Returning to Wells with The Huntsman: Winter's War

Last summer, my wife and I traveled to Wells, England. This is a small town, and the smallest in the country to host a Church of England cathedral. It rained on and off the two days we spent there, which put a damper on our explorations. It also put a damper on the activities of a film crew, who were there to film scenes for the 2016 movie "The Huntsman: Winter's War."

In addition to the large trucks (or lorries, as they call them in England), there were also large pieces of equipment parked beside the cathedral. If you look closely, you can see my wife inspecting a crane from which a camera operator may have filmed overhead shots. 

Last weekend, my wife and I went to see "The Huntman: Winter's War" in the cinema. The story begins before its predecessor, "Snow White and the Huntman," and introduces us to Queen Ravenna's sister Freya. One night, Freya runs down a hall of her castle in fright. This was a hallway through which we also traveled (although, thankfully, not in fright). It took us from the sanctuary to the tea room.

In an earlier post, I mentioned how my wife and I spent an hour or so sketching in the sanctuary, while a children's choir sang. We took a photo before we left for lunch.

This is what the sanctuary looked like in "The Huntsman: Winter's War," during a funeral scene.

Wells features eye-catching architecture, grand curving streets, a beautiful church, and a picturesque town center. We thought we had seen most of what the city had to offer during our short stay there. Then we read about the filming locations for the movie, and learned the crew had also filmed at the Bishop's Palace, which we didn't see during our visit. I believe the front of the palace for the castle doubled for Queen Ravenna's castle. I suspect they also used the Bishop's Palace for the evening scene in which Freya steps outside, and sees fire burning in another part of her castle. (This causes her to run down the corridor above in fright). 

I wanted to return to Wells even before seeing "The Huntsman: Winter's War." Now I've got even more reason to return. Ah, someday...

Dragon Dave 

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A Memorable Day

Related Internet Links
Locations for "The Huntsman: Winter's War"

A Memorable Day: On Car Dealerships & Wells Cathedral

Yesterday, my wife and I spent three hours at the car dealership, waiting for our car to be serviced. Some might get irritable and angry, confined in one place for so long. But the dealership really put a lot of thought into the atmosphere of the waiting area. They offered complimentary bottles of water, free coffee and hot chocolate, and constantly made popcorn and chocolate chip cookies. The upholstered chairs are comfortable, and some have little desks attached to the arms. Plus, if you get bored, there are TVs on the wall, and books, magazines, and newspapers to read.

Plus, they have a little shop, where you can buy anything from jewelry to car parts.

I brought my sketching kit with me, and worked on a sketch of Wells Cathedral. We visited the Cathedral our last full day in England last year. It was a rainy morning, and after wandering around the shops, we sat in the sanctuary for an hour. There we sketched the interior, while a choir of asian school children practiced.

I don't know what they were singing. I only know they weren't singing in English. Yet it was pleasant to listen to them while we sketched. As we were leaving, a film crew was fitting a few alterations to the cathedral, to cover up the modern heating vents with faux stonework. Later, my wife did some research, and discovered that they were filming "The Huntsman: Winter's War," which will be released later this year.

Interestingly, Chris Hemsworth, who plays the Huntsman, played First Mate Owen Chase in Ron Howard's movie "In the Heart of the Sea."

I've never really considered the sketch of Wells Cathedral as anything but practice. The interior is to detailed, and my penciling too loose, to be anything more. But I enjoyed working with my Prismacolors, doing a little coloring, while we waited, and enjoyed our drinks and cookies. Then I read a few chapters of a Conan the Barbarian novel in the time remaining. It made for a pleasant afternoon, and a memorable day.

What did you do yesterday? What did you read? Was it a memorable day for you?

Dragon Dave