Working with Film Companies
Filming on Dartmoor
Dartmoor offers stunning locations for filming with wild expanses of open moorland and valleys cut through by beautiful streams and rivers. The landscape has been an inspiration for writers, artists and poets for many years.
Most of Dartmoor is privately owned. The most important thing to do is secure landowner permission before any filming takes place.
If you want to film or take photos for professional or commercial purposes in the National Park and know who owns the land, you should approach the landowner directly to secure their permission.
You'll need to come to an agreement directly with the landowner regarding any location fees.
Filming cannot take place without landowner permission or without all relevant documentation being provided in advance.
If you want to use an area that is designated for special reasons (for example a Scheduled Ancient Monument, Site of Special Scientific Interest or a Special Conservation Area), you may need additional licences first.
Filming on land we own
We own land at Haytor Down, Holne Moor and a superb medieval longhouse, Higher Uppacott. These places have provided excellent locations, from Oscar-winning films to nature/conservation programmes.
You can see all the land we own on our map. Our areas are shaded in purple.
It’s vital you communicate with us in good time, and with your proposed ideas, rather than confirmation of intent. Dartmoor is a living, working protected landscape so it's important sufficient time is provided so we can adequately assess your request.
You must notify us of any proposals 7 – 14 working days in advance. Sorry, but anything less than that is unlikely to get consent.
Fees depend on the nature of the request, location, crew and cast size, environmental sensitivity and whether you need National Park officer support.
Please refer to our fees and charges 2023-24.
Filming or photography cannot be undertaken without authorisation being in place beforehand.
We will refuse requests where it coincides with conservation/surveying work or it risks disturbing Dartmoor’s rare wildlife and protected habitats.
What you need to do
If you want to film on our land, you must email us with your proposed ideas. We'll send you an application form which you'll need to fill in with as much detail as possible. Send the completed form back to us along with:
*Your risk assessment
*A signed licence agreement
*Proof of public liability insurance up to £5 million
If you want to use a drone to carry out some filming, we need additional information from you first.
Filming with a drone
We only allow drone-related commercial filming by production companies in certain circumstances.
For land we own, we'll consider applications from professional production companies which intend to use drone footage for television, film or commercial photography.
We won't give permission for recreational use, something which is prohibited according to existing byelaws.
To find land in our ownership please refer to our map.
Many places are home to birds and animals which could be disturbed by drones especially during nesting and breeding season. As a general rule, we won't support drone filming in or next to areas where rare birds nest. Visit our bird nesting pages to see where those areas are before contacting us.
For land not owned by us, you'll need to get permission from the relevant landowner. Some won't allow commercial or recreational drone flying on their land under any circumstances.
When you've got their permission, you'll need to secure our support too. This is so we can ensure what you have planned is appropriate and causes minimal impact to the habitats and historic environment.
You'll need to send us:
*The drone operator’s formal Unmanned Aircraft Systems qualification, accredited by the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority)
*Specific Public Liability Insurance and Aviation Insurance Liability cover.
*A detailed drone flight plan
*Evidence you've got landowner consent.
Your request for permission to use a drone won't be successful if we think it risks promoting the public use of drones in the National Park or adversely affects Dartmoor's protected qualities.
It is an offence to use drones on the commons of Dartmoor.
Charges
All landowners reserve the right to make a charge for filming on their land.
It's vital you provide as much information as far in advance as you can - if not, we may charge National Park Officer time when assisting with your enquiry.
We may also charge a fee if staff time and expertise is used to help with you with things like advice, research and a location recce.
When you come to Dartmoor, we encourage you to support our communities by using local contractors and buying local. Check out our food and drink directory for ideas.