Dorset’s Lyme Regis gets screen time in Wonka at the movie’s outset when Willy Wonka’s cargo ship docks at the town’s harbour. A popular location choice for filming, it’s also been used in every version of Jane Austen’s Persuasion as well as Meryl Streep’s The French Lieutenant’s Woman.
Filming in the location focuses on the breakwater called The Cobb which was rebuilt in the 1820s, making for a scenic entrance for Willy as he steps off a steamship from his travels around the world.
St Albans
Graham Custance Photography
Part of the film sees Willy and his accomplice Noodle pull together a plan that features a trip to the zoo and fairground. But rather than being set in an existing zoo, production took over St Albans’ 100-acre Verulamium Park, transforming the space with snow, CGI and bright lights for good measure.
Filming also took place at Abbey Mill Lane and Ye Olde Fighting Cocks (allegedly the oldest pub in England), with the BBC reporting that the town received £41,000 as a location fee.
London
Sam Mellish
While shooting in London was mostly avoided, Brockley’s Rivoli Ballroom made for the perfect setting for one of the film’s show-stopping song sequences. Having featured in Marvel’s The Avengers and, Tom Hardy’s Legend, Killing Eve and even Elton John and Lana Del Rey videos, the warm interior makes for a suitably luxe backdrop.
St Paul’s Cathedral also features in the film as the hidden entrance to the chocolate cartel, with the film’s director Paul King having previously used the location for scenes in Paddington 2.
Berkshire
Speaking to Time Out, Wonka’s production designer revealed that a lot of the flashbacks that feature in the film were done in Mapledurham, Berkshire amidst the scenic canals and lush greenery.