Locations Doctor Who Utopia, The Sound of Drums & Last of the Time Lords

By John Bond-Winstone (a.k.a The Doctor)

I know, I know, I have missed three editions of Project: Torchwood.  Unfortunately work and life got in the way and also moving house with no internet connection for a very long month.  So I was pardoned by Jack and Joshua to delay this edition of the Locations Guide.  So we are covering the 3 last episodes of the New Doctor Who Era, Season 3 that has a tie in with Torchwood.  These 3 episodes are actually one of my favourite from the whole series, so I am glad to be able to cover this in my location guide. Also you may notice that I am now using my new surname that sounds very befitting for the Doctor’s human name.  Well enough about me.  Let’s get into this.

EPISODE - UTOPIA

Utopia is mainly a studio based episode with filming taking place in the odd location.  The locations used are filmed in various parts of South Wales.

First up is:

Trident Park (Formerly known as Nipon Glass), Glass Avenue, Cardiff Bay.

This location has been used for many filming locations for Doctor Who.  In this episode Nipon Glass served as the Radiation Room and also some of the corridors throughout the episode.

How to get to Trident Park:

Get Bus Number 2 from Canal Street which is behind John Lewis Department Store and it leaves every 30 mins on the hour

Get off at Glass Avenue bus stop.

Walk up to the roundabout and take the junction to your right.

Walk along Glass Avenue and Trident Park is straight in front of you.  I am not sure if you will be able to enter the site though.

Roald Dahl Plass, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff

This location is used many times throughout Torchwood and Doctor Who.  This location was used in this episode when we see Captain Jack dash for the Tardis. 

As I have covered on how to get to this location previously, you can have a look through my previous guides to find it ;)

Wenvoe Quarry, Wenvoe, Cardiff, CF5 6XE

Wenvoe Quarry is used as the location for the outside exterior of Silo 16 in this episode. Wenvoe Quarry is owned by RMC Aggregates Ltd, and is an operational quarry supplying asphalt and sand to industry.  Unfortunately you will not be able to gain access to the quarry due to it being a working quarry, but I will give you the directions to get there

How to get to Wenvoe Quarry:

Catch Bus Number 96 from Cardiff Central Bus Station. Bus leaves 17mins past the hour and 47mins past the hour

Get off the bus at the Alps bus stop and turn left onto Careau Lane.

Walk straight ahead and you will see the entrance to the Quarry

Argoed Quarry, Llansannor, Llanharry

Argoed Quarry is used for the scenes that were shot for the Doctor, Martha and Jack walking across a planet at the end of the universe.

How to get to Argoed Quarry by Car:

M4 - Exit at junction 35 and head north to Pen-coed.

At the next roundabout turn right (Felindre Road) towards Llanild, then bear right and right again.

Passing over the M4, turn left and then continue to its end.

Turn right, and the quarry will be on the left just past Argoed

EPISODE – THE SOUND OF DRUMS

For the Sound of Drums, many locations were used throughout the episode.  I will pick the iconic one’s for you to go and gander at.  If you would like to go to the others then please visit the Doctor Who Locations website (www.doctorwholocations.net)

Wales Millennium Centre, Bute Place, Cardiff, CF10 5AL

This iconic welsh landmark is used for many locations within Doctor Who and Torchwood.  For this episode, it is used as the place the new Prime Minister Harry Saxon addresses the nation.  You can actually stand on the stairs that John Simm stood on.  These are located right next to the Tesco Stage in the right hand side of the building.

How to get to the Millennium Centre:

Catch the Number 6 Bendy Bus from St Mary Street (writer note – you should know how to get there by now)

Get off on Bute Place and the Millennium Centre is right in front of you.

Question – Who can tell me what the inscription is on the front of the Millennium Centre. Please put your answer in a comment in the box below and I will name a lucky winner in my next guide... Unfortunately there is no prize for getting this right but as Torchwood fans you should all know this.

Hensol Castle, Miskin, Pontyclun, CF72 8YS

Hensol Castle that is situated in Mid Glamorgan was used as the location for the Prime Minister’s Resident No. 10 Downing Street.  Hensol Castle has also been used for many other location shots.  Let see what episodes you think it has appeared in.

How to get to Hensol Castle:

            Catch Bus Number 320 from Cardiff Central Bus Station Stand D5           

            Get off at Hensol Castle

Whitmore Bay, Barry Island, Vale of Glamorgan

If you fancy standing on Gallifrey, then come along to Whitmore Bay.  This location was used for the scenes that involved the young Timelords looking into the Un-tempered Schism.  This area is pretty large.  To be near the exact location you need to be standing facing the sea and a group of trees to your left hand side.

How to get to Whitmore Bay:

Road: A48 - Take the A48 to the junction with the A4226, near Bonviston. This then becomes the B4266 heading into Barry. When you reach the roundabout, follow the A4050 and then at the next roundabout take the exit onto Harbour Road. At the end turn left and continue along Harbour Road into Barry Island. (~6 miles, ~15m) +

Parking Details

As you enter Barry Island, turn left under the railway and bear left around to the large car park

Where to walk

The bay is to the south of the promenade.

           

Writers Note – This location was also used in the Sound of Drums when Milligan takes Martha to his Land Rover.

As I said, for this episode there are many more locations, but for the fear of me writing loads... I thought I would leave the investigative work up to you.

EPISODE - LAST OF THE TIMELORDS

So the last episode of Season 3. Some of the locations I have previously mentioned feature in this episode.  But there are also some new locations that have not been covered.

South Luton Place, Adamsdown, Cardiff

This location is used when Martha is hiding out in the house and the Master comes down from the Valiant and Martha confronts him.  This location is actually around the corner from my childhood home, but unfortunately I was not living there to see this being filmed.  I think if I was, I may have geekasomed.

How to get to South Luton Place:

            Catch the Number 11 bus from Wood Street

            Get off at Adamsdown Square

            Head towards the Shop and South Luton Place is to your left

Road: M4 - Exit the M4 at junction 32, then head south on the A470.

When you reach the A48, head across the roundabout onto Whitchurch Road (A469), and then when it bears left towards Roath turn right onto City Road.

At the end, cross over the A41 (Newport Road) into Glossop Road. This becomes Meteor Street, and then as you reach the end, South Luton Place is opposite

Alexandra Gardens, Cathays Park, Cardiff

This location is used on 2 occasions in Doctor Who.  One for this episode... Can you name the other one?  I will give you a call ‘Whatever you do…. Don’t’.  For this episode, the location was used for the scene where Martha presents a bouquet of flowers to a surprised Professor Docherty.  This location is directly behind Cardiff Museum and the City Hall.  As I have given you the directions to that area before, I will want you to look through the previous locations guide to find your way… I can be so mean.

Cwrt-y-Vil Road, Penarth, Cardiff

This location is used for when Martha says goodbye to the Doctor and he drops her off outside her house.  The TARDIS is parked up outside her house.  Due to this being a residential area, I cannot give you the number of the house, even though it would have been changed but we can give you the directions to the street and you find out from the picture in this article the actual location of the house.  (Please bear in mind if you are taking pictures, it may upset the residents… Don’t say Torchwood sent you please).

How to get to Cwrt-y-Vil Road:

            Catch the Number 92 bus from Cardiff Central Bus Station

            Get off at Penarth Station

            Then Walk in a westerly direction along Stanwell Road

            After 50m, turn left into Victoria Avenue

            After 120m, turn left into Victoria Square

            After 110m, turn right into Victoria Road

            After 50m, turn left into Cwrt-Y-Vil Road

Now happy hunting to find the house.

As with the Sound of Drums, this episode has many more locations.  Please visit www.doctorwholocations.net to find out where these are.