Follow James Bond Around Britain

Towns in England Associated With 007 and Ian Fleming, Bond's Creator

Jun 28, 2009

James Bond has been to many exotic and remote locations, but there are quite a few accessible places in England associated with author Ian Fleming and his 007 character.

Fans of the James Bond movies, or indeed, of the books by Bond’s creator, the late Ian Fleming, might like to visit sites around Britain associated with the man and the series. Once pointed in the right direction, aficionados will quickly recognize settings where famous Bond scenes were played out.

Sevenhampton, Wiltshire

This was the last home and burial place of author, Ian Fleming. Sevenhampton is a small Wiltshire village, five miles from Swindon. Fleming is buried in the churchyard on the edge of the village, his grave marked by an obelisk with a plaque which reads: In Memorium Ian Fleming B . 28 May 1908 D. 12 Aug 1964.

There is little to suggest that this man captured the hearts of millions of readers and viewers with an outrageous spy called James Bond. The name, according to Christopher Winn in his delightful book I Never Knew That about England, was the real name of an ornithologist who wrote Birds of the West Indies. Apparently, Fleming started writing the first of the series, Casino Royale, while living in Jamaica at Goldeneye and saw the bird book by James Bond in the island airport. The name stuck.

London-born, Ian Fleming actually worked for British Military Intelligence during World War II, and rose to the rank of Commander, the rank held by his creation James Bond. Having spent ten years in Jamaica, Fleming returned to England in poor health in 1960 and purchased Sevenhampton Place in 1963. Sadly, he was only there a year before he died.

Swindon, Wiltshire

Swindon, the largest town in Wiltshire, just 5 miles from where Fleming is buried, happens to be the used in two of the Bond films. A View to Kill, the 1984 movie which featured Roger Moore as Bond used the interior of the Renault building. Sixteen years later, with Pierce Brosnan as Bond, production teams again shoes a site at Swindon for the movie The World Is Not Enough. The amazing Motorola factory became an oil pumping station.

Stokes Poges, Buckinghamshire

This intriguingly-named city is near the enormous Pinewood Studios, where most of the Bond films have been made. By the end of the 1930s, according to Christopher Winn, Pinewood was producing more movies than any other studio in the world and the dedicated 007 sound stage is the biggest in the world and has the biggest exterior tank in Europe. Sadly, the Bond sound stage has a propensity for burning down.

Because of its proximity to Pinewood, Stokes Poges has been selected for scenes in several Bond movies. At the start of For Your Eyes Only, Bond is seen standing at the grave of his wife Tracy, who is buried in Stoke Poges graveyard. Stoke Poges Golf Club became the Royal St George’s Golf Club, Kent where Bond (Sean Connery) met Goldfinger, and the famous statues (one beheaded by Oddjob’s alarming bowler hat) are still to be seen. The club again came into use for a set in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997).

Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire

This town is not a James Bond film set, but is inextricably linked with the series. It is the home of the Aston Martin car, which, prior to the Goldfinger movie, had only a few wealthy adherents, according to Christopher Winn. After Goldfinger, the Aston Martin became one of the most recognizable and most sought-after car in the world. The factory can be visited in Tickford St, Newton Pagnell, but the cars are now made at Gaydon, Warwickshire.

Obviously, there are far more exotic Bond locations around the world. Enthusiasts can track Bond to Phuket, the Bahamas, Paris, Prague, India, Egypt and, of course Jamaica. Nevertheless, the sites mentioned above are in a relatively small area of England, and the 007 enthusiast can wind it all up with a wild speedboat ride down the Thames in London … but beware the water police! For those who prefer to sit back and let someone else do the driving, consider a 007 Bus tour. Details can be found in Grace Lichtenstein's Suite101 article.

All of the information above has been gleaned from Christopher Winn's book, I Never Knew That About England, Ebury Press, London, 2005

The copyright of the article Follow James Bond Around Britain in England Travel is owned by James Parsons. Permission to republish Follow James Bond Around Britain in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.