Was there magic in the air ?

[pakafe.livejournal.com]

Why would these two things come together – was there a touch of magic in the air?

1.       I carried a screenshot with me from S5 E13 all the time I was on a break in The Forest of Dean just in case I came across somewhere that looked similar. (see below the cut).

2.       On the other hand there was one location I needed to search for but what was filmed there I didn’t have any idea.

Well on Saturday 6 July 2013 we were driving back from Forest of Dean, and Mr P and I stopped close to Chepstow Race Course as we remembered seeing ‘MLOC’ signs pointing to the race course car park many many months ago. I had done some Google earth investigation and saw there was a parkland behind the track, so off we went.  Lo and behold in the woods our path met another coming from a very large race course car park. I remembered Merlocmod telling me ‘they need car park space close to the location’. Off we went but we had no idea what we were looking for. So it became a ‘just look round the park’ walk. We wondered if my screenshot may have been filmed there (note the trident branch) but I was looking for some fir trees with a river behind. Forget it I can assure no river can be easily seen from this parkland. Fir trees, yes, there were some but not at the end of a copse as I thought they would be.

Giving up we turned round and then came that wonderful Damascus moment and the sky lit up, and the trident of branches in the screenshot were infront of us, albeit with more growth on. And the fir trees well they were some kind of evergreen oak. All the shapes in the screenshot fitted in. Wonderful, it was found! Mr P did his usual ‘the camera would’ve been here’ I took loads of photos. I took a moment on my own to reflect on Arthur’s ending, ahhhhh all so very sad but the Once and Future King lives on! (If only in our hearts).

Note the Trident branch above Merlin's head. They CGI'd the water in.                                                                            Trust me the trident branch is there as is the straight bit over Merlin's head                                                             .The shapes on the horizon match those in the screenshot.

There must’ve been more filmed here but we didn’t have any screenshots either did we have the time, so good luck whoever follows on at this location, lots must’ve been filmed in the park. I await your report.

My idea of the sequencing is:

Arthur dies on an unidentifiable piece of grass although to me it looks as though Excalibur was added afterwards because of a slightly different green of the grass.

Kilgarra lands – unidentifiable tree tops for me.

Merlin is dragging Arthur – boat in the background and leaves on the trees. I think this has been identified as Speech House Lake.

Merlin looks up to Kilgarra – trident branch in background and no leaves except the evergreen oak at the end.

Next shot Speech House Lake with leaves on the trees.

How to find the Piercefield Park park (please note - it is now a ruin that has no entry):

It was a Saturday so we parked in the school/leisure centre car park off Welsh Street B4293.

We then walked back on the B4293 towards the racecourse, at The Cloisters (its a road)  by the side of the this road on the closest side to the racecourse is a footpath whose entrance goes under an arch.

Follow this path right to its end when it opens onto the parkland. ('path' on the map).

Follow the path for about 70 yards and then look diagonally right across a steep grassy dip towards a copse. You can walk round the dip if you want to.

The copse with the Trident Tree in question is diagonally across from the far side of this dip.

Good luck I’ve done a google earth shot for you.

Happy memories to all from Pakafe.

Comments

[pakafe.livejournal.com]

Thank you for your comment. I think Mr P actually enjoys going out with me, may be over the years he's adopted the 'if you can't beat her then join her' attitude. I must say he certainly seems to enjoy being out there with me.
And now we love South Wales and The Forest of Dean which without Merlin we would never have found or visited.

Like others I always wonder - why here? it never ceases to amaze me, all for a few (or may be less) screen time.

[merlocmod.livejournal.com]

What an amazing piece of detection work, hon! You and Mr P are so awesome... I'll look forward to having a bit of a ramble myself next time I'm out that way!

Hurrah for Chepstow! :-D

[pakafe.livejournal.com]

Thanks for your comment - enjoy your ramble, you wouldn't know such a large expanse of 'open' land exists there behind the racecourse, its really surprising. Hope my directions are good for you. Just had to call it The Trident Tree.

Soon I will be looking at the last three ever episodes to see if I can spot anything else filmed there. Aren't they canny about where they shoot, little bit here then a little bit there.

[merlocmod.livejournal.com]

They are canny indeed! What with all that, and then them flipping the shots over so that right is left... I admire their ingenuity - and yours in working it out! :-D

[pakafe.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

You know I am really going to miss all of this, I've learnt so much about all sorts of things, not all to do directly with Merlin either but it can all be traced back to Merlin. I remember the first time I read about Cosmeston on Merlin IMDB and wondered how on earth she knew about the filming there. Thought she was to do with the BBC or something special but hey ho. I had arrived just a bit late into Merlin. One and half series late in fact, but I think I've made up for it now, it will always be very close to my heart.

Last week went to Huntsman Court Farm and I couldn't believe how emotional I became - even shed a tear as I stood by the gate. Then I had a lovely conversation with the land owner, what a superb gentleman he is.

Thank you for all your encouragement and friendship during the various 'hunts'.

Oh !!!! I do have one more stream I hope to stumble across somewhere in South Wales or The Forest of Dean. Maybe I'll post about it one day.

[archaeologist-d.livejournal.com]

You are just so good at finding things! Wow.

[pakafe.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

I am really going to miss this searching. I still have a stream I'd like to find but maybe one day ........

[archaeologist-d.livejournal.com]

Well, I know merlinmod said that she didn't know where they filmed that shot of Arthur escaping from the spiders in The Poison Chalice.

I do continue my Merlin fix when I watch DaVinci Demons. They use so many of the same Merlin locations that it's kind of funny. I was watching the other day and recognized Neath, Castle Coch, Caerphilly, Trefils and Margam Country Park. :D

[pakafe.livejournal.com]

Sorry for delayed reply

I must watch again where Arthur exits from spiders see if there's anything or any tree I can line up.

I've never watched the DaVinci Demons I seem to have turned to sci-fi instead.

I do miss my Merlin fixes but I've got my car set up so that I can listen to the music and some of that makes me shudder and feel so good.

The week before Christmas we are going to stay for a few days in The Forest of Dean and we'll go back to Clearwell Caves to see their Christmas Story. Last year it was absolutely magical and very good.

[archaeologist-d.livejournal.com]

I was at Clearwell Caves for the Easter holiday and found the Easter bunnies scattered around to be quite odd. But have fun!