From 12th to 14th April, St Nicolas Church was converted into St Agnes Church Oxford, complete with confessional! The church clock was silenced and frozen in time. Despite an unseasonal covering of snow early on the first day of filming, the crew arrived as planned. The film company made the car park at Taplow Court their ‘base’ with the biggest trucks and catering facilities, and set up a tech centre complete with 140kW generator in the car park of the Oak and Saw. Meals were served from a refreshment tent set up outside the Reading Room.
Most of the outdoor scenes were shot on the first day.
On Tuesday, the church which was busy with cables, lights, cameras, monitors and crew for the interior scenes. There were more than forty people involved in the production.
The confessional where much of the action took place, was in the South transept immediately below the Rosenkrantz Madonna window. A giant spotlight shone in through the window and a smoke machine was used to create atmosphere. The church looked stunning, with shafts of sunlight from the clerestory windows high above.
A miraculous effect was created in the North aisle by the use of external spotlights to illuminate the North aisle.
Filming continued on Wednesday in Mulberry House, next to the churchyard, which had been redecorated in sixties style the previous week.
It then proceeded to Cedar Chase and Hill Farm Road and our church was returned to exactly as it was before the filming began. ‘Endeavour 8’ is expected to be broadcast later this year.
