Home   What's On   News   Article

Darkest Hour starring Gary Oldman filmed in Kent at Chartwell in Westerham and Fort Amherst in Chatham

Two Kent locations have a starring role in the latest blockbuster, Darkest Hour, about wartime prime minister, Winston Churchill.

Churchill's former home, Chartwell, near Westerham, is featured a number of times, and some scenes were filmed at Fort Amherst in Chatham.

The film, which is a dramatisation of the 27 tumultuous days which led to Winston Churchill's impassioned cry for the British to fight on the beaches and in the streets in 1940, includes exterior scenes filmed at Chartwell, now a National Trust property.

Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour Picture: PA/Universal Pictures/Focus Features LLC/ Jack Engllish
Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour Picture: PA/Universal Pictures/Focus Features LLC/ Jack Engllish

Managers at the house welcomed film crews into the grounds last year, as the remain much as they were when Churchill lived there.

Other scenes were filmed using the tunnels at Fort Amherst.

The film, which has a 15 certificate, stars Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill and Kristin Scott Thomas as his wife, Clementine Churchill.

Managers at Chartwell tweeted, urging audiences to keep an eye out for the house.

Chartwell is currently running an exhibition about the couple's relationship, which lasted for more than 56 years, Clementine Churchill: Speaking for Herself.

Kristin Scott Thomas as Clementine Churchill and Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill Picture: PA/Universal Pictures/Focus Features LLC/Jack English
Kristin Scott Thomas as Clementine Churchill and Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill Picture: PA/Universal Pictures/Focus Features LLC/Jack English

Director Joe Wright's film shows Churchill standing firm in 1940 while the rest of Europe capitulated to the Deutsches Reich, inspiring citizens in his famous speech to "defend to the death their native soil, aiding each other like good comrades to the utmost of their strength".

Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill on the London Underground in Darkest Hour. Picture: PA Photo/Universal Pictures/Focus Features LLC/Jack English.
Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill on the London Underground in Darkest Hour. Picture: PA Photo/Universal Pictures/Focus Features LLC/Jack English.

Based on a script by Anthony McCarten, Oscar nominated for The Theory Of Everything, the account of political hubris during blood-soaked conflict features a tour-de-force performance from Gary Oldman, concealed behind layers of flawless make-up and latex.

Clementine Churchill: Speaking for Herself is open daily until Sunday, February 18. To find out more and watch our video on the exhibition, click here.

To find out more about filming locations in Kent, visit Filming in Kent.

Close This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies.Learn More