
Staff
Posts: 421
Joined: 31 Oct 2012, 13:20

Re: Any crew - filming locations

Post by HobGoblin »

If David Rowe has no memory of the window it seems unlikely he drew it - especially given the fact he's recently been digging out his works in progress etc. Unless a specialist artist would have been called in? Seems harder than just using a photo...

I don't know if anyone's had a look around but if it's a real window then somewhere in Norwich seems the most likely - if I worked on the show and Tim said 'I need a stained glass window' I'd just pop to the nearest church. I noticed when I was there for the convention that there's an area just down the road from the studios called Tombland with at least a couple of churches - seems an appropriate source for a dungeon window!

In our brief walk in the city my wife did comment on the relatively high number of churches we passed so even if we knew it was definitely in Norwich it would still be a needle in haystack job (especially as the dungeon window is possibly a detail from a much larger real life window with many more images).

So, thinking logically, what are the nearest churches to the studio or the production office (if elsewhere)? Otherwise we are reliant on someone just remembering...
Extreme warning team, a Hobgoblin in the level!
Canadanne
Fright Knight
Fright Knight
Posts: 1996
Joined: 12 Oct 2010, 18:53
Location: Poole, Dorset
Contact:

Re: Any crew - filming locations

Post by Canadanne »

David Rowe told a fan he didn't draw the stained glass window (and confirmed to me that he doesn't know where it was taken from), so I am guessing it was a photograph as it looks pretty realistic.

I too thought the Norfolk or Suffolk area was a likely source, but I've had no luck in all my Googling of local churches, etc.

It is also possible that they scanned it from a book or something. I would just love to know, one way or the other!
User avatar
FoxyLF
Dungeoneer
Dungeoneer
Posts: 44
Joined: 16 Apr 2014, 13:50
Location: Lincolnshire
Contact:

Re: Any crew - filming locations

Post by FoxyLF »

That window is a tough one, I had a good google to try and find it the other day too, couldn't find anything like it.
Maybe it's from a drawing in a book and not from an actual church as you say, could be hard to find!
Drassil
Senior Staff
Senior Staff
Posts: 2578
Joined: 30 Sep 2003, 16:01

Re: Any crew - filming locations

Post by Drassil »

Canadanne wrote: 26 May 2014, 13:55 David Rowe told a fan he didn't draw the stained glass window (and confirmed to me that he doesn't know where it was taken from), so I am guessing it was a photograph as it looks pretty realistic.

I too thought the Norfolk or Suffolk area was a likely source, but I've had no luck in all my Googling of local churches, etc.

It is also possible that they scanned it from a book or something. I would just love to know, one way or the other!
I don't think this has been remarked on before (at least, not on the forum), but here's something I'd never noticed until today: the stained glass window appears to feature all four classic quest objects.

This suggests either that it was very well chosen for Knightmare, or that a photo may have been added to. The shield looks like it was laid on.

None of that gets us any closer to identifying the original window. I hope it happens one day.
Knightmare: Kid-worthy, Naasty, Inspiring, Groundbreaking, Humorous, Treguard, Mesmerising, Adult-worthy, Rewarding, Essential.
User avatar
HStorm
Fright Knight
Fright Knight
Posts: 2838
Joined: 30 Nov 2003, 13:12
Location: Salford, UK
Contact:

Re: Any crew - filming locations

Post by HStorm »

Canadanne wrote: 26 May 2014, 13:55 It is also possible that they scanned it from a book or something. I would just love to know, one way or the other!
The difficulty lies in that we don't know who the figure in the image is. To speculate though, let's consider what we can see, and maybe draw conclusions from that; -

The figure appears to be female due to the long mane of hair flowing from under the crown. There appears to be a heart-type clasp holding her cloak in place, which might suggest 'the Queen of Hearts.' In the earliest known playing card decks, the QoH is meant to be based on the Biblical figure of Judith. However, those originated in France. In Britain, the 'QoH' is drawn in tribute to Elizabeth of York, "mother" of the Tudor Dynasty. This possibility is enhanced by what appear to be possible "White Rose of York" badges framing the arch around the edge of the picture (although they are too blurred for us to be certain). There also appears to be one of the stars from the end of the Dungeon in the same semi-circle, although I doubt there is any importance in that.

Elizabeth's husband, Henry VII, was descended from Welsh aristocrats, and so often tried to win support by claiming to be descended from the ruler of the Ancient Britons, King Arthur. That might explain the prominence of the Sword in the picture. The right hand of the Queen/Princess figure is holding either a Holy Grail upside down, and a droplet appears to be falling from it. ***OR***. It might be a bell, with the clapper just visible inside the waist. There also seems to be a comic-book star effect behind it, suggesting either it shines blindingly, or some kind of violent impact or loud sound.

If this is a pro-Tudor image, the question is why the Yorkist emblem is on it. Why not a semi-circle of Tudor roses? And why does the shield have no symbol on it? (In Julian's quest, the image of the Talisman has been superimposed on it, but in Mark's quest and in season three, there is nothing there.) In fact, the shield is much more blurred than the rest of the picture, and doesn't appear to be in a natural position on the figure's arm, so I doubt it is part of the SGW. It was probably a feature added by the production crew for the programme, so we can ignore it.

It is curious that the figure holds the sword in what appears to be her left hand, which suggest, quite literally, something 'sinister' about her. However, we need to remember that it would appear to be in her RIGHT hand when viewed from the other side.

But if we assume it is the left hand, AND we assume Elizabeth is holding the Grail and emptying it of its life-giving waters, we can assume that this is an image designed to defame her. She is using Excalibur for sinister purposes, and draining the Grail so it cannot heal the wounds of Britain.

My suspicion therefore is that this is an image produced by a Yorkist faction that rebelled against the Tudors after Henry overthrew Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. The two most notable rebellions against Henry were of course by the Pretenders, Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck. Both of them mustered support in Ireland - Simnel was in fact crowned as 'Edward VI' (he claimed to be the Earl of Warwick, cousin of the missing Princes In The Tower) at a messy coronation ceremony in Dublin in 1486 - and Warbeck also had considerable dealings with James IV of Scotland, whose court he lived at for some years. He then also mustered a large Cornish force in the south-west in an attempt to overthrow Henry. The rebellion started to falter on trying to seize Exeter, a siege that was only partly successful and that only after days of fighting, all of which allowed Henry's army time to march into the south-west peninsular and cut off any route Warbeck had to London. Warbeck deserted his army and the rebellion collapsed shortly after that.

So, on reflection of these possibilities, the best places to search for this stained glass window, if it really is genuine, would be Cornwall, Edinburgh, or the lands around Dublin ('the olde English Pail' as it was known in the Medieval era). These were the high points of loyalty to the two pretenders, and so where propaganda in their support would have been most likely to be produced.

I don't know if that makes the task any easier, but they are good places to start looking.

Sigh, the level of detail we are trained to analyse when doing a History Degree.......
Knightmare Audio Plays from The Dunshelm Players.
Canadanne
Fright Knight
Fright Knight
Posts: 1996
Joined: 12 Oct 2010, 18:53
Location: Poole, Dorset
Contact:

Re: Any crew - filming locations

Post by Canadanne »

Drassil wrote: 26 Feb 2023, 18:43 I don't think this has been remarked on before (at least, not on the forum), but here's something I'd never noticed until today: the stained glass window appears to feature all four classic quest objects.
I *had* noticed that, having studied it in great detail while attempting to find its origin! It does make it seem custom made or edited for the programme, unless they just noticed the same details and liked how appropriate it was.
HStorm wrote: 26 Feb 2023, 20:02 The right hand of the Queen/Princess figure is holding either a Holy Grail upside down, and a droplet appears to be falling from it. ***OR***. It might be a bell, with the clapper just visible inside the waist.
Yeah, I've never been entirely sure if it was a cup or a bell! I also couldn't decide if the white shapes were roses, blurry faces or something else. It's all very intriguing.
HStorm wrote: 26 Feb 2023, 20:02 So, on reflection of these possibilities, the best places to search for this stained glass window, if it really is genuine, would be Cornwall, Edinburgh, or the lands around Dublin ('the olde English Pail' as it was known in the Medieval era).
Worth a try! I've Google image searched plenty of other places (usually after noticing a church on TV with vaguely similar windows, LOL).
Canadanne
Fright Knight
Fright Knight
Posts: 1996
Joined: 12 Oct 2010, 18:53
Location: Poole, Dorset
Contact:

Re: Any crew - filming locations

Post by Canadanne »

Canadanne wrote: 25 May 2014, 22:24 Question for any crew member who might know the answer - where did they film the lake from Series 5 & 6, the ship from Series 6, and the town from Series 7, and where did they find the stained glass window used in Series 2 & 3?
Just to update my original request, the town from Series 7 has since been identified (and visited!) but I still don't know about the others. The ship in particular has really bugged me for years now.
User avatar
HStorm
Fright Knight
Fright Knight
Posts: 2838
Joined: 30 Nov 2003, 13:12
Location: Salford, UK
Contact:

Re: Any crew - filming locations

Post by HStorm »

Canadanne wrote: 26 Feb 2023, 21:54 Yeah, I've never been entirely sure if it was a cup or a bell! I also couldn't decide if the white shapes were roses, blurry faces or something else. It's all very intriguing.
It further occurs to me that if it is a bell and not a cup, that could still make it defamatory of Elizabeth for 'betraying' the House of York and marrying an obscure Welsh Lancastrian, because it could be her sounding the 'death-knell' of the country. That would make it all the more appropriate to Knightmare, if you think about it.
Knightmare Audio Plays from The Dunshelm Players.
User avatar
HStorm
Fright Knight
Fright Knight
Posts: 2838
Joined: 30 Nov 2003, 13:12
Location: Salford, UK
Contact:

Re: Any crew - filming locations

Post by HStorm »

Canadanne wrote: 26 Feb 2023, 21:57 The ship in particular has really bugged me for years now.
With apologies for repeatedly 'Devonising' my answers, (hey, it's the place I know best!) have you looked at Brixham in Torbay? There's a full-size replica of Sir Francis Drake's flagship, the Golden Hind, there.

https://www.goldenhind.co.uk/

As another option, at the time Knightmare was being made, there was a superb Maritime Museum in Exeter. Sadly it was closed down in 1997, but it had a number of old ships on the city's historic Quayside.

http://www.exetermemories.co.uk/em/maritime_museum.php

Admittedly nothing is jumping out at me in the photos here, but some of the boats stored in the canal basin are not pictured.
Knightmare Audio Plays from The Dunshelm Players.
Canadanne
Fright Knight
Fright Knight
Posts: 1996
Joined: 12 Oct 2010, 18:53
Location: Poole, Dorset
Contact:

Re: Any crew - filming locations

Post by Canadanne »

HStorm wrote: 26 Feb 2023, 22:41 With apologies for repeatedly 'Devonising' my answers, (hey, it's the place I know best!) have you looked at Brixham in Torbay? There's a full-size replica of Sir Francis Drake's flagship, the Golden Hind, there.
I'm not sure if I've come across that one before (doesn't really ring a bell). It doesn't appear to be a match, though it's hard to be sure as sometimes bits get replaced over the years - I'd have to see what it looked like in 1992. I keep wondering if the filming of it that year had something to do with the anniversary of Columbus' voyage, as there were various replicas of his ships around at the time, but I haven't seen one that looks the same.
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 8 guests