Was there magic in the air ?
Why would these two things come together - was there a touch of magic in the air?
1. I carried a screenshot with me from S5 E13 all the time I was on a break in The Forest of Dean just in case I came across somewhere that looked similar. (see below the cut).
2. On the other hand there was one location I needed to search for but what was filmed there I didn’t have any idea.
Well on Saturday 6 July 2013 we were driving back from Forest of Dean, and Mr P and I stopped close to Chepstow Race Course as we remembered seeing ‘MLOC’ signs pointing to the race course car park many many months ago. I had done some Google earth investigation and saw there was a parkland behind the track, so off we went. Lo and behold in the woods our path met another coming from a very large race course car park. I remembered Merlocmod telling me ‘they need car park space close to the location’. Off we went but we had no idea what we were looking for. So it became a ‘just look round the park’ walk. We wondered if my screenshot may have been filmed there (note the trident branch) but I was looking for some fir trees with a river behind. Forget it I can assure no river can be easily seen from this parkland. Fir trees, yes, there were some but not at the end of a copse as I thought they would be.
Giving up we turned round and then came that wonderful Damascus moment and the sky lit up, and the trident of branches in the screenshot were infront of us, albeit with more growth on. And the fir trees well they were some kind of evergreen oak. All the shapes in the screenshot fitted in. Wonderful, it was found! Mr P did his usual ‘the camera would’ve been here’ I took loads of photos. I took a moment on my own to reflect on Arthur’s ending, ahhhhh all so very sad but the Once and Future King lives on! (If only in our hearts).
Note the Trident branch above Merlin's head. They CGI'd the water in.
Trust me the trident branch is there as is the straight bit over Merlin's head .
The shapes on the horizon match those in the screenshot.
There must’ve been more filmed here but we didn’t have any screenshots either did we have the time, so good luck whoever follows on at this location, lots must’ve been filmed in the park. I await your report.
My idea of the sequencing is:
Arthur dies on an unidentifiable piece of grass although to me it looks as though Excalibur was added afterwards because of a slightly different green of the grass.
Kilgarra lands - unidentifiable tree tops for me.
Merlin is dragging Arthur - boat in the background and leaves on the trees. I think this has been identified as Speech House Lake.
Merlin looks up to Kilgarra - trident branch in background and no leaves except the evergreen oak at the end.
Next shot Speech House Lake with leaves on the trees.
How to find the Piercefield Park park (please note - it is now a ruin that has no entry):
It was a Saturday so we parked in the school/leisure centre car park off Welsh Street B4293.
We then walked back on the B4293 towards the racecourse, at The Cloisters (its a road) by the side of the this road on the closest side to the racecourse is a footpath whose entrance goes under an arch.
Follow this path right to its end when it opens onto the parkland. ('path' on the map).
Follow the path for about 70 yards and then look diagonally right across a steep grassy dip towards a copse. You can walk round the dip if you want to.
The copse with the Trident Tree in question is diagonally across from the far side of this dip.
Good luck I’ve done a google earth shot for you.
Happy memories to all from Pakafe.