Doctor Who celebrated its 60th anniversary in November 2023, and we've been playing our part in the Doctor's time-travelling adventures for most of those years. Discover which places in our care have been featured in alien worlds and distant times from the Bronze Age to the year five billion.
Three special anniversary episodes aired on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on 25 November, 2 and 9 December 2023, with David Tennant and Catherine Tate returning to the TARDIS for more travels through time and space.
The Myth Makers (1965) and The Highlanders (1966)
It’s hard to believe that in just over a year, the same place could double for the sandy plains of Troy and the highlands of Scotland. Frensham Ponds, with its golden beaches and heather-covered slopes, worked for both. The Myth Makers landed the First Doctor William Hartnell in the thick of the Trojan War. A year later, the Second Doctor Patrick Troughton found trouble following the Battle of Culloden. Sadly, no recordings of these stories survive.
Underwater Menace (1966) and Destiny of the Daleks (1979)
When the Doctor first visited Winspit Quarry in the 1960s, it was privately owned. Now the distinctive caves and their rare bat colonies are in our care, but they're still sometimes used for filming. In 1966 the caves provided a dramatic entrance to the sunken city of Atlantis. When the Fourth Doctor Tom Baker landed 13 years later, the rocks and ruins became the planet Skaro, home of his arch enemies the Daleks and their evil creator Davros.
The Abominable Snowmen (1967)
For this adventure set in the Himalayas, a filming trip to Tibet was out of the question. However, this was the first Doctor Who story filmed outside of England, and it certainly wouldn't be the last one made in Wales. The dramatic mountains made for a believable backdrop, even if there wasn’t much snow on the ground in early September. It must have been convincing because a year later, Carry on Up The Khyber was filmed just a short distance away.
Warrior's Gate (1980)
One of the more unusual shoots in Doctor Who took place at Powis Castle. Director Paul Joyce wanted to create a palace at a gateway between universes, so he took black and white photos of Powis Castle’s main rooms and steeply terraced gardens. The Fourth Doctor Tom Baker and his fellow actors performed their scenes in studio in front of a green screen and the still photographic backgrounds were added later, creating a distinctive otherworldly look.
The Kings Demons (1983) and Robot of Sherwood (2014)
Bodiam Castle is the only place in our care to appear in both the 20th and the 21st-century runs of Doctor Who. On a cold and foggy winter's day in 1982, the Fifth Doctor Peter Davison watched an impressive jousting sequence filmed in front of the castle. Thirty-two years later, Bodiam stood in for Nottingham Castle, home of the wicked Sherriff, in an adventure where the Twelfth Doctor Peter Capaldi met Robin Hood.
2005
Tredegar House is the most used Doctor Who filming location in our care, visited by every Doctor since David Tennant. Staff now treat the production team like old friends.
The first shoot was for The Christmas Invasion and featured Prime Minister Harriet Jones addressing the nation from her office.
New Earth (2006)
You won’t see the skyscrapers of 'New New York' when you visit Rhosili Bay – they were created digitally and added to the picture later. But you can see the breezy clifftop where the Tenth Doctor and Rose enjoyed the smell of apple grass. Fans of spin-off series Torchwood might also recognise the beach as the scene of a fast-paced helicopter chase in Children of Earth. You can even stay in Gwen and Rhys’ house, the Old Rectory, which is one of our holiday cottages.
2006
The Doctor Who team often choose the gardens at Dyffryn when they need somewhere with grandeur.
The gardens stand in for the grounds of the Palace of Versailles in The Girl in the Fireplace, and the courtyard is guarded with some sinister monks in Tooth and Claw.
Night Terrors (2011)
Dyrham Park was transformed into the giant spooky doll’s house at the heart of this story. Historic furnishings were put into storage and the house was redressed with over-sized props. You may recognise a few fixtures, such as the staircase or the distinctive tiled floor, as the Doctor’s friends Amy and Rory are chased through the house by enormous, grotesque peg dolls.
Hide (2013)
The Gothic extravagance of Tyntesfield makes it the ideal setting for spooky haunted house stories like Hide. But this being Doctor Who, the apparitions turn out to be more scientific than supernatural. Most of the action takes place in and around the central hall, with its distinctive staircase and ornate fireplace. Tyntesfield has also appeared in Sherlock and a film adaptation of the Agatha Christie story Crooked House.
Ascension of the Cybermen (2020)
The farm stood in for rural Ireland in several scenes of this story, with its sweeping views of the Brecon Beacons. Patrick and Meg's farmhouse, and the road where they discover the abandoned baby Brendan, are both also part of the estate.
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A place shaped by the local community, Tredegar House and its surrounding gardens and parkland stand proudly at the heart of Newport’s heritage.
Medieval bishops' fish pond in tranquil wildlife haven amidst precious heathland
Step into history at Bodiam Castle. This 14th-century moated castle with a ruined interior features spiral staircases, battlements and a portcullis.
An ornate Victorian Gothic Revival house with extensive garden and parkland, just a stone's throw from Bristol
