Longcross Studios

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2006 – present

(revised August 2025)

 

 

This facility is unique amongst all those available in the UK for film and TV making.  It has one of the largest and most unusual back lots to be found.  Originally owned by the Ministry of Defence – and in more recent years by the defence research company QinetiQ – it was where tanks and other military vehicles were developed and tested from 1941.  After the war the MoD hung onto it despite protests from locals and they only left in 2005.  It was known by several names including ‘Forces Vehicle Research and Development Establishment’ and ‘Defence Evaluation and Research Agency’.

 

The facility at Longcross is located next to the M3,  three miles outside the M25 in Surrey, close to Wentworth golf course.  The nearby Longcross railway station was a source of mystery for many years as commuters noted that trains often made unscheduled stops there, despite hardly anyone using it.  Clearly the handful of people who did were very, very important.  More intriguingly, for many years the station was inaccessible by road and could only be reached via the golf course or down a country lane that reduced to a track, then a footpath.  There is now a housing development nearby but curiously, it is still not possible to drive to the station.  You still have to walk along a footpath from a corner of the estate.

 

 

Longcross Studios are sited literally on the M3 – (OK – maybe not literally on it, but either side of it) – half the site with its extensive buildings is to the north and a bridge capable of supporting the weight of a tank passes over the motorway to the original test tracks to the south.  The test tracks were in naturally wooded landscape and look like normal country lanes and roads so could be used for filming car chases, stunts etc.  They include a long loop which is ideal for dialogue scenes in cars.  There is also a high speed track with banked corners and an off-road track, steep inclines and other challenges.  These were used in the Bond film Skyfall and a number of other movies and TV dramas too.  Sadly, in 2007 a stunt driver was killed here whilst rehearsing a sequence for The Dark Knight.

 

 

The country lane loop was used for the 2013 Christmas special of Not Going Out – a long scene in a car being shot in a controlled environment with no risk or danger from other traffic.

In the centre of the test track lot is a Victorian manor house, built in a Jacobean style, previously used as an officers’ mess and known as Barrow Hills.  Its beautiful exterior and interiors are in excellent condition and have been used on many TV dramas.  For a number of years it has been used by the BBC’s Call the Midwife as ‘Nonnatus House’.

Within the test track there is a 9-hole golf course which is certainly unusual to be found on a film lot.  Quite what secret weapon the MoD was testing here is open to question.

 

 

Since January 2006, the factory units have been used as film stages and supporting facilities but this was seen as a temporary arrangement, pending redevelopment.  A planning application was submitted by the owners in 2011 to turn the northern part of the site occupied by the old factory units into a business park with smart office buildings, shops and cafes.  This was granted but in July 2013 another application was made that altered the proposals to include a number of houses on adjacent land, north of the M3.  These were completed in 2021.  The south lot will eventually become a ‘garden village’  but in the meantime is covered in temporary film stages and exterior sets.

From 2006 the whole Longcross site was co-owned by Crest Nicholson and global asset manager Aviva Investors.  In 2021 Aviva purchased the 72-acre film production part of the site from Crest Nicholson for £45m.  The housing part of the site is still owned by both companies. 

 

More information emerged in September 2021.  Netflix announced that they were taking over a long-term lease on the north (old factory) site and planned to expand the facilities.  This was to include a number of new stages and workshops enabling them to ‘significantly increase the breadth and calibre of production facilities’.   This was an interesting development as it confirmed that the proposed replacement of the factory buildings with a new business park would not be happening after all.  In fact, planning permission for office development in the area being used as film studios has now lapsed.  Offices are, let’s face it, not as popular as they used to be and film studios are much in demand.

What has happened since on the North Lot is that several buildings have been demolished and in 2023 a large construction began to emerge near the motorway.  This is a 36,000 sq m facility run by Ark Data Centres.  This is not within the Netflix area of interest but is part of the commercial development that was originally planned.

 

When the studios began operating there were a number of workshops and offices and four stages.  These were the original factory units where armoured vehicles were constructed.  Stage 1 has an immensely strong roof as it contained integral cranes that lifted components – most are a very useful height too making them ideal film stages.  These are the facilities that were available before Netflix took over:

 

Stage 1 – 42,000 sq ft: 350 x 120 x 50ft high (This is big!)

Stage 2 – 17,600 sq ft: 226 x 78ft

Stage 3 – 12,400 sq ft: 165 x 75 x 35ft high (this was more of a workshop than a shooting stage but could be used for either.)

Stage 4 – a former helicopter testing chamber – 4,200 sq ft: 65 x 65 x 35ft high.

 

 

A planning application for 2 ‘Meganova’ stages on the North lot was made in September 2021.  These are described as ‘demountable’ by Serious Stages, the manufacturer.  Temporary permission was granted in December – to last until 15th June 2027.  Each of these is around 23,000 sq ft.  They may be temporary but clad in satin dark grey sheet steel, they look very smart.  In November 2023, another application was made to keep the stages permanently.  In July 2025 the press reported that permanent permission had been granted for a building ‘within the western half of the northern site which is currently in film studio use and occupied by Netflix.’  I assume this is one of the Meganova stages but why only one is mentioned is unclear.

Soon after the new stages were built, stages 1, 2 and 3 were refurbished and reclad along with some workshops.

 

 

 

The company that managed the studios before Netflix moved in is called Oxygen Studios.  They deserve credit for having established Longcross as a major studio with an international reputation.  Oxygen still look after Arborfield Studios and in January 2025 they took over the management of BBC Elstree from BBC Studioworks.  They renamed the site Fairbanks Studios.  (EastEnders will continue to be made there.)  Their website states that they are involved in promotion and planning and securing planning consents.

They also have an illustration that seems to indicate a possible development of Longcross.  This is shown below but it does not include the two new stages that have been built – so can’t be taken too literally.  However, note that in Oxygen’s drawing, as well as several new ones on the north lot, four stages and a number of workshops are indicated on the south lot.  Will any of this happen?  I suppose that’s up to Netflix.

 

 

Of course, with Netflix having exclusive access to the Longcross stages on the north lot for their productions it does mean that they are no longer available for other users.  For a while this looked as though it would affect the future of Call the Midwife, which has been filmed here for a number of years.  They use the Manor House in the Barrow Hills area of the south lot, which is not affected by the Netflix deal, but also had offices and sets on the north side, which were affected.  At least two more series were planned after 2021.  After much negotiation, it was announced in November 2021 that a deal had been struck between the BBC and Netflix.  The press reported that the ‘warehouses’ containing the show’s sets would be moved across the motorway to the Barrow Hills side of the studios.  I think what this probably meant was that one or more rapid-build temporary stages would  be erected on the south lot and the show’s sets rebuilt within them.  According to The Mirror, the relocation would cost ‘at least £1million’, which would be spread between the BBC, distributor BBC Studios and the production company, Neal Street.

 

My understanding is that in 2025 Longcross North are offering the following:

Stage 1 – 42,000 sq ft.

Stage 2 – 17,600 sq ft

Stage 3 – 12,400 sq ft.

Stage 4 – 23,000 sq ft Meganova built in 2022

Stage 5 – 23,000 sq ft Meganova built in 2022

Stage 6 – 4,200 sq ft.  (I am not sure if this stage – originally stage 4 – is still in use.)

 

 

 

So far I have concentrated on Longcross North, which is now controlled by Netflix.  However, since 2021 Longcross South has been operating independently under the management of Serious Stages International.  They have constructed several rapid build/demountable stages and workshops.  Serious Stages were established 40 years ago in Somerset to build stages for the Glastonbury festival.   Most of the south site is earmarked for a ‘Garden Village’ with hundreds of homes and other facilities.  This is still going through planning, and construction is not going to happen before 2028.

In the meantime, the south site has been host to a number of feature films and TV dramas.  Large sets have been constructed on the back lots and the demand for stage space has been high.  In fact, by January 2024 there were 13 stages with two more about to be erected.  These are a mix of solidly built sound stages with concrete and composite panelled sides and others walled with high strength PVC sheeting.  All are large and some are very large indeed.  There are also about 25 workshops.

In 2023 Serious Stages applied for planning permission to keep all the existing stages for a few more years and construct two more.  This was passed but everything must be cleared by 31st January 2028.

 

 

LONGCROSS SOUTH (planning permission until 31st Jan, 2028):

Stage A – 24,472 sq ft (concrete and composite panel walls)

Stage B – 29, 435 sq ft (concrete and composite panel walls)

Stage C – 19,517 sq ft (concrete and composite panel walls)

Stage D – 19,517 sq ft (concrete and composite panel walls)

Stage E – 15,409 sq ft (PVC fabric)

Stage F – 24,775 sq ft (concrete and composite panel walls)

 

Space 1 – 47,618 sq ft (PVC fabric)

Space 2 – 31,192 sq ft (PVC fabric)

Space 3 – 12,752 sq ft (PVC fabric)

Space 4 – 28,976 sq ft (PVC fabric)

Space 5 – 10,094 sq ft (PVC fabric)

Space 6 – 17,078 sq ft (PVC fabric)

Space 7 – 6,127 sq ft (PVC fabric)

Space 8 – 2, 738 sq ft (PVC fabric)

Space 9 – 11,706 sq ft (PVC fabric)

 

 

 

 

 

Longcross (north and south) has been used for many big budget movies including Skyfall.  The scene on the frozen lake at night was shot here on Stage 1 (north).  Other features have that have filmed scenes on the north and/or south lots include Clash of the Titans, Green Zone, Hugo, War Horse, John Carter, Wrath of the Titans, Jack the Giant Slayer, Fast and Furious 6, Captain Phillips, Rush, Thor: The Dark World, World War Z, Guardians of the Galaxy, Victor Frankenstein, Alice Through The Looking Glass, Assassin’s Creed, Marvel’s Dr Strange, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, Murder on the Orient Express, Artemis Fowl, Angel Has Fallen, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Aladdin, The King’s Man, Death On The Nile, Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, The Marvels, Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning and Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning.

TV dramas and comedies made here since 2006 have included Holby Blue (Kudos for BBC1), Jekyll (Hartswood for BBC1), series 2 of Hyperdrive (BBC Comedy for BBC2), Primeval, Moving Wallpaper, Lewis, Honest, Echo Beach, Dead Set, Law and Order UK, Foyle’s War, Filth: The Mary Whitehouse Story, Enid (the Enid Blyton biopic with Helena Bonham-Carter) and part of series 2 of Broadchurch.  Since 2014 Call The Midwife has been filmed at Longcross and is set to continue on the south lot. 

Some scenes for Andor season 2 were filmed here from December 2022 to August 2023.  The 48,000 sq ft Space 1 on the south lot became the Rebel Alliance’s Yavin 4 base with its huge hanger, complete with X-wings.  The jungle scenes where Cassian crashes his Tie Avenger spaceship were filmed in woodland here at Longcross.  The craft was parked on the test track, with exotic plants around it being added by the production’s greens department.

In the spring of 2025 another Lucasfilm TV series was filmed here – season 2 of Ahsoka – and the site immediately began preparing for a major feature to be made in the autumn. 

Longcross South is often used as an overspill studio when productions need more sound stages or space to build exterior sets.  For example, the new Narnia series of films directed by Greta Gerwig for Netflix is based at Shepperton but they will also be using Longcross South.  The Witcher also used facilities here, even though they were based at Longcross North.

 

Meanwhile, unfortunately, Netflix is very secretive about its studios so it is difficult to establish what has been filmed at Longcross North since they took over.  However, according to various Internet blogs, The Gentlemen and season 3 of The Witcher have been made there – and season 4 of The Witcher began filming from April 8th 2024.

 

When I visited in August 2025 I was made aware of how much the expansion of the facilities in recent years on the South lot is due to the two most recent Mission Impossible films and of course the movies and TV series made by Lucasfilm.  If they needed more stage space, it was rapidly constructed – that of course is the advantage of being a company like Serious Stages.   I was really impressed by what I saw – a site that was busy and full of sets being built and others derigged.  There was an informal atmosphere about the place – I gather that is what productions really like about it.  Possibly shooting schedules are easier to adapt here than in the big established studios.  Certainly, there is loads of space to build sets and store stuff and of course there is a huge pool of experienced people to draw upon, since these studios are within the West London area of film-making.  Not just the obvious camera and sound crew-members but scenery builders, plasterers, scaffolders, riggers, electricians, prop makers, costume makers and all the many hundreds of people involved in producing a film or TV series that is going to be watched and enjoyed all over the world.