From The Abominable Dr Phibes to Witchfinder General, Derek Pykett’s unique guidebook, British Horror Film Locations, is a must-have for all British horror fans and those fascinated by the making of them.
Covering 100 British horror films between the years 1932 to 2006, the book provides credits, plot synopsis, and a description of the shooting locations for each entry, while separate chapters provide in-depth accounts of the locations themselves.
Amongst the surprises are locations that I have always wanted to visit, but never knew where they were; including Castle Acre Priory in Norfolk, which served as the setting for Roger Corman’s 1965 film The Tomb of Ligeia; Grim’s Dyke hotel in Harrow, where Boris Karloff filmed one of his last films, Curse of the Crimson Altar in 1968 and the fantastic Wykehurst Place in West Sussex which took centre stage as the Belasco House in the granddaddy of haunted house movies, Legend of the Hell House in 1973.
Well done Derek! This is a true labour of love. But my heart goes out to location hunter Simon Flynn, who braved security guards, ferocious guard dogs, barbed wire and nettles in his quest to get the best photographs. Thanks, it was worth the effort.
And thanks to this book, I won’t be going abroad anytime soon as I’m already planning my next holiday taking in some of the book’s amazing destinations. Next stop Norfolk!
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