House of the Dragon filming locations spook Cornwall tourism board

Virgin Radio

21 Aug 2022, 21:17

The 'Game of Thrones' spin-off debuts tomorrow!

Are you excited about House of the Dragon? We are. We're so excited about its launch on Sky Atlantic tomorrow we can't stop pretending to be dragons. This would be fine, but have you ever tried to update a website with showbiz stories while pretending to be a dragon? It makes things very complicated.

Some people who are much less excited about the return of George R. R. Martin mania are Cornwall tourism chiefs, with The Guardian reporting that tourism workers in the South West county are worried about an influx of visitors to a region that is already struggling to cope with its growing holiday market.

The lush landscape of Cornwall provided a backdrop to the new series. Filming for the first season of the spin-off kicked off with a two-week shoot in the area.

St Michael’s Mount became a set for the show and is believed to be depicting Driftmark, the ancestral home of House Velaryon. Elsewhere, Holywell Beach was also used to film some scenes, and an extensive Velaryon army camp in the Stepstones was constructed at Kynance Cove.

The region is bracing itself for an incoming swarm of holiday makers, keen to visit the sights that they're about to see on screen.

Mike Bevens, MD of accommodation provider Sawday’s, said: "The constant desire for insatiable growth by some holiday operators is unsustainable. 

"The industry can’t keep gorging itself on the generosity of local infrastructure, communities and the environment without considering the longer-term effects."

It should be said that there are some who are welcoming Cornwall's moment in the sun.

"We’re hoping that House of the Dragon might give us exposure to a younger audience worldwide," said Malcolm Bell, Visit Cornwall’s chief executive.

Set 300 years before Game Of Thrones, House Of The Dragon will follow the Targaryen dynasty, starting with the formation of Westeros.

The prequel features an all-star cast, including the likes of Paddy Considine, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, Rhys Ifans, Steve Toussaint, Fabien Frankel, Graham McTavish, and Eve Best.

You may like to read about what a pain putting on a Targaryen wig was for the latter. “It started off as three hours," she told us in an exclusive chat. "We whittled it down to two hours pre-call with skull cap, bald cap, painting, tied it all down, re-plaited… Then the actual wig got on itself. It just went on forever.”

Matt Smith will play Daemon Targaryen. And it transpires that Smith doesn't let a grudge go, at all...

Not long to go now!

'House of the Dragon' will premiere on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW on August 22nd.