March 6, 2025
Filming in Cumbria – 5 Breathtaking Filming Locations
Cumbria is a unique area of North West England’s filming landscape. Over the years, its lakes, valleys and peaks have doubled for alien landscapes, foreign countries and fantasy lands – even serving as the location for one of Hollywood’s biggest stunts in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.
With countless filming locations dotted across Cumbria, the Filming in England team work with our partners in Cumberland Council & Westmorland and Furness Council to facilitate productions of all shapes and sizes across the county. What’s more, Cumbria Tourism are delighted to welcome more and more productions to the area, we spoke to Alex Mackintosh, Content Executive at Cumbria Tourism:
“Cumbria has so much to offer as a filming location, from stunning natural landscapes across coast and countryside to a vibrant city and historic landmarks. We have welcomed some fantastic productions across the years, with Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy most recently shining a spotlight on our region. Throughout 2025 and beyond, we look forward to putting Cumbria centre stage as part of VisitBritain’s international ‘Starring GREAT Britain’ campaign, showcasing the fantastic film friendly locations across our area.
Our visitor economy plays a crucial role in supporting our vibrant communities, and with film and TV being powerful motivators for travel, it’s great to see Cumbria taking a starring role and inspiring people to visit!”
Below, we’ve rounded up five of our favourite filming spots:
1. Buttermere
Buttermere is a valley in the Lake District with gorgeous panoramic views of a vast valley. Managed, in part, by Filming in England Partners, The National Trust, Buttermere is comprised of three beautiful lakes and towering mountain walls. Councillor Anne Quilter, Cumberland Council’s Executive Member for Vibrant and Healthy Places, warmly welcomes productions to Buttermere and other locations in their area. She told us:
“We have some amazing landscapes in Cumberland and it’s great to see them showcased to an international audience. We’ve been lucky to accommodate some major film productions from around the world and we are a film-friendly destination. Producers and film makers will always receive a warm welcome. Make Cumberland your chosen venue!”
In September 2021, Tom Cruise arrived there for the filming of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One and filmed his ‘speedflying’ stunt from the top of Buttermere’s summit, High Grag, involving him helicoptering up the mountain and flying down.
2. Rydal Cave
A large cavern sitting above the stunning Rydal Water, Rydal Cave is a former slate quarry complete with stepping stones into its dark interior.
This hidden gem starred in The Witcher Season 2, in a scene in episode 7 where Geralt and Jaskier journey together. Alongside Rydal Cave, The Witcher filmed in Cumbria locations Blea Tarn and Hodeg Close Quarry.
3. Thirlmere
Thirlmere is a reservoir which sits below Ravens Crag and Hellvellyn. It offers steep-sided fells and a beautiful reservoir which lends itself to wide aerial filming.
In fact, Thirlmere doubled as the lakes and shoreline of Takondana in J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens!
4. Cathedral Cove
Cathedral Cave is a small network of inter-linked quarries situated above Little Langdale at 40-foot high. Its tunnels and large chamber give it a cinematic, other-worldly atmosphere.
The 2012 film Snow White and the Huntsman filmed in the main chamber of Cathedral Cave, which doubled as the area in which the seven dwarves break away from the Queens Riders.
5. Ullswater
Did you know that Ullswater is the second biggest lake in England? Nestled in the eastern corners of the Lake District, it offers stunning mountain scenery and tranquil lakes. You may recognise Ullswater from a scene in Paddington 2 in the film’s final action sequence, which involves a train track running from Ullswater and ending in North Yorkshire.
We spoke with Jessica Goodfellow, Senior Economic Development and Tourism Officer at Westmorland and Furness Council:
“This area includes the beautiful lakes and mountains around Ullswater, part of the Lake District National Park and the moorlands around Alston in the North Pennines – a designated National Landscape and a UNESCO Global Geopark. Below, the River Eden flows through the rolling countryside of the Eden Valley. Also featured is the natural beauty of Windermere with its lake and mountains, plus towns of Ambleside and Kendal. Interspersed in this beautiful and varied geography are villages and settlements with a mix of traditional Lakeland buildings, the red sandstone houses of Penrith and an array of cultural venues.
Barrow enjoys an enviable coastal location on the doorstep of the Lake District National Park. There are nature reserves, beautiful sandy beaches and fascinating sites of historical interest. There is also an intriguing industrial area in Barrow with links to ship building and engineering providing an interesting contrast to the scenic locations of the Lake District.
We hope to showcase more of this area and welcome more productions to film here soon!”
Want to see more from Cumbria’s filming landscape? Check out these other film-friendly spots:
Across the English regions, Creative England’s Filming in England team are on hand to facilitate high-end TV and feature film productions, working with local and regional partners.
Find more filming locations on our Locations Directory here.
