A Lancashire boarding school could be the first of many to look to the big (or small) screen for insurance against possible losses following the recent introduction of VAT on private schools and, from April, the removal of their charitable business relief rate.
Picturesque Stonyhurst College, in Clitheroe, has signed up with Leeds-based location specialist UK Locations, which has previously helped find locations for global hits such as Disney’s Wedding Season and Paramount’s Sexy Beast, as well as more distinctly Northern-flavoured productions like the BBC’s Red Rose and Boat Story and Netflix’s recent rash of Harlan Coben adaptations from Quay Street Productions.
UK Locations CEO Lauren York told Prolific North: “Many private schools are now pivoting to being a film location to access a new income stream because of the VAT policy. We’ve had many enquiries from private schools, and we’ve just signed this one in Lancashire.”
It’s not just the schools themselves that are looking to movies as a way of beating tax hikes – York added that the rising costs of shooting in the US, perhaps with a helping hand from America’s love of all things British and Olde Worlde, are bringing plenty of productions across the pond too: “It’s a good time as drama in the UK is massively picking up because many American productions are coming here because of tax breaks and it’s now too expensive in the USA because of writers and actors deals,” she said.
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If you’re looking for a dramatic setting for your next production, here’s how UK Locations’ describes Stonyhurst in its brochure: “A magnificent boarding school film location nestled in the picturesque Ribble Valley, Lancashire, just over an hour from Manchester. This iconic site offers a diverse range of backdrops, from dramatic gothic architecture, serene chapels, grand halls, and peaceful cloisters to more modern facilities including a sports hall, swimming pool and tennis dome – making it the ideal location for everything from period TV dramas to historical documentaries and commercial shoots. The entire Stonyhurst College site can be hired during school holidays and parts of the estate can be made available for filming during term-time.”
The Lancashire college isn’t a complete stranger to high-profile productions dropping into class – it’s probably most famous for its appearance in the 1990 film Three Men and a Little Lady, starring Tom Selleck and Ted Danson, which filmed exteriors of the college. It was also featured in the Ghostly TV movie Tractate Middoth, directed by Mark Gatiss, as well as dystopian Cold War thriller Bastion and at least one episode of eighties TV favourite Treasure Hunt.
Perhaps most famously the college played host to Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien, who wrote much of his epic saga while staying in the school’s guest house while his son was a student there. Many names which occur in The Lord of The Rings are similar to those found locally including Shire Lane (in Hurst Green) and River Shirebourn (similar to the family name which built Stonyhurst), although Tolkien was probably unaware of the upcoming multibillion Peter Jackson franchise when writing the books in the 1940s.
Stonyhurst even has a “film and location hire” section on its own website, where its pitch to location scouts entreats: “Set your production against a backdrop of history and grandeur at Stonyhurst College, an extraordinary filming location steeped in over 400 years of Jesuit tradition. Nestled in the picturesque Ribble Valley, this iconic site offers a diverse range of settings perfect for filmmakers. From its dramatic gothic architecture to serene chapels, grand halls, and peaceful cloisters, Stonyhurst is an ideal location for period dramas, historical documentaries, and spiritual or academic-themed projects.”
Pics: Locations UK/Stonyhurst College
