Berkshire towns and countryside have acted as the perfect backdrop for a host of Holywood films and Netflix shows over the years.

Its proximity to London and distinctive countryside has made the county that much more desirable when scouting for that perfect shot.

Although Pinewood studios in Iver Heath is a popular location, filming is done within Berkshire's smaller towns and countryside villages to give a film or TV series a little more grit and realism.  

After spotting what was thought to be A-Lister Gerard Butler at the former Reading Post print house, people across the county are interested to know which next big show or film will choose Berkshire as their filming location.

The Sky Documentary - 7/7 - depicting the London Bombing is the latest filming taking place in Reading today (30/5).

Here are some of the most famous films and shows that have used Berkshire as their backdrop.

Bridgerton 

Several scenes on this latest season of Bridgerton was set in the stunning shadow of Basildon Park and estate. 

Berkshire’s Basildon Park was a particular favourite during filming, as directors followed in the footsteps of Pride and Prejudice and Downton Abbey.

Although location scouts have many ancestral homes and National Trust sites to choose from up and down England, the splendour of Basildon Park and the proximity to London made it the perfect choice in the latest season.

Harry Potter

According to House Digest, 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey, is the Dursley's address in the film franchise, but the actual location of the house used in the films is 12 Picket Post Close, Winkfield Row, Bracknell.

Warner Brothers actually only filmed in the house for two weeks for "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" — after which the production company built a replica of the house, and the entire street, on set at Warner Brothers Studios.

Great Expectations

Part of the 2023 adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel starring Olivia Coleman was actually filmed on the border of Buckinghamshire and Berkshire.

According to Find That Location, The London Bridge location in Great Expectations is Marlow Bridge, which links Marlow in Buckinghamshire with Bisham in Berkshire.

The church in the background as Pip stands at the railing is Marlow's All Saints Church.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Berkshire even makes an appearance in Star Wars.

According to Movie Locations, The Resistance Base where Finn is reunited with the presumed-dead Dameron, and C-3P0 with the sleep-mode R2-D2, is the old RAF at Greenham Common on the A339 south of Newbury.

Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey is set in a fictional estate in Yorkshire and follows the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants through the upheavals of the early 20th Century.

However, the series was actually filmed at the majestic Highclere Castle near Newbury.

Killing Eve

Killing Eve is a spy thriller that follows a British Intelligence Investigator that is given the task of capturing an assassin, who is played by Jodie Comer.

Parts of the first series of Killing Eve were filmed in Reading Prison.