High Canons is a private country house on Buckettsland Lane in Well End, Hertfordshire, just north of Borehamwood and close to Elstree. Its long drive, gatehouse, and large manor-style façade have made it a regular filming location for productions needing an upper-class English house, sinister headquarters, or an isolated country residence. Because of its private setting, only limited parts of the property are visible from the road.
High Canons appears in The Devil Rides Out (1968), The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973), Murder on the Orient Express (1974), Half Moon Street (1986), and several television productions including The Protectors (1972–1974) and Inspector Morse (1990). It is one of those Hertfordshire houses that turns up repeatedly in British screen productions, largely because of its proximity to Elstree and its adaptable exterior.
In The Devil Rides Out (1968), High Canons is used as the house of Mocata. The manor’s imposing exterior and secluded setting suit the film’s occult atmosphere and make it an effective base for the villain.
In The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973), High Canons appears as Pelham House, the headquarters of the so-called Psychical Examination and Research Group, which is really a front for Dracula’s cult. The gatehouse on Buckettsland Lane and the main house both contribute to one of the film’s key sinister locations.
In Murder on the Orient Express (1974), High Canons was also used as a filming location, adding another major 1970s screen credit to the house. Public location references list it among the productions shot there, although the exact scene is less clearly documented in the sources I checked.
In Half Moon Street (1986), High Canons appears again as a large private residence. The house had by then already become a familiar face in British location filming.
In The Protectors (1972–1974), High Canons was used multiple times, including as the home of Kofax in Triple Cross, the Radcliffe School for Girls in Sugar and Spice, and the home of Manning in Wheels. This repeated use shows how versatile the property was for television production.
In Inspector Morse, the house appears in the episode “The Sins of the Fathers” (1990). It continued to be used well after the 1970s, showing that High Canons remained a reliable screen location for British television drama.
The Devil Rides Out (1968)
The Devil Rides Out
The Devil Rides Out is a 1968 British horror film. Although the film feel associated with Hammer, it also made effective use of real English locations.
The Satanic Rites of Dracula
The Satanic Rites of Dracula was shot in and around London and Hertfordshire. Studio work was done at Elstree Studios in Borehamwood.
The Manor Elstree
The Manor Elstree has appeared in productions including School for Scoundrels, The Devil Rides Out, A Clockwork Orange, Stardust, Hot Fuzz, and many more.
Anchor Bankside
Anchor Bankside has appeared in films including Mission: Impossible and Get Him to the Greek. It has also been linked to British television through The Sweeney.
Bishops Park
Bishops Park is best known to film fans from The Omen. The film uses several London and Surrey locations, and the Fulham section is one of its most memorable.
All Saints Church, Fulham
All Saints Church, Fulham, is best known on screen from The Omen. It is one of the key Fulham locations used in the film, together with nearby Bishops Park.
Cutty Sark
Cutty Sark is best known on screen from Beautiful Thing, where it is disguised as The Anchor. It is also used in The List of Adrian Messenger.
Guildford Cathedral
Guildford Cathedral is best known as a filming location from The Omen. The cathedral has also appeared in productions such as The Sandman and The Witcher.
Deauville Beach Cabins
The Deauville beach cabins have appeared in both A Man and a Woman and Sentimental Value.
Whitby Abbey
Whitby Abbey appears in Dracula (2020) and Possession (2002). In the 2020 BBC/Netflix adaptation of Dracula, the abbey ruins were used directly on screen.
Mont-Saint-Michel
Mont-Saint-Michel has appeared in films including Mindwalk, Armageddon and To the Wonder, and it is also used in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon.
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