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Plunging down the hillside

Mad Dog > Locations > Derbyshire > Ilam > The horse chase >

Charles
races down
the hillside
to escape
his pursuers

Charles plunges down the snow covered hillside

"You said you didn't know what he'd got"
Sanders to Charles

 

Hoping to fool his pursuers into following his abandoned horse, Charles plunges down the steep icy hillside into the valley below — but his ruse is spotted, and Sanders and Jim give chase.

The incline
behind
'Fenton's
half-way
house'

The scene in May 2007

May 2007

Looking
down the
incline from
the top

The scene in May 1999

May 1999

 

Description: This steep incline leads down from the track along which Charles rides behind Air Cottage — an isolated farm house (still a working farm, and now offering a bed and breakfast service) near the village of Ilam in Derbyshire.

Where is it?: Air Cottage is located high above the Dovedale gorge, close to the village of Ilam. It is accessible via a number of public footpaths (marked on Ordnance Survey maps of the area) and from a track leading off the road between Ilam and Alstonfield. The entrance to the track (which begins with a cattlegrid) is located on the right hand side near the brow of the first hill after leaving Ilam. The track passes Ilam Tops Farm (Ellen and Ron's Farm) before reaching Air Cottage.

Where's the best vantage point?: The sequence is filmed 'side-on', from a camera position on the hilltop close to the rear of Air Cottage. The photo here is taken from the pathway, looking down at the route Charles takes.

What about access?: The public footpath which leads past Ilam Tops Farm towards Air Cottage swings to the right of Air Cottage, before rejoining the main farm track on the far side of the farm. While it is possible to take many Ilam location shots from public pathways, this particular shot is taken on farm property with the permission of the owners.

The owners of Air Cottage have always been very accommodating to Survivors fans, but they do ask, as a courtesy, that visiting fans check with them (in advance or on the day) if they wish to take photographs on farm property. For contact details for Air Cottage, click here. There are public footpaths criss-crossing the area around Ilam and Dovedale, but these should be checked closely to avoid trespassing on private land. It is advisable to carry an OS map when visiting these locations.

Anything else?: If anything, the incline is steeper in real life than it appears on screen. As Denis Lill makes his way down the hillside — at some speed and in icy conditions — it is not surprising that he slips up more than once.

The very limited parking at Air Cottage is private, and prior permission should be sought before making use of it. Alternatively, park in Ilam and approach the area on foot. The walk from the centre of Ilam is a fairly steep 30-40 minute climb - either by following the road uphill or (for those comfortable using OS maps) taking one of the footpaths up over the fields.

 
 

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Page last updated:
22 June 2007