Another 5 Great Movies Filmed in Yorkshire

Everyone thinks that Hollywood and London are the only places that iconic movies are shot, but as shown in our previous list, 5 TV Shows & Movies Filmed in Yorkshire, Yorkshire has also hosted some iconic movies.

So today, in celebration of the academy award nominees being announced, we are going to go over some more of the best movies filmed in God’s own country.

1. Kes (1969)

Kes tells the story of young Billy (David Bradley), who is constantly being put down by his family and teachers. The only solace he finds is in training a young falcon he takes care of called Kes.

Set in Barnsley and filmed over many locations in South Yorkshire, Kes has become a parental favorite for its authenticity, using mostly unknown actors, real locations and authentic accents to tell the story. And it is also well known for its dour tone, which left an entire generation of kids traumatized. Ironically not the last time a movie set in Yorkshire would have this effect on people.

2. The Railway Children (1970)

In stark contrast to Kes’ brutal realism, The Railway Children is fondly remembered for its innocent charm. The film concerns a family who moves to the Yorkshire countryside after the father of the family is accused of spying. Whilst there they go on many adventures and begin to win the affections of many people they meet along the way.

Featuring great performances from the likes of Jenny Agutter and Bernard Cribbins; and gorgeous photography shot in many Yorkshire locations including, Oxenhope,  Haworth and the now iconic Keighley and Worth Valley Railway and Oakworth Railways station, The Railway Children is an incredibly sweet and endearing tale of innocence and the value of kindness. Showing that not all Yorkshire folk are made of stone.

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3. Threads (1984)

The TV movie that, like Kes, scarred an entire generation of viewers, Threads focuses on a young couple living in Sheffield during the height of cold war tensions. Initially, the threat begins as a minor thing glimpsed on the news, but eventually evolves into a global crisis, and the couple must learn to deal with a threat they could never have dreamed of facing. But then the missiles are launched…

Despite being a BBC production, Threads has had a lasting impact on many because of how real it feels, and the Sheffield setting is to thank for that. Instead of taking place in the heart of culture and politics it takes place in a center of industry, focusing on regular working-class people and it puts a face to the people who were often seen as just statistics in other films about nuclear war. It is by no means a happy watch, but it is a necessary one.   

4. The Full Monty (1997)

But don’t let Threads convince you that Sheffield is all doom and gloom, it’s also full of laughs.

Following the closing of the steel mills in Sheffield, six unemployed steelworkers get the idea to make some money by performing a striptease act that ends with full nudity.

Earning near-universal acclaim upon its release and featuring a fantastic cast of British greats like Robert Carlyle, Tom Wilkinson & Mark Addy, The Full Monty is a funny and touching love letter to the working man and a great send-up of traditional masculinity. Showing that even when things seem their bleakest there is always a way out and sometimes you don’t have to take everything on your own shoulders, as there are plenty of people who are willing to help if you choose to bare all to them (pun intended).

5. Tyrannosaur (2011)

Paddy Considine’s feature directorial debut concerns the friendship that builds between Joseph (Peter Mullan), a widowed man filled with rage and constantly on the verge of destroying everything around him, and Hannah (Olivia Colman), a Christian charity shop worker who is involved in a very abusive relationship.

Filmed in Leeds and Wakefield, Tyrannosaur uses its locations as a grim but occasionally beautiful backdrop to a tale that begins as a dark story of violence and living with demons, but through little glimpses of beauty it gives hope that maybe this story will have a happy ending.

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So ends our look at some of the best films that were filmed in Yorkshire. If there’s anything we can take away from this list it’s that Yorkshire definitely knows how to tell stories that deeply affect you. Whether you are left shaken and depressed or uplifted and happy you definitely won’t be bored if a movie is filmed in Yorkshire. Be sure to let us know any of your favorite Yorkshire movies that we missed out in the comment section.