Pinewood Studios

Pinewood Studios stands on the site of Heatherden Hall, a large Victorian country house in Iver Heath, eighteen miles west of London. Built in the 19th century for a Canadian financier, the hall once hosted secret political talks and later became a discreet country club. In 1935 the estate was turned into a film studio, with stages completed every three weeks and a water tank holding 65,000 gallons still in use today. The studios opened in 1936 and quickly became a centre for British cinema. Early productions included Talk of the Devil and London Melody, while wartime documentaries such as Desert Victory and Fires Were Started were made there. The Rank Organisation’s acting school launched careers, and films like Oliver Twist and The Red Shoes showed Pinewood’s creative range. The James Bond series began in 1962 and has continued at the studios ever since. Visitors find a working film lot with sound stages, workshops and backlots used for major productions. The original Victorian interiors of Heatherden Hall remain in parts of the site, alongside modern facilities. Surrounded by trees and quiet lanes, the studios sit in a peaceful corner of the English countryside while shaping global entertainment.