BBC Merlin Filming Locations

As we know, Merlin has often filmed in the caves at Clearwell Caves (in the Forest of Dean) over the past few seasons, starting with the miners working under Camelot in episode 201 The Curse of Cornelius Sigan. But that's all been underground… We've since found that they've also used some of the surrounding area as a filming location. So this post is an exploration of Clearwell Caves overground.

This all started with the charcoal burner's hut that Merlin and Lancelot visit during episode 402 The Darkest Hour, and Merlin uses as Emrys's home in episode 403 The Wicked Day. I couldn't pin down any clues as to location from watching the episode, so I cheated and tweeted to ask the awesome director Alice Troughton if she could point us in the right direction. She kindly replied as you see below, that it was just above Clearwell Caves.

This community, the website, and indeed the whole Merlin Locations thing, grew quite randomly. For me it all started with a visit to Puzzlewood and Speech House Lake on 25 April 2009; I fell in love with both in different ways. I thought that only a few people might share my interest in these places - not only for their own sake, I mean, but as filming locations for our beloved Merlin. I was astonished and happy to be wrong about that!

From there I investigated the obvious locations such as the Chateau de Pierrefonds, and also other more obscure locations when prompted by clues in DVD extras such as the video diaries or by information provided by fellow Locations Geeks. It was all pretty random. But I always thought we should at some stage start at the beginning, and go through the episodes in a more systematic way. Also, it seemed that people enjoyed my weekly updates on each episode's locations during the third and fourth seasons. Hence the first of these 'rewatch' posts on the website.

You can view the post here. But please be warned it's very very image-heavy!