Bristol and the South West have long been celebrated as the home of the BBC Natural History Unit, but something quietly remarkable has been happening in recent years. The region has evolved into one of the UK's most dynamic and versatile production destinations, attracting high-end television drama, major feature films and international streamers for its world-leading, natural history and factual heritage. From the studios of Bristol to the harbours of Cornwall, the South West is a region of extraordinary range - and our members are working across every corner of it.
This week, we’re shining a light on the people and places behind that growth. We spoke to some of our valued regional partners - Adela Straughan, Manager at Bristol Film Office, Katherine Nash at The Bottle Yard Studios, and our partners, The Ralph Trustees - and heard from Guild members working at the heart of the region, Ben Greenacre, Producer on The Forsytes, Madeleine Hall, Location Manager on A Good Girl's Guide to Murder Series 2, and Carn Burton, Supervising Location Manager on Rose of Nevada.
What Makes Bristol & the South West Special?
Few UK regions can match the breadth of what Bristol and the South West offer productions. According to Adela Straughan, Bristol Film Office Manager, it comes down to something more than just logistics:
"What makes Bristol and the Southwest special is the combination of production infrastructure and real character. Bristol has that rare ability to double for other places while still having a very strong visual identity of its own -and beyond the practicalities it is an artistic, diverse city with a real culture of creativity, great food and a genuinely collaborative approach."
The region also offers an extraordinary diversity of locations within a relatively compact geography. Productions can access vibrant urban cityscapes, historic avenues of grand houses, industrial landscapes, coastlines, national parks and picture postcard villages, all within an hour or two of each other. From the streets of Bristol and Bath to the coastlines of Cornwall and the landscapes of Dartmoor, the Mendips and the Cotswolds, the South West offers a visual feast that few other UK regions can match.
Katherine Nash at The Bottle Yard Studios points to the region's extraordinary geographic diversity as a key differentiator. From the period streetscapes of Bristol and Bath to the coastlines of Cornwall and Devon, "it's entirely feasible [for productions] to achieve a 'national' or even 'international' look without leaving the Southwest. This geographic diversity allows productions to double multiple locations within one region, significantly reducing travel time, cost and logistical complexity."
As local producer and Production Guild Board Member Ben Greenacre adds, “unlike most regions, the South West is largely self-sufficient when it comes to crew, equipment and facilities.”
“Productions benefit from a collaborative culture in which broadcasters, independent producers, studios, universities and freelancers are closely connected, creating opportunities for developing talent and sharing knowledge. It's a place where people genuinely want each other to succeed, and that spirit of collaboration is one of the region's greatest strengths. Anyone who’s filmed here will attest to that,” he says.
That breadth is something our own members experience first-hand. Madeleine Hall, Location Manager on A Good Girl's Guide to Murder Series 2, built her career on the landscapes of the South West, and her work on the series is a testament to what the region can offer a production with ambition and a keen eye for place. You can find an in-depth Member in Focus article on Madeleine and her work here.
And it’s not just our members that are getting involved – our new Production Guild Business Development and Training Coordinator Brandon Bailey found his home in the heart of the South West in Bristol. “After studying Animation, I always knew I wanted to find my way back into the film and TV industry. Bristol felt like the perfect place to do that - it's full of creative people, and the film and television community is really welcoming, collaborative and supportive, whether you're just starting out or have years of experience behind you. Being able to represent Production Guild UK in Bristol and the South West means I can stay connected to what's happening on the ground and help strengthen relationships with the talented people and organisations that make this region such a great place to work in our industry.”
Cornwall: The Centre of the World
If Bristol is the engine room of South West production, Cornwall is its soul. And few people understand that better than Guild member Carn Burton, whose career as a Supervising Location Manager has taken him from House of the Dragon and Taboo to The Sheep Detectives - but always, eventually, back home.
"I'm often working with people I've known all my life. Those relationships make working here a lot more straightforward and enjoyable."
Carn grew up in West Cornwall, the son of a Newlyn fisherman, which made his work on Rose of Nevada, a film set in the world of Cornish fishing, particularly personal. "To work on a local film set in the world of fishing was particularly rewarding," he says. "That feeling of family and community all working together on a project that everyone deeply believes in makes all the long hours worthwhile."
His career in the industry began in Cornwall too. A Film 4 feature came to West Cornwall in the early nineties looking for local crew immersed in surf culture, and Carn answered an advert in the local paper - and the rest, as they say, is history.
Cornwall's appeal to productions runs deeper than its obvious visual beauty. "People often think of Cornwall as being a sleepy backwater," Carn says, "but historically Cornwall has been a trading centre and the Cornish have been really innovative and outward-looking, with a huge amount of influence worldwide. There is still real community here, which is invaluable in the modern world."
Among Carn's favourite Cornish locations is Charlestown Harbour - one of the most filmed places in the county, and for good reason. "It looks stunning on screen, but also because a fantastic community of maritime characters has gathered and flourished there. Many were drawn there by their love for the traditional boats that have been based at the harbour since its closure as a China Clay Port in the early nineties. And they're all highly skilled at what they do, often eccentric and a lot of fun."
For anyone considering Cornwall for their next production, Carn's advice is simple: look after the places and people you film with. "They will be there long after your current project. Those relationships are vital to the smooth running of any future film project - and to the community in which you live and build your life." Read a deep dive into Carn and his work via our recent Member in Focus article here.
An Ecosystem Built for Production
The numbers speak for themselves. In 2024–25, productions facilitated by Bristol Film Office or based at The Bottle Yard Studios contributed an estimated £46.6 million to Bristol's economy - with 17 high-end television productions in that period alone.
Recent productions in the region include Rivals Series 2 for Disney+, Agatha Christie's Seven Dials and Bridgerton for Netflix, and Channel 5’s The Forsytes, alongside feature films including Mother's Pride, Rose of Nevada, Wasteman and The Sheep Detectives. These diverse projects demonstrate a breadth of scale, genre and ambition that reflects just how much the region has grown to become a true production destination.
The expansion of The Bottle Yard Studios in 2022, which added three premium sound stages at its TBY2 facility, was a turning point for the region. Productions like Rivals for Disney+ and Down Cemetery Road for Apple TV+ were among the first to film at the new facility, choosing Bristol as their home and adding further international credibility and confidence to an already impressive offer.
As Katherine explains, the studio's growth has catalysed a wider ecosystem. "Other studios and technical facilities offering advanced virtual production, VFX and post-production services have also opened in Bristol, demonstrating that the needs of the whole production life cycle can be achieved when basing in the region."
Adela adds, “we love responding to complex briefs with workable solutions. Recent examples include facilitating large-scale on-street filming and period transformations in the Old City for Young Sherlock and enabling major stunt work for Down Cemetery Road. That combination of foresight, calm delivery and strong local relationships gives productions real confidence.”
Hidden Gems and Unexpected Locations
Ask anyone who has filmed in Bristol about its locations, and the conversation quickly turns to surprises. Adela points to some of the region's best-kept secrets; places that bring character and authenticity together in ways that more obvious choices cannot.
"Some of Bristol's most exciting locations are its less obvious working and community spaces," she says. "Underfall Yard and St Werburghs City Farm are great examples. Redcliffe Caves is another fantastic location: atmospheric, accessible and genuinely transporting on screen. It has doubled for everything from flooded Cornish tin mines to Mars, and it always looks brilliant."
Having grown up in Bristol, Ben gets “a certain pleasure filming in places [he] knew well as a child.” Shooting alleyways near Windsor Terrace which he “used to mooch around as an 8-year-old (different times in the 70s) on The Offenders” gives him “such a buzz.”
“After all this time, I’m still finding myself on streets I’ve never walked down before, at country houses I’ve never visited or looking out at glorious vistas, urban or rural, that amaze me.”
Bristol Film Office has recently begun showcasing a 'Location of the Week' on their socials, to help productions discover the city's less well-known gems, a timely initiative as more productions look to the South West for their next shoot.
And it’s not just on-set locations that are providing the drama. The Ralph Trustees owns the stunning Woolley Grange “a Jacobean manor house on the edge of Bath.” A luxury hotel and which “reflects much of what makes the Southwest such a sought-after filming destination. The region combines history, character, and natural beauty in a way that's difficult to replicate elsewhere. From the architectural heritage of Bath to the rolling Wiltshire countryside, it's a landscape made for storytelling, and we're delighted to see so many productions helping showcase the area to audiences around the world.” Not only a destination for filming but one for relaxing, providing a perfect choice for crews visiting the area. To find out more about staying at Woolley Grange and member discounts, follow the link here
And the hidden gems don't stop at Bristol's city limits. Screen Cornwall recently launched a £2.5 million investment fund for film and high-end television - a development Carn describes as transformative for local production teams and crew. "It means that local businesses and freelancers can work closer to home, rather than having to travel away for half the year," he says. "And will help to give new talent in Cornwall a first step up the career ladder.”
A Region That Takes Sustainability Seriously
Sustainability is increasingly central to how productions choose where to base themselves, and Bristol and the South West is again a leader in the field.
The Bottle Yard Studios achieved the highest-scoring BAFTA albert Studio Sustainability Standard globally in 2025/26, underlining Bristol's position not just as a production hub, but as a leader in sustainable filmmaking, and a trailblazer in the field of studio sustainability. The Studios’ TBY2 facility boasts a 1MW solar rooftop, the largest community-owned rooftop PV array in the UK.
The Bottle Yard Studios and Bristol Film Office are together supporting the rollout of the Clean Power Pilot this summer, delivered by the West of England Combined Authority (WECA), Bristol City Council, Act 1.5 and a number of regional partners, designed to reduce reliance on generators by providing clean, battery-based power for unit bases and locations as well as festivals and events. It is part of a wider commitment to decarbonising production in the region.
"Productions are looking much more closely at how regions can help them reduce environmental impact - and Bristol is leading in that space," says Adela. "We also need to retain well-located unit base sites, grow skills pipelines, and keep building the wider ecosystem around production."
What Productions Should Know
For any production considering Bristol and the South West for the first time, both Adela and Katherine have the same message: come with an open mind, and you will be surprised.
"For domestic productions who may not yet have ventured outside of the capital, we often get feedback that there wasn't an awareness of the level of local crew depth and established infrastructure available," says Katherine. "For international enquiries, our proximity to and ability to double for London is always received well. The ability to base at The Bottle Yard Studios and still be within 1.5 hours of the capital and only need to 'helicopter' in for key scenes is often the difference between a financial green light or not."
Adela adds that Bristol's reputation as one of the easiest UK cities to film in is hard-won and well-maintained. "Producers consistently describe Bristol as one of the easiest UK cities to film in, thanks to responsive permitting, deep local knowledge and the ability to unlock locations that other places might struggle to supply."
“A big part of the job is joining the dots quickly, making the region feel easy to navigate, well supported and genuinely film-friendly.”
The Future of the South West
Everyone is optimistic about what comes next. A growing number of local scripted production companies have established themselves in Bristol in recent years - a sign, as Katherine notes, of a self-sustaining ecosystem beginning to take root. Panache Pictures, founded by Seven Dials producer Joanna Crow, and Sid Wild, the development and production arm of Sid Gentle, led by Rain Dogs producer Ciara McIlvenny are both now based at Bottle Yard.
"Companies like this have experience of filming in the region already and will naturally be more inclined to make their productions locally, using local crew, facilities and wider supply chain, which will protect and self-perpetuate a sustainable, long-term production ecosystem" says Katherine.
Support for this ecosystem is vital, of course. Last year, WECA was named as one of only six Combined Mayoral Authorities to receive £25 million from the Government’s Creative Places Growth Fund. Regional stakeholders, including Bristol Film Office and The Bottle Yard Studios, are working to help WECA shape this investment into tangible support for productions in the South West. With further details due to be released by WECA soon, it does feel like the South West’s film and TV sector is on the cusp of another step forward.
For Production Guild, the South West represents everything we champion: a skilled, dedicated community of professionals working at the highest level, in a region that supports and celebrates them. The productions our members have contributed to here - from Rivals 2 to A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, from Rose of Nevada to Bridgerton, from The Sheep Detectives to Agatha Christie's Seven Dials - are testament to what happens when great crew meets great infrastructure.
We are proud to have Adela, Katherine, Carn, Ben, Madeleine and so many of our members as part of this story. And we are certain the best chapters are still to come.
Few UK regions can match the breadth of what Bristol and the South West offer productions. According to Adela Straughan, Bristol Film Office Manager, it comes down to something more than just logistics:
"What makes Bristol and the Southwest special is the combination of production infrastructure and real character. Bristol has that rare ability to double for other places while still having a very strong visual identity of its own -and beyond the practicalities it is an artistic, diverse city with a real culture of creativity, great food and a genuinely collaborative approach."
The region also offers an extraordinary diversity of locations within a relatively compact geography. Productions can access vibrant urban cityscapes, historic avenues of grand houses, industrial landscapes, coastlines, national parks and picture postcard villages, all within an hour or two of each other. From the streets of Bristol and Bath to the coastlines of Cornwall and the landscapes of Dartmoor, the Mendips and the Cotswolds, the South West offers a visual feast that few other UK regions can match.
Katherine Nash at The Bottle Yard Studios points to the region's extraordinary geographic diversity as a key differentiator. From the period streetscapes of Bristol and Bath to the coastlines of Cornwall and Devon, "it's entirely feasible [for productions] to achieve a 'national' or even 'international' look without leaving the Southwest. This geographic diversity allows productions to double multiple locations within one region, significantly reducing travel time, cost and logistical complexity."
As local producer and Production Guild Board Member Ben Greenacre adds, “unlike most regions, the South West is largely self-sufficient when it comes to crew, equipment and facilities.”
“Productions benefit from a collaborative culture in which broadcasters, independent producers, studios, universities and freelancers are closely connected, creating opportunities for developing talent and sharing knowledge. It's a place where people genuinely want each other to succeed, and that spirit of collaboration is one of the region's greatest strengths. Anyone who’s filmed here will attest to that,” he says.
That breadth is something our own members experience first-hand. Madeleine Hall, Location Manager on A Good Girl's Guide to Murder Series 2, built her career on the landscapes of the South West, and her work on the series is a testament to what the region can offer a production with ambition and a keen eye for place. You can find an in-depth Member in Focus article on Madeleine and her work here.
And it’s not just our members that are getting involved – our new Production Guild Business Development and Training Coordinator Brandon Bailey found his home in the heart of the South West in Bristol. “After studying Animation, I always knew I wanted to find my way back into the film and TV industry. Bristol felt like the perfect place to do that - it's full of creative people, and the film and television community is really welcoming, collaborative and supportive, whether you're just starting out or have years of experience behind you. Being able to represent Production Guild UK in Bristol and the South West means I can stay connected to what's happening on the ground and help strengthen relationships with the talented people and organisations that make this region such a great place to work in our industry.”
Cornwall: The Centre of the World
If Bristol is the engine room of South West production, Cornwall is its soul. And few people understand that better than Guild member Carn Burton, whose career as a Supervising Location Manager has taken him from House of the Dragon and Taboo to The Sheep Detectives - but always, eventually, back home.
"I'm often working with people I've known all my life. Those relationships make working here a lot more straightforward and enjoyable."
Carn grew up in West Cornwall, the son of a Newlyn fisherman, which made his work on Rose of Nevada, a film set in the world of Cornish fishing, particularly personal. "To work on a local film set in the world of fishing was particularly rewarding," he says. "That feeling of family and community all working together on a project that everyone deeply believes in makes all the long hours worthwhile."
His career in the industry began in Cornwall too. A Film 4 feature came to West Cornwall in the early nineties looking for local crew immersed in surf culture, and Carn answered an advert in the local paper - and the rest, as they say, is history.
Cornwall's appeal to productions runs deeper than its obvious visual beauty. "People often think of Cornwall as being a sleepy backwater," Carn says, "but historically Cornwall has been a trading centre and the Cornish have been really innovative and outward-looking, with a huge amount of influence worldwide. There is still real community here, which is invaluable in the modern world."
Among Carn's favourite Cornish locations is Charlestown Harbour - one of the most filmed places in the county, and for good reason. "It looks stunning on screen, but also because a fantastic community of maritime characters has gathered and flourished there. Many were drawn there by their love for the traditional boats that have been based at the harbour since its closure as a China Clay Port in the early nineties. And they're all highly skilled at what they do, often eccentric and a lot of fun."
For anyone considering Cornwall for their next production, Carn's advice is simple: look after the places and people you film with. "They will be there long after your current project. Those relationships are vital to the smooth running of any future film project - and to the community in which you live and build your life." Read a deep dive into Carn and his work via our recent Member in Focus article here.
