By Air
Essex is extremely well connected if you’re visiting from overseas. It is home to two airports: the award-winning Southend Airport and the globally connected Stansted Airport, with both short and long-haul flights.
Stansted Airport
Stansted airport is well connected, with short and long-haul flights to destinations all over the world. It is conveniently located a stone’s throw from the M11, is just 40 miles from central London and even has its own train station served by Abellio Greater Anglia’s Stansted Express service which runs direct into London Liverpool Street. The train station is located within a two-minute walk of the airport terminal for your convenience and taxis can pick you up from right outside the terminal.
Stansted has a choice of large hotels just a stone’s throw from the terminal itself, with many offering large expanses of hard standing on site, idea for unit base.
The terminal and airport buildings are themselves a popular film location, suitable as doubles for international airports and offering a range of alterative areas including baggage sorting facilities and service tunnels, hangars, private jets and even a stretch of controllable road.
Visit Stansted Airport’s website for more information.
Southend Airport
Southend airport is situated close to London and offers short haul flights to destinations across Europe.
Southend Airport is less than an hour away from the heart of London within an hour. From Southend Airport station you can get to London Liverpool Street in just 52 minutes and to Stratford in 43 minutes. Featuring easy connections to the new Elizabeth Line at Shenfield, Stratford and London Liverpool Street, the airport is just 20 minutes away from London underground stations.
A popular film location, Southend Airport offers a range of discreet and locations whilst being well connected by road, perfect for facilities and logistical access.
Visit Southend Airport’s website for more information.
By Sea
There are two gateways into Essex by boat: Harwich International and Tilbury.
Harwich International
Open 24 hours a day; 7 days a week, Harwich International prides itself on providing quality service for its passengers.
It is one of the UK’s most successful ferry terminals, accommodating passengers arriving by public transport or taking their car overseas with them.
Harwich International is well used by cruise ships and boasts a purpose built cruise terminal. Destinations include Scandinavian and Baltic cruises, as well as round-Britain trips and European countries.
The train station takes you directly into the cruise terminal and Stansted airport is easily reachable at just 50 miles away.
A popular filming location, Harwich International is film friendly and suitable as a double for a number of European sites.
Tilbury Port
With easy access to the M25, Tilbury Port is conveniently located and the nearest deep sea cruise terminal to London. It’s only 22 nautical miles from Tower Bridge in Central London and Stansted airport is less than an hour’s drive from the terminal. C2C provides a direct connection to London and is located 1 mile away from the terminal.
Tilbury is becoming increasingly popular for Baltic and northern Europe cruises and destinations and is perfectly located for access to London.
From historical backdrops to modern day working port scenes, Tilbury is truly a unique film location close to the capital.
Airfields
Essex is steeped in aviation history, with two operational historic airfields to offer.
North Weald Airfield
North Weald Airfield is an operational general aviation aerodrome located in North Weald Bassett – Epping Forest, Essex. The airfield was granted listed status in 2005.
North Weald has over 40,000 movements per annum connecting people from Essex and London, with destinations across England and overseas by air travel.
It is the home of North Weald Airfield Museum, situated at what was the main entrance of the famous Battle of Britain Fighter base – RAF North Weald. The museum tells the epic story of the airfield and its people since it opened in 1916.
Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome
Stow Maries is a WWI military aviation museum based at an aerodrome in Maldon, Essex.
It is the largest known surviving group of RFC buildings on a WWI aerodrome and can trace its history back to 1916 when it opened as home to B Flight of No 37(HD) Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, the aerodrome saw the birth of the Air Defence of Great Britain in response to the first raids by Zeppelins and Gotha bombers on London and the South East. It played a key role in the Battle for Britain (the first London Blitz) the following year.
Stow Maries can host productions of varying sizes and offers 2 large car parks ideal for a full unit base, on-site catering solutions and accessible toilets for smaller shoots.