The English Movie

At the start of the movie we see Chaucer's pilgrims on their way to Canterbury:



The scene was filmed near Guildford at Saint Martha's Hill in Surrey.

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The train heading for Chillingbourne on Friday night has passengers Alison Smith (Land Girl), Sergeant Peter Gibbs (UK), and Sergeant Bob Johnson (USA) who are unaware of the adventure that awaits them:



Filming of the distant train scene was taken near Ranmore Common Road close to Dorking in Surrey.

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The acting Station Master gives the three train travellers directions to the Town Hall:



The Chillingbourne Station scenes were filmed at Selling Station and also in Denham Studios.

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After the Glue Man attacks Alison, the trio chase him up Charing Street:



Charing Street was a studio reconstruction based on Taylors Hill located in Chilham.

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Thomas Colpeper in the Town Hall is the Magistrate and Justice of the Peace:



Chillingbourne Town Hall is actually Fordwich Town Hall with the exterior and interior reconstructed in the studio.

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Bob and the locals try to wash the glue from Alison's hair:

Bob introduces himself to Thomas Colpeper who gives him free overnight accommodation in Chillingbourne:

Alison is rejected by Colpeper for employment because she is a girl:

After she hears a noise Alison discovers a Home Guard uniform which has fallen off its hanger:



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At the Hand of Glory Alison asks Bob to help her solve the mystery of the Glue Man:



Alison is holding a letter she has written to Peter Gibbs also requesting his help.

Agnes the maid wakes Bob after he has slept in the Elizabeth Room:



The interior of the Hand of Glory was recreated in the studio.

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Bob waves at the local butcher from his upstairs bedroom window:



The view from Bob's hotel window when he waves at Dick Lucy is the view that would be seen from the Red Lion located in Wingham.

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Bob meets General Leslie who later helps him catch the Glue Man:



The exterior of the Fordwich Manor House is seen behind General Leslie.

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General Leslie on top of the hay wagon tells his mother about meeting an American soldier:



The hay wagon leaves from "Bridge View" opposite the George & Dragon in Fordwich where in real life the actress playing the mother worked.

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After being employed by Susanna Foster, Alison takes the horse & cart to the wheelwright:



The wheelwright & blacksmith's yard is Horton's Yard in Shottenden. Ben Horton (wheelwright) and his brother Neville (blacksmith) both appear in the movie as assistants to the actors playing them. Ben's son Eric also appears wearing a leather jacket.

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Bob is invited to dinner by Jim Horton. Bob then hitches a ride with Alison:



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Bob admires a big water mill in the village:



The water mill is still a distinct building in Wickhambreaux.

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Alison is shocked when she sees that Thomas Colpeper lives in this beautiful house:



The house is located in the village of Wickhambreaux.

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Bob and Alison go there separate ways after a heart to heart chat:



Bob jumps off the cart on Chartham Downs Road. When Alison leaves, she turns left into Swarling Hill Road. The Roundel can't be seen from this location. The BEND in the Pilgrims Road of which Alison makes reference is in a different place.

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Alison tells Prudence Honeywood (Susanna Foster's sister) about her working life in London:

Prudence and Alison working hard on the farm:



Prudence Honeywood's farm is actually Elbridge Farm located in Littlebourne.

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Alison brings Fee Baker her lunch and talks to her about the Glue Man:



Scene was filmed at Elbridge Farm in Littlebourne. Both the location and studio were used.

Alison is intercepted on the Pilgrims Road by Peter during his patrol with his troops who are driving Universal Carriers:



The track where Alison is intercepted by the Universal Carriers led by Peter is filmed just slightly south-east of Chilham on Old Wye Lane. The carriers go through the Rye Field and also on the other side of the lane.

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Local soldiers on their way to the Colpeper Institute to hear the lecture:



The exterior of the Colpeper Institute is actually the Manor House in Fordwich.

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Bob with Alison and Peter in the Colpeper Institute preparing to hear the lecture:



The interior scenes of the Colpeper Institute were filmed in Denham Studios.

Colpeper passionately delivers his lecture on Kent and the Pilgrims Road:



The idea for the Colpeper Institute came from the Beaney Institute in Canterbury.

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On Sunday Commander Todd who is in charge of the landing craft leads his troops into battle with a box of fruit missiles:

Bob watches the two armies in action led by General Terry and General Leslie:



The boy's battle scene was filmed near Chilham Mill on the River Stour. Bob gets on the boat a little way upstream, but some of the scenes of the boat going down the river were filmed at Fordwich.

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Bob invites the two generals to a "pow-wow" to gather evidence to catch the Glue Man:



The "pow-wow" meeting was held on Julliberrie's Grave, the prehistoric longbarrow on Julliberrie Downs. Bob then asks the boys for directions to the local church. The next scene shows him entering a church with the Hortons which is actually the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin which is located in Fordwich.

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Alison approaches Polly Finn (conductress) at the bus stop asking her about the Glue Man:



The location is Chilham Square.

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Alison meets up with glue victim Gwladys Swinton for a chat outside this signal box:



The signal box was located at the Harbledown railway junction. Gwladys is the Welsh spelling for Gladys.

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Alison waits to speak to post girl Dorothy Bird who was also attacked by the Glue Man:



The first part of the scene shows Dorothy Bird with the mail at the now gone Post Office which was attached to the Old Stone House (Manor House) in Wickhambreaux. In real life at that time the sub-postmaster was Mr. Squirrel and the postman was Mr. Fox. Dorothy's surname appropriately is Bird.

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In the Hand of Glory, Alison with Peter and Bob discuss information they have gathered about the Glue Man:



Note: Michael Powell's driver was Bert Woodcock reminding us of old Albert Woodcock.

Peter visits Colpeper's house and steals the duty roster for the Fire Guards:



The interior scenes of Wickhambreaux Court were reconstructions filmed in Denham Studios.

Peter arrives at the Hand of Glory to find Bob trying to contact Michael Roczinsky:



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Bob rewards the two generals with football money for the evidence they provide that implicates Colpeper as the Glue Man:



The salvage collection is at Chilham Mill. Also, at the very end of the film, the boys are seen playing with a football bought with their reward money. The scene takes place in the car park of The George & Dragon in Fordwich.

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Peter and Bob play catch in Chillingbourne:



School Hill in Chilham is the actual location of the game of catch.

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After a walking through a wooded area, Alison thinks she hears the sounds of the old Canterbury pilgrims. Colpeper is lying in the long grass and invites her to sit beside him:



The long grass scenes were filmed on Chilmans Downs and also at Denham Studios.

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Bob and Peter while talking about the tea drinking nations see Canterbury Cathedral and the River Stour, but they don't see Alison and Colpeper lying in the long grass who clearly hear their conversation:



Canterbury Cathedral and the River Stour can't actually be seen from this location on Chilmans Downs.

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On Monday morning the trio catch the train from Chillingbourne to Canterbury:



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On the train Colpeper arrogantly confesses to being the Glue Man:



The train journey scene was filmed in Denham Studios with views from the Elham Valley Railway.

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At Westgate in Canterbury, Colpeper and the three "pilgrims" part company:



After arriving in Canterbury, Peter goes to the police station and asks to speak to Superintendent Hall. George Hall was the real life Superintendent of the Canterbury constabulary in 1943. The location of the police station was also real at that time.

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Sheet music floats to Peter giving him a reason to see the organ and his wish to come true:



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Alison has lost her way in the bombed streets of Canterbury so she asks directions from a member of the Women's Voluntary Services:



When Alison first meets the Women's Voluntary Services lady, they are both on the Parade at the corner of Rose Lane. Then the location suddenly changes and they are seen on Burgate with the distant background view showing a Tudor style building (now the Montain Warehouse) which is actually on the Parade (next to the bombed Rose Hotel). The view goes back to the Parade when the towers of the cathedral are shown.

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Alison is heartbroken when she sees the terrible state of her caravan at Rose Lane Garage, but her tears soon turn to joy when she is told that her missing fiancé Geoffrey (presumed killed in action) is very much alive in Gibraltar:



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At a café Michael presents Bob with long lost letters from his sweetheart who is in Australia:



The interior of the café was a reconstruction in Denham Studios.

Bob and Michael watch the military parade from the café window:



This is the real café window in 1943 next to Christ Church Gate (Butter Market).

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A Canterbury Tale fittingly ends with the hymn "Onward Christian Soldiers" played on the organ by Peter Gibbs:



The organ music was actually played on the Saint Alban's Cathedral organ because the one at Canterbury Cathedral had been dismantled and hidden away due to the bombings.