A film set on your doorstep

Come and visit one of the stars from The Other Boleyn Girl – not Scarlett Johansson, but Dover Castle, the stunning fortress which provided the dramatic backdrop to this highly anticipated film about love, treachery and intrigue in Tudor England.

Perched high on Dover’s White Cliffs in Kent, Dover Castle commands the shortest sea crossing between England and the continent; no fortress in England boasts a longer history. It is this rich heritage, combined with the beauty of the site which made the castle an ideal location for historic blockbuster – The Other Boleyn Girl, out on general release from Friday 7 March.

Some of Hollywood’s brightest stars, Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman descended on the castle to begin filming in 2006. Predicted to be one of this year’s biggest blockbusters, The Other Boleyn Girl tells the tale of two sisters –Anne (Portman) and Mary Boleyn (Johansson), fighting for the love of monarch Henry VIII (Eric Bana).

Dover Castle portrays the Tower of London where Anne is held prisoner before her execution. The castle’s Great Chamber takes on the guise of Anne’s prison cell while Dover’s courtyard is used for the final execution scene.

Dover Castle has its own connections to the great Tudor king - the site received a royal visit from Henry VIII in 1539, following the annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon and his excommunication by the Pope in 1538. An exhibition at the castle offers a look at the extensive preparations for the king’s visit.

Visitors to the castle can now not only tread in the footsteps of some of history’s most famous figures but also some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Walk the battlements, explore Henry II’s keep, the Roman lighthouse and Saxon church and roam the magnificent underground Secret Wartime Tunnels. Also unmissable is the 1216 Siege Experience, a stunning light, film and sound presentation that will take visitors back in time to the epic sieges of 1216-1217.

Visitor Operations Manager Christine Pascall commented: “It has been extremely exciting to have a film crew here for what looks set to be one the year’s biggest films. We’re delighted that Dover Castle was chosen as one of the film locations and look forward to seeing it on the big screen!”