After a long three-year wait, Game of Thrones fans are finally able to escape back into their world of warring tribes and flying dragons.
The long-awaited prequel House of the Dragon, on Sky Atlantic, is based on George RR Martin’s 2018 novel Fire & Blood and is set 300 years before Game Of Thrones.
The saga shows how the Targaryen dynasty ended and its star-studded cast includes Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Steve Toussaint, Emily Carey and Rhys Ifans.
The £170m drama used some of Britain’s loveliest places to create the show’s fantasy backdrops, as well as the Spanish towns of Cáceres and Trujillo, and the lovely medieval village of Monsanto in Portugal.
Use today’s exclusive guide to explore these locations and uncover the hidden secrets of the new 10-part series.
Caesar's Camp, Aldershot
A large tournament set and medieval camp was built at this beauty spot just outside Aldershot on the Hampshire and Surrey border.
The Targaryen sigil (magic symbol) with a three-headed dragon was spotted during filming at the site of an Iron Age hill fort and the area was taken over by colourful tents and a crowd of extras along with horses and wooden carriages.
Covering an area of about 260 hectares, Caesar’s Camp includes woodland, sandy hills and lakes, making it ideal for a hike or cycle. There are dozens of walks to discover, including many suitable for children and dogs, and it’s a great spot for a picnic.
You can see for miles in good weather – all the way to London if the air is clear. Standing at 177 metres, Caesar’s Camp is also home to an army training area and can be reached by taking a direct train from London.
St Michael's Mount, Cornwall
The island castle of St Michael’s Mount is Driftmark, the ancestral seat of the House of Velaryon in the show and was filmed during a two-week Cornish shoot.
An archway featuring a sigil of a seahorse was spotted during filming.
Just off the southern Cornish coast close to Penzance, it’s the perfect spot for a family day out. But do check the weather and tide times first. Strong winds and rough seas can force the rugged island to close.
As if custom-made for the GoT universe, the buildings on the site date back to the 12th century and for more than 300 years it has been home to the Lords St Levan, who leased it to the National Trust in 1954.
St Michael’s Mount was also featured in a 1979 Dracula film starring Frank Langella and Laurence Olivier, standing in for the vampire’s brooding and dramatic castle.
Holywell Bay, Cornwall
Matt Smith and Emma D’Arcy, who play Daemon and Rhaenyra Targaryen, were spotted filming with a boat and near a wooden shack on the golden sands of this popular National Trust site.
With exposed rocky headlands and grassy dunes, the bay was perfect for filming scenes set in the pirate-infested islands of the Stepstones.
Inside Holywell Bay Cave is natural spring flowing through a pink and green grotto.
The wreckage of a 700-ton steam-powered Argentinian coaster, the SS Francia, can also be seen at low tide. The beach, close to Newquay, is hugely popular with surfers and is included in a good range of walking trails.
Holywell Beach is already a superstar in its own right: it was often seen in Poldark and also stood in for North Korea in the James Bond movie Die Another Day.
Kynance Cove, Cornwall
A Velaryon army camp located in the lawless borderland of The Stepstones was filmed at this stunning coastal beauty spot.
Almost at the southern-most tip of England’s mainland, the rolling cliffs and white sands of Kynance Cove have an ancient atmosphere perfect for House of the Dragon.
Rock formations and turquoise seas make this a crowded tourist spot in summer, but there are more secluded beaches hidden along the bay.
During filming an armoury and parts of a war camp were spotted on one of the cliffs, while banded metal shields with crenellations, huge longbows and swords stacked on racks were seen at the National Trust site.
The cove is near Lizard Point along the Lizard Peninsula and is lovely to visit at any time of the year.
Castleton, Derbyshire
Various members of the cast were spotted filming in this beautiful village in the heart of the Peak District. It is surrounded by landmarks including Mam Tor and the commanding Peveril Castle, which dates back to 1086, shortly after the Norman conquest.
After the first Cornwall shoot ended in mid-May 2021, exterior filming began in Castleton, which sits at the southern end of the Pennines between Manchester and Sheffield.
Matt Smith was spotted in costume along with Graham McTavish, Emily Carey and Milly Alcock in full medieval garb.
Nearby Cave Dale is a limestone valley to explore on a two-mile route beginning in the village. The more adventurous can climb 517-metre Mam Tor and carry on along the picturesque Great Ridge separating Castleton and the village of Edale.
Watford, Hertforshire
Game of Thrones had an array of exotic locations including Iceland and Croatia, but most filming took place in Northern Ireland.
For House of the Dragon the base for interior scenes and production is now at Warner Bros Leavesden Studios in Watford, where the Harry Potter films were also based.
There are no dragons to be seen near Watford just yet, but you can go on the Harry Potter Studios Tour.
Hartland Quay, Devon
West country filming crossed the county border into Devon, where the dramatic seascapes and spectacular cliffs of Hartland Quay formed another backdrop.
Walkers spotted crews in hi-vis jackets and large groups of costumed actors on the green hills and cliffs.
This location near Bude in North Devon on the Atlantic coast was also seen in the Disney adaptation of Treasure Island in 1950 and Netflix ’s 2020 version of Rebecca.
The site is on the South West Coastal Path and is part of a Heritage Coastline, but seas can be rough in winter. The Quay itself was built in the 16th century, when lime, slate and coal were shipped across the Bristol Channel.
