Filming for a new series of the Star Wars TV programme Andor in a Dorset quarry has been cancelled after bad weather raised fears of rockfalls and landslips.
Scenes for the Disney+ programme were set to be shot at Winspit Quarry, near Worth Matravers, where filming also took place for the first series in May 2021.
But it was cancelled by the National Trust following a spout of “turbulent weather”.
A spokesperson said: “The planned filming due to take place at Winspit Quarry has been cancelled due to safety concerns following the recent turbulent weather, which has increased the risk of rockfalls and landslips.
“Visitors looking to explore the Dorset coast are advised to follow signs and keep out of unsafe areas until further surveys have been undertaken.”
Winspit is a disused quarry on the cliffs near Worth Matravers in the Isle of Purbeck. Until around 1940, Winspit was used as a stone quarry, providing stone for buildings in London.
Tracey Churcher, the National Trust’s general manager for Purbeck, said: “The coast and cliffs along this stretch of the Dorset coast, including the quarry, can be unstable and naturally liable to landslips and falls – particularly after extreme weather including heavy rainfall and hot dry periods.
“We urge people to take the time to read warning signs and follow the instructions so they can enjoy the coast safely.
“People should always stay well back from the cliff and rock edges, whether on or below them, and we ask people not to visit Winspit Quarry until our experts are confident it is safe to visit again.”
Despite some restrictions, Winspit Quarry is popular with climbers. There are a number of different facing walls interspersed with caves to explore. There is also a beach nearby that’s good for swimming, making the quarry a popular place for tourists.
Winspit Quarry has been used as a film set for Doctor Who and Blake’s 7.
Disney has been approached for comment.
Unlike the main Star Wars films which depict the lives of the heroic resistance – or the fall from grace of Anakin Skywalker – the Andor series seems to focus on the lives of the people affected by and living under the Empire.
A trailer for the second series was released in September. Set five years before the events of Rogue One, the series will see Luna reprise his role alongside an international cast of newcomers to the Star Wars universe - Brit Fiona Shaw, Swede Stellan Skarsgård and the Puerto Rican actress Adria Arjona.
