Kingdom – Swaffham becomes Market Shipborough

For the last two summers, Swaffham has enjoyed the privilege of playing host to the ITV Drama series ‘Kingdom’. The central character of the show, country solicitor Peter Kingdom, is played by Norfolk man Stephen Fry who played a major role in persuading the show’s producers to locate the series in Swaffham. Our town’s traditional architecture, its attractive market place, friendly people, rural atmosphere and ease of access to other beautiful parts of the County all helped to draw the interest of the show’s producers and location managers. Thus, during each of the three month film stints we have become ‘Market Shipborough’ and local people have become accustomed to finding familiar areas of the town being transformed into film sets for all manner of storylines – we have witnessed cars upturned by freak weather, manure being slung against windows, the appearance of a sex shop, sheep grazing on the Campingland, men in strange costumes dancing in front of the pub with horns coming out of their head... Yes, we have seen it all!

Of course, the fictional town of Market Shipborough is an amalgam of real places. Swaffham is its heart but there is also a beach (Holkham) and now, a lighthouse atop cliffs (Happisburgh), whilst Market Shipborough’s cricket ground bears a striking resemblance to Castle Rising. Such quirks were a source of bafflement to visitors last summer – ‘where is the beach?’ they asked on arriving in Swaffham. However, the excellent information provided through www.visitnorfolk.co.uk goes a long way to helping people understand the geography of ‘Kingdom Country’.

The so-called ‘Kingdom effect’ has produced many benefits for the town and its surrounding areas. Tourist interest is definitely on the increase providing opportunities for local entrepreneurs to seize the moment. The process of filming itself has led to many positive spin-offs as actors and crew have provided a boost to the local accommodation and hospitality industries. Furthermore, the production company have operated a laudable policy of local procurement, so that many local businesses have been able to provide goods and services of various forms. Many hundreds of people have enjoyed the chance to join the cast as ‘extras’ and thus grab at least 15 seconds of fame. Watch any episode closely and you are bound to spot someone you know from the local area. Kingdom’s crew are to be complimented for the sensitive way that they have worked within our town. They have always been keen to consult with local stakeholders in order to keep disruption to a minimum. It is to their credit that so much goodwill has been generated. From the Town Council’s perspective it is a relief that government-bashing character Sidney Snell is just a figment of the writers’ imagination!

If you would like to know more about Kingdom then please click on the links button below which will take you to a list of webpages of potential interest, including programme information, location/tourism information and a library of entertaining local media stories

 

Kingdom Links

Tourism Information, including guides to locations:

http://www.visitnorfolk.co.uk/norfolk/kingdom.aspx

www.aroundswaffham.co.uk

Programme Information, including episode guides, video clips, actor biographies and production information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_(TV_series)

http://www.portmanfilm.com/films/Kingdom.html

http://www.itv.com/Drama/family/kingdom/default.html

Kingdom news stories, including the remarkable story of ‘Market Shipborough Rock’, how a charity shop turned into something altogether more dubious and the possibility of a Market Shipborough weekend including a beach in Swaffham Market Place:

http://www.lynnnews.co.uk/swaffham/Rock-proves-popular-in-Swaffham.3141344.jp

http://www.lynnnews.co.uk/swaffham/Charity-Breaks-into-39sex-shop39.3163147.jp

http://www.lynnnews.co.uk/news/Welcome-to-makebelieve-world-of.1646858.jp

http://www.lynnnews.co.uk/community/ITV-crew-in-Swaffham-to.1630165.jp

http://www.lynnnews.co.uk/news/Actors-cut-ribbon-of-100000.3222609.jp

http://www.lynnnews.co.uk/news/Kingdom-come-back-for-Swaffham.3659896.jp

http://www.lynnnews.co.uk/news/Oh-baby-Kingdom39s-back-in.3027858.jp

http://www.lynnnews.co.uk/news/Town-may-be-seaside-kingdom.3415553.jp

http://www.lynnnews.co.uk/swaffham/TV39s-Kingdom-says-thanks-for.3120489.jp

http://www.lynnnews.co.uk/community/TV-Kingdom-comes-to-Swaffham.2718746.jp

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