Our recent vacation to the UK included a trip to the New Forest region. This was an excellent opportunity to indulge my enjoyment of the 1978/1979 television adaption of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five. The filming locations have been well documented by other fans but this made it no less exciting for us and there are plenty more Famous Five locations to explore next time.
Famous Five series one was filmed in 1977
Lepe Watch House, Hampshire – Five Go to Kirrin Island
Burley, Hampshire – Five Go to Smuggler’s Top
Famous Five series two was filmed in 1978
Lepe Farm – Five Go Off To Camp
No photographic awards for this pair. The original film frame was shot in the dark so I had to enhance it. The new picture was taken through a 6ft wire fence with no reference picture.
Marchwood Station, Hampshire – Five Are Together Again (Kirrin Station)
Marchwood station also appeared in the season one episode Five go off to camp as a different station.
Lepe House, Hampshire – Five Fall Into Adventure
Mudeford Quay, Dorset – Five go to Demon’s Rocks
High Cliff Castle, Dorset- Five Go Down to the Sea
This location was the most amazing find of the day. Back in 1978 High Cliff Castle was a ruin after two fires and years of neglect. Now it has partially been restored and is open to the public.
I had a photo missing from my collection so I had to improvise with a postcard of the great hall.
Here George is looking over the railings that are on the steps to the winter garden room (to the left of the new photo).
Some useful Famous Five location links
This German site has lots of information about the series. Unfortunately the English pages are not fully translated but using Chrome browsers translate facility you can navigate the German pages quite easily.
http://www.fuenffreundefanpage.at/
Some more photo’s here
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nickcapaldi/sets/72157630183610554/with/7396650352/
and here
IMDB Page