Fellwanderer

Following on from managing to get a booking to see The Snow Goose.

For many years I thought [or probably hoped] it had been filmed on Foulness and it was only about 3 years ago that I discovered it was further north on the Essex coast.

By chance, I shall be down in the area in early September so will be taking the opportunity to visit the site of the lighthouse. If I can find details of any other locations used in the vicinity, I shall try to visit them as well.

Stubbzie

Hi Fell & all

Its great to find a board dedicated to the timeless clasic " The Snow Goose "
This is hands down my fav Movie of all time........A Gift from god

Fell...

In one of your posts you mentioned that you found the lighthouse on horsey island
Im google earthing the area so I might go there when Im in the UK next
But I cant find any thing that looks like a lighthouse.

Im wondering if you could tell me exactly where its located Perhaps a direction and distance from a big land mark like the Naze Tower or such

I hope the powers to be release the original version soon, as a remake could only pale in comparison to the pure beauty given to us by Mr Gallico, Mr Garland, Mr Harris and of course the timeless wonder of Ms Agutter.
and I would give my left everything to see a clean copy of the film

Hope to hear from you soon Fell

Thanks in advance

Stubbzie

Fellwanderer

Stubbzie - welcome. You clearly have exquisite taste

While digging around on the web I eventually came across a posting from someone who knew the lighthouse before it was used in The Snow Goose. From what I recall, it was just a stub and had to be rebuilt for the filming and was then dismantled. I'm pretty sure there was an image of the lighthouse in its state before filming.

I've tried a quick google but had no luck finding it again. I'm away for the weekend first thing in the morning but will set to when I get back and see if I can find it again.

My brother lives about 30 miles from Horsey Island and when I was down to see him, I had intended going to Horsey Island to see what, if anything remained. Unfortunately, he decided to show me some Lovejoy locations the morning I had free and after that I was off to pick up Jenny at the station. I'm sure you'll appreciate that hunting for the possible site of a lighthouse was not quite as appealing as meeting Jenny.

My guess is that the lighthouse was at either the north east corner of the island [Grid ref TM242 255 - the obvious spot] or the southern tip [Grid ref TM234 239] where Island Road reaches the island - it looks as if Jenny leaves that way at the very end carrying her portrait.

If I have no luck, I'll email Jenny and see if she can remember whereabouts it was.

Stubbzie

Hey Fell

Well ya caught me red handed watching my fav film again, the temptation got the better of me and ya, Im reaching for the kleenex now....... Damit just cant help myself.

Thanks so much for getting back to me Im about to have another search on google

Hummmm, Lunch with Jenny or walk around in a marsh looking for a lighthouse,
now let me think...............Will that be with Chardonay ???

Have a great weekend Fell Chat soon (hopefully with results)

Thanks

Stubbzie

Fellwanderer

Stubbzie

It appears I had misremembered. It was not originally a lighthouse but a pillbox - I'd guess it was somewhat similar to the one in the top left or middle bottom on this website:

PILLBOXES, PILLBOX, ANTI-INVASION DEFENCES, WWII, PILLBOX STUDY GROUP,INVASION HISTORY, BUNKERS, MILITARY HISTORY.

It's position was not on the island but the mainland just as Island Lane leaves the shore:

Get-a-map from Ordnance Survey

It's in the square immediately below "The Wade" - better if you zoom in and move NE.

My guess is that it was on the right of Island Lane looking out to sea from the way Jenny is filmed walking away with her portrait under her arm. I'll see if she can shed any light on it.

Stubbzie

Thanks Fell

Im Convinced that it is the old pillbox that you sugested, just as " Island Lane "
leaves the main land going towards Horsey Island, which is the direction the light house was facing.

I sat down with google Earth a copy of my fav film (and of cource the obligatory box of kleenex)
In The last 3 min's of the film there is many land features that indicate that this is the hallowed ground for those of us lucky enough to have been touched by this extrodinary masterpeice

51.858734 N - 1.244515 E

Althow the tricky bit is, it looks like they have put a roof on the pillbox and turned it into a lookout or something and in the film the road to Kirby- Le-Soken does not exist yet .......but the landforms are where they should be, the road is spot on, you can even see on Google Earth what looks like the foundation for the house that was next to the lighthouse and the pillbox itself is the right shape and in the right spot relitive to the road.

The things we do????????


If by chance Fell you have the same compulsive issues that I obviously experence
check it out let us know if Im loosing the lolly or somthing.

Chat soon

Stubbzie

Fellwanderer

Stubbzie

Close inspection on Google Earth and it looks to me as if the lighthouse has almost been left intact on top of the pillbox - although I'm sure I read somewhere else that it had been dismantled after filming. I'm absolutely certain it is the pillbox I described.

Certainly if you look at the two stills I've obtained from The Snow Goose and the Google Earth image of the location, they are a perfect match.



Jenny looking out from the lighthouse as Fritha flies off, Island Road across to Horsey Island can be seen quite clearly by her feet.



Fritha's eye view of Jenny and the lighthouse as she flies off - the lighthouse is to the right of Island Lane right by the shore, as is the pillbox. Island Lane stretches back behind. Again, it is obvious that the land seen in the background is more than a small windswept sea-marsh island

I suspect that Island Lane, even now, is little more than the hardcore farmtrack that appears in the second still.



Screengrab from Google Earth showing the lighthouse/pillbox in exactly the same position relative to the coastline and lane as in the second still.

Looks like a visit to my brother might be in order. Wonder if I can persuade Jenny to revisit the spot

Catfisher - pm me when you've made the requisite number of posts. Bear in mind that the only good complete copies of The Snow Goose are to be found at the BFI in London and UCLA in California. The copy some of us have access to is poor, but still wonderful and priceless to me, shaky copy.

Stubbzie

Hey Fell

Yep I cold not agree with you more Fell, Thanks for taking time out to follow this through

On a close look we can see many landforms that match those on google earth
there is no doubt in my mind that this is the place

The structure that is there now has a hex roof on it where the lighthouse was square. This is not saying much as we cant see under it with google earth
so I guess the only way to know whats there now is to go and have a look there myself

Catfisher......and everybody !!!!!
There is a copy avalable from the wonderful pages at Rezarected.com
its right here..........this is where I got my copy from and Clive there is a good man

The Snow Goose (TV) DVD - Patrick Garland - (1976) | RARE DVD | RARE MOVIES | RARE HORROR | RARE TV SHOWS | RARE SERIALS | UNAIRED PILOTS | MISSING EPISODES | OBSCURE GEMS | VIDEO TREASURES - REZARECTED.COM

this copy is a lot better than the torrent thats getting about the net
as Fellwanderer has mentioned the only clean copys are locked up in a safe
at BIF and UCLA ( yes, Ive thought about a snach and grab )
The torrent video quality is about 2/10 but the disk from Rezarected.com
makes a good 6/10 with good sound, either way ANY copy is priceless

Thanks for that Fell I'll stay in touch and let you know what my plans are

Stubbzie

Fellwanderer

Odd that none of us have found that - and god knows we've searched. You're the first person who has mentioned the site. I've ordered a copy so thanks.

Stubbzie

Fell .....Glad your on line

Ive found a photo of the Pillbox that explanes the shape of the pillbox

Check this Fell

Gun emplacement overlooking Island Road:: OS grid TM2322 :: Geograph British Isles - photograph every grid square!

Fellwanderer

Thanks - and well found

That clearly indicates that what appears in the google map image dated 10/09/06 had been removed by 30/06/08. The google map image wasn't available the last time I'd searched which is my excuse for not being more definite back then.

I've sent Jenny a copy of that latest image.

Stubbzie

Hey Fell

While I was on the job I came across these photo's as well

Horsey Island pillbox on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Horsey Island pillbox on Flickr - Photo Sharing!


Stubbzie

fenhunter

Hello Snowgoose fans,
I have only seen the film once and that was when I was veryyoung living in a lighthouse on the marshes on the east coast. but my copy of the book is so well read that it has almost fallen apart. The lighthouse in the story is based on the east bank lighthouse at the mouth of the river Nene in lincolnshire where Peter scot used to live. Rhayader being based on Scot himself.
Hope you dont mind me joining in.