Grabbed the camera bag with my trusty 550D yesterday and headed off to Holy Trinity Church in Wolverton for a quick lunchtime snapping session, and thanks to the changeable weather, I got a distinct Hammer Films vibe.
In my head, I suppose it looks a bit like Bray Studios, which remains best known for its association with Hammer Film Productions. It’s also like a location or matte painting which you would find in one of their films – not that I’ve seen many, big scaredy-cat that I am.
According to my vague diggings, the old medieval building was replaced by a new church in the early 19th-century, with the new church incorporating the 14th-century central tower, but re-cased in new masonry. Its style is described as “Gothic Revival”. Despite not being particularly tall, it’s quite imposing.
There’s nothing much scary about this place in real life though, especially when the sun comes out. There’s even a small fairy garden carved into the trunk of a tree.
The grounds aren’t large either and most people could easily walk around the whole place in just a few minutes. It’s nestled in what used to be Old Wolverton, most of which has disappeared over the centuries.
As well as the filmmaking side of things, another point of local interest for me is the Grand Union Canal, which runs close by. The Warwickshire stonework for the 19th-century renovations to the church were brought in from Attleborough by barge on – you guessed it – the Grand Union, which was new at the time.
It was only a quick visit and I’m sure I’ll be back at some point in the future, perhaps as a part of a film crew, but until then, here’s some links to the places I scoured for my (ahem) encyclopaedic knowledge.
Keep safe…!
http://saint-george.org.uk/
https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/bucks/vol4/pp505-509
Copyright © 2021 Chris Nelthorpe/Gasworks Films Ltd