SEEN Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg’s apocalyptic sci-fi comedy The World’s End at the cinema? Now find out where the key pub scenes were filmed in Hertfordshire.
The third and final instalment of Wright and Pegg's so-called Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy was shot extensively on location in Hertfordshire last year at Elstree Studios, and in Letchworth and Welwyn Garden City, which combined to become the fictional town of Newton Haven.
Pubs and shops in both garden cities feature in the follow-up to Wright and Pegg's earlier hits Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz.
The film, starring Nick Frost, Rosamund Pike, Martin Freeman, Eddie Marsan and Paddy Considine, centres around a group of five friends reunited by Pegg's character Gary King to attempt an encore of a marathon pub crawl from their youth.
In the process they unwittingly become humankind's only hope for survival when they interupt an invasion of body-snatching aliens.
Creative England provided production support for The World's End, which was released in UK cinemas on Friday. In addition to the business generated by production, visitor interest in the two towns used is anticipated to grow as fans seek out the filming locations and, in particular, the places on the pub crawl.
The Golden Mile drinking binge starts at The First Post and ends at The World's End – the 12th pub on the group's list.
Pubs in Welwyn Garden City were used for the first four stops on the gang's thirst-quenching quest. The Peartree in WGC doubled as The First Post, and was also used for interior shots for two other pubs.
The Doctor's Tonic in Church Road opposite the Sainsbury's superstore was renamed The Old Familiar for filming, while the nearby The Cork, in Howardsgate, became The Famous Cock. The Cork pub has since been renamed The Two Willows.
The Parkway Bar, just around the corner from The Cork/The Two Willows in Parkway, was transformed into The Cross Hands for filming.
Movie sequences were also shot along leafy Parkway and in Welwyn Garden City town centre, with Simon Pegg jumping/falling over a hedge on the green in Howardsgate outside the former post office. The nearby John Lewis car park was also used as a location for filming of The World's End.
The Parkway Bar has since closed and the site has been converted into Turkish restaurant Misya Meze & Grill, which opened in spring 2019.
READ MORE: Last orders for Welwyn Garden City pub that starred in The World's End movie
The action then moves to Letchworth where Wendy's shop is The Good Companions and The Three Magnets is The Trusty Servant.
The Colonnade pub doubles as The Two Headed Dog and the Broadway Cinema is The Mermaid, the eighth pub along Newton Haven's Golden Mile.
The Beehive in the film is really the Thai Garden Restaurant, while The Arena Tavern is The King's Head. Letchworth Railway Station was converted into The Hole in the Wall for filming and The World's End is in fact The Gardener's Arms.
Creative England's Film Friendly Partnership with North Hertfordshire District Council and Welwyn Hatfield Council ensured that there were systems in place to make the filming process smooth, easy and efficient.
Camilla Stephenson, location manager for The World's End, said that working in Welwyn Garden City was a joy.
She said: “Nothing was too much trouble and they are a very efficient and helpful team. They are used to filming in nearby areas, even if filming in Welwyn is not particularly common, and they made sure things went very smoothly and that costs were very reasonable.
“The gardening and landscape team were particularly helpful and supportive as were the highways department.”
Camilla added: “Working in Letchworth was a brilliant opportunity. They were not used to filming on any scale and embraced us fully with a truly positive perspective.
“They allowed night filming and road closures that would otherwise have made our filming process almost impossible. Many residents were cast as extras.
“Most local venues were hired at some point or used as a location and many of the crew stayed in the local environs in hotels and B&Bs.”
Hayley Armstrong, Creative England's production liaison manager (East), said: “It's great to see Letchworth and Welwyn Garden City showcased in a high profile feature film.
“It's my job to make sure that productions receive a professional service and a film friendly welcome to the area.
“From helping to find locations and liaising with local authorities, Creative England provided ongoing support all throughout filming.
“We have a tremendous variety of locations in the English regions and Creative England works hard both to ensure that productions know about these locations, and to facilitate filming requests quickly and efficiently so that we increase the flow of production to these areas.”
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