Sharpe follows a battle‑hardened soldier carving out his reputation during the Napoleonic Wars. Though the story ranges across Europe, many key scenes were brought to life in Essex, where historic estates, open countryside and period buildings provided the perfect backdrop for the drama.
Tilbury Fort
Tilbury Fort is England’s best example of a 17th-century bastioned fortress, with its complete circuit of moats and outworks. Constructed on the site of a small Tudor blockhouse, originally built under the reign of Henry VIII, the fort was designed to defend the river Thames passage to London. It was nearby that Queen Elizabeth I famously rallied her army awaiting the Armada. Spend a day exploring the magazine houses used to store vast quantities of gunpowder, or enter the bastion magazine passages and experience what it was like for the soldiers who lived there.
Horsey Island
Scenes for Sharpe were filmed on Horsey Island in Essex. These locations were utilized as doubling sites for coastal/military encampments in the hit ITV series starring Sean Bean. The remote, tidal nature of these islands made them ideal stand-ins. For example, in Sharpe’s Regiment, the plot features Sharpe and Harper infiltrating a secret training camp on the marshes, which was filmed right in this Essex coastal area.
Foulness Island
Scenes for Sharpe were also filmed on Foulness Island in Essex. These locations were utilized as doubling sites for coastal/military encampments in the hit ITV series starring Sean Bean.The remote, tidal nature of these islands made them ideal stand-ins. For example, in Sharpe’s Regiment, the plot features Sharpe and Harper infiltrating a secret training camp on the marshes, which was filmed right in this Essex coastal area.
Celtic Films Entertainment and Picture Palace Films
