A Canterbury Tale

At the start of the movie we see Chaucer's pilgrims on their way to Canterbury:



The scene was filmed near Guildford at Saint Martha's Hill in Surrey.

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The train which arrives in the village of Chillingbourne Friday night has passengers Alison Smith (Land Girl), Sergeant Bob Johnson (USA), and Sergeant Peter Gibbs (UK) who are unaware of the adventure that awaits them:



Filming of the distant train scene was taken near Ranmore Common Road close to Dorking in Surrey.

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The acting Station Master gives the three train travellers directions to the Town Hall:



The Chillingbourne Station scenes were filmed at Selling Station and also in Denham Studios.

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After the Glue Man attacks Alison, the trio chase him up Charing Street:



Charing Street was a studio reconstruction based on Taylors Hill located in Chilham.

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Magistrate Thomas Colpeper in the Town Hall:



Chillingbourne Town Hall is Fordwich Town Hall with the exterior and interior reconstructed in Denham Studios.

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Bob and the locals try to wash the glue from Alison's hair:

Bob introduces himself to Thomas Colpeper who gives him free overnight accommodation in Chillingbourne:

Alison is rejected by Colpeper for employment because she is a girl:

After she hears a noise Alison discovers a Home Guard uniform which has fallen off its hanger:



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At the Hand of Glory Alison asks Bob to help her solve the mystery of the Glue Man:



Alison is holding a letter she has written to Peter Gibbs also requesting his help.

Agnes the maid wakes Bob after he has slept in the Elizabeth Room:



The interior of the Hand of Glory was recreated in Denham Studios.

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Bob waves at the local butcher from his upstairs bedroom window:



The view from Bob's hotel window when he waves at Dick Lucy is the view that would be seen from the Red Lion located in Wingham.

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Bob meets General Leslie who later helps him catch the Glue Man:



The scene was filmed in Denham Studios.

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General Leslie on top of the hay wagon tells his mother about meeting an American soldier:



The hay wagon leaves from "Bridge View" opposite the George & Dragon in Fordwich where in real life the actress playing the mother worked.

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After being employed by Susanna Foster, Alison takes the farm wagon to the wheelwright:



The location of the wheelwright & blacksmith scene is Horton's Yard in Shottenden. The real Horton brothers both appear in the movie as assistants to the actors playing them.

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The wheelwright invites Bob to dinner who then hitches a ride with Alison:



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Bob admires a big water mill in the village:



The water mill is still a distinct building in Wickhambreaux.

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Alison is shocked when she sees that Thomas Colpeper lives in this beautiful house:



The house is located in Wickhambreaux.

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Alison and Bob stop for a heart to heart chat then go their separate ways:



Swarling Manor is shown in the background. The Roundel can't be seen from this location. The BEND in the Pilgrims Road of which Alison makes reference is in a different place. Alison turns left from Chartham Downs Road into Swarling Hill Road.

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Alison tells Prudence Honeywood (Susanna Foster's sister) about her working life in London:



Prudence Honeywood's farm is Elbridge Farm located in Littlebourne.

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Prudence and Alison working hard on the farm:

Alison brings Fee Baker her lunch and talks to her about the Glue Man:



The close-up scene of Alison and Fee talking was filmed in Denham Studios.

Alison is intercepted on the Pilgrims Road by Peter during his patrol with his troops who are driving Universal Carriers:



The track where Alison is intercepted by the Universal Carriers led by Peter is filmed just slightly south-east of Chilham on Old Wye Lane. The carriers go through the Rye Field and also on the other side of the lane.

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Local soldiers on their way to the Colpeper Institute to hear the lecture:



The exterior of the Colpeper Institute is actually the Manor House in Fordwich.

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Bob with Alison and Peter in the Colpeper Institute preparing to hear the lecture:



The interior scenes of the Colpeper Institute were filmed in Denham Studios.

Colpeper passionately delivers his lecture on Kent and the Pilgrims Road:



The idea for the Colpeper Institute came from the Beaney Institute in Canterbury.

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On Sunday Bob watches the two boy armies in action led by General Terry and General Leslie:



The boy's battle scene was filmed near Chilham Mill on the River Stour. Bob gets on the boat a little way upstream, but some of the scenes of the boat going down the river were filmed at Fordwich.

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Bob invites the two generals to a "pow-wow" to gather evidence to catch the Glue Man:



The meeting was held on Julliberrie's Grave - the prehistoric longbarrow on Julliberrie Downs.

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Bob attends church with the Hortons:



Church of Saint Mary the Virgin is located in Fordwich.

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Alison approaches Polly Finn (conductress) at the bus stop asking her about the Glue Man:



The location is Chilham Square.

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Alison meets up with glue victim Gwladys Swinton for a chat outside a signal box where she works:



The signal box was located at the Harbledown railway junction. Gwladys is the Welsh spelling for Gladys.

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Alison waits to speak to post girl Dorothy Bird who was also attacked by the Glue Man:



The first part of the scene shows Dorothy Bird at the now gone Post Office which was attached to the Old Stone House (Manor House) in Wickhambreaux.

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In the Hand of Glory, Alison with Peter and Bob discuss information they have gathered about the Glue Man:



Note: Michael Powell's driver was Bert Woodcock reminding us of old Albert Woodcock.

Peter visits Colpeper's house and steals the duty roster for the Fire Guards:



The interior scenes of Wickhambreaux Court were reconstructions filmed in Denham Studios.

Peter arrives at the Hand of Glory to find Bob trying to contact Michael Roczinsky:



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Bob rewards the two generals with football money for the evidence they provide that implicates Colpeper as the Glue Man:



The salvage collection is at Chilham Mill. Also, at the very end of the film, the boys are seen playing with a football bought with their reward money. The scene takes place in the car park of the George & Dragon in Fordwich.

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Peter and Bob play catch in Chillingbourne:



School Hill in Chilham is the actual location of the game of catch.

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After a chance meeting, Colpeper invites Alison to sit with him in the long grass on the hill:



The long grass scenes were filmed on Chilmans Down and also in Denham Studios.

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Bob and Peter talk about tea drinking as they arrive on the hill:



The view shown of the Great Stour was filmed from a different location.

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On Monday, during a train journey to Canterbury, Colpeper admits to being the Glue Man:



The train carriage scene was filmed in Denham Studios with views from the Elham Valley Railway.

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At Westgate in Canterbury, Colpeper and the three "pilgrims" part company:



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Peter goes to the police station and asks to speak to Superintendent Hall.



George Hall was the real life Superintendent of the Canterbury constabulary in 1943. The location of the police station was also real at that time.

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Sheet music floats to Peter after he enters Canterbury Cathedral:



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Alison has lost her way in the bombed streets of Canterbury so she asks directions from a member of the Women's Voluntary Services:

Alison visits Rose Lane Garage to see her caravan and learns that Geoffrey is alive:



In real life Mr. Philpot was the owner of Rose Lane Garage.

At a café, Michael presents Bob with missing letters from his sweetheart who is in Australia:



The interior of the café was a reconstruction in Denham Studios.

Bob and Michael watch the military parade from the café window:



This is the real café window in 1943 next to Christ Church Gate (Butter Market).

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Peter Gibbs is overjoyed at playing the organ in Canterbury Cathedral:



The music was actually played at Saint Albans Cathedral because the organ at Canterbury Cathedral had been dismantled and hidden away for protection due to the bombings.

A Canterbury Tale fittingly ends with the hymn "Onward Christian Soldiers" sung by the congregation: