FAQs
Does everyone have to pay to film / photograph on the Estate?
If you are simply taking photographs as a hobby or as a holiday snap, you do not have to pay. Otherwise, if the result of your filming/photography is for commercial purposes, as part of a college/university course and/or if it involves a crew or a model, you do need to pay. This applies to fashion and film shoots for private portfolios.
How much does it cost?
The cost of filming or photography is £1,500 per day. This fee is non-negotiable and covers you for the core hours of 8.30am – 6pm. Bookings for sessions between 6pm and 8.30am can be discussed, but we cannot guarantee these hours will be agreed to. If any hours outside of the core hours are agreed to, these will be charged a higher fee which is payable before the session takes place). Crew size is currently limited to 20.
Please see the Student section below for the student rate.
The landowner has the absolute discretion to charge a higher fee for unusually large or time-consuming shoots.
What are the insurance requirements?
- Self-employed persons:
- You need to provide a copy of your Third Party (Public) Liability policy.
- If you are conducting interviews/acting scenes from a film or play (or similar), please provide evidence of insurance showing a sum insured of no less than £5m per occurrence.
- If you are simply filming library/stock footage, please provide evidence of insurance showing a sum insured of no less than £2m per occurrence.
- If you would like to bring motor vehicles on site, please provide evidence of insurance for such vehicles.
- Company employees:
- You need to provide a copy of your companies’ Third Party (Public) Liability policy, or provide an Evidence of Cover letter from your insurance broker showing a sum insured of no less than £5m per occurrence.
- If you would like to bring motor vehicles on site, please provide evidence of insurance for such vehicles.
- Please also provide a certificate, or evidence of cover showing that your company purchases insurance which is in compliance with UK Employers’ Liability law (please note that if your company has less than five employees, this is not required).
Students
A lower charge is made to students who are conducting filming or photography as part of a college/university course. The charge is £300 per day for the first 2 days, and then for 3 days or more the charge increases to the full rate of £1,500 per day from the third day for the remainder of the booking.
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- The £300 student rate applies to each group of 6 students. If several student groups from the same education provider are on the estate at the same time, each group of 6 will be required to pay £300.
- Students will need to provide a letter of confirmation of student status and activities to be undertaken from their school/college/ university.
- You need to provide a copy of your school/college/university’s Third Party (Public) Liability policy, and confirm it will cover your activities.
- If you are conducting interviews/acting scenes from a film or play (or similar), please provide evidence of insurance showing a sum insured of no less than £5m per occurrence.
- If you are simply filming library/stock footage, please provide evidence of insurance showing a sum insured of no less than £2m per occurrence.
- If you would like to bring motor vehicles on site, please provide evidence of insurance for such vehicles.
Do you do part days?
No, the charge is always made on the basis of a full day (8.30am to 6pm).
What happens if the weather makes it impossible to film/photograph?
We will work with you to move your booking, dependent upon what is already in the calendar. If your booking must be moved, there will be no extra fees from us for doing so.
Why is a charge necessary?
The estate is a National Nature Reserve, and the owners must ensure that all necessary conservation regulations are complied with. The monitoring and administration costs of filming operations are substantial, as are the costs of maintaining the estate for the benefit of the public.
Why is a charge necessary?
The estate is a National Nature Reserve, and the owners must ensure that all necessary conservation regulations are complied with. The monitoring and administration costs of filming operations are substantial, as are the costs of maintaining the estate for the benefit of the public.
Is filming/photography allowed at weekends / Bank holidays?
No. Permission is only provided for permits during the core hours of 8.30am to 6pm on weekdays.
How can I find out which dates are available?
There is a calendar on the ‘Book Now’ section of the website. Please note that as applications take 10 working days to process, the system will not allow you to book dates any sooner than this.
Is filming / photography permissible anywhere on the Estate?
No. The estate is a National Nature Reserve, and the owners must ensure that all the necessary conservation regulations are complied with. Filming will only be permitted within the areas shown on the Filming Zones Plan attached to the Film Licence. The Romney Marsh Countryside Partnership wardens on site can advise on what is possible.
Applicants should also bear in mind that the estate ownership does not include many of the houses, gardens, and businesses, such as the Lighthouse, the Britannia Pub, the Light Railway, and the fishing boats. Applicants wanting to film or shoot up close to any of these properties will need to obtain permission from the owner/occupier of these, in addition to getting permission from the owners of the estate. You are strongly advised to check on this matter before booking if this is an important part of your project. Please note that you would then need to stay within the boundaries of that property, should you wish to shoot outside of them, you would need to apply for a permit.
In addition, filming or photographing security features of the power station such as security fences, CCTV, gates/barriers, or the security staff is not permitted.
Are there any prohibitions on activities that can be conducted as part of the filming/photography?
The National Nature Reserve was created to protect the shingle banks and the local flora and fauna. As a result cars can only be driven on designated roads and not on the flora, fauna, or shingle ridges, and there is to be no disturbance of the shingle through digging. There is also a prohibition on fires, pyrotechnics, flares, and drones.
Failure to observe these restrictions can result in prosecution under the Dungeness National Nature Reserve Special Nature Conservation Order and fines of up to £25,000.
Where can I park?
The National Nature Reserve was created to protect the shingle banks and the local flora and fauna. As a result cars can only be driven on designated roads and not on the flora, fauna, or shingle ridges, and there is to be no disturbance of the shingle through digging. There is also a prohibition on fires, pyrotechnics, flares, and drones.
Failure to observe these restrictions can result in prosecution under the Dungeness National Nature Reserve Special Nature Conservation Order and fines of up to £25,000.
Are there hotels nearby?
The nearest places to stay are in Lydd, Camber, Rye, and New Romney.
What if I need to cancel or contact someone about my booking?
Please send an email to [email protected], and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
What postcode should I use for my SatNav?
TN29 9ND
Is there somewhere to eat / go to the toilet?
You will have to make your own arrangements with one of the businesses on the estate.
How can I find out more about the Estate?
Please send an email to [email protected], and we will get back to you as soon as we can.