Is THE PRISONER runway Bovingdon?

[Anthony McKay]

Can anyone match this runway from THE PRISONER title sequence exaclty with Bovingdon.















In an ideal world I'd like a photo or screen grab taken at Bovingdon that matches exactly. I've seen images that make me say 'could be', but nothing that hits the nail on the head.

[PaulPlowman]

Bovingdon Airfield - Film And TV Location Environment





It's only a small photo, but it looks like a decent match to me

[Cooper S]

Looks pretty well right to me - but I notice from a previous thread that Bovingdon had at one point been dismissed. Any suggestions as to why it had been thought to be wrong ? It seems one of the film crew members did recall Bovingdon - so it seems as if his memory was right after all ? (In my experience of talking to film crew members this isn't always the case !)

[mariocki]

It was production manager Bernie Williams who said it was Bovingdon.

[Mark O]

Out of interest where were the interior scenes of the Prisoner filmed?.........if it's Borehamwood it probably is Bovingdon but Leavesden Aerodrome is one to consider as that's nearer

[Anthony McKay]

Thanks Paul,



Yes close - but I'd say not 100% proof just yet. Can anyone provide anything better?



Here is a photo from 1965







As you can see this has a disitictive radio mast by the trees which was there until the 1970s. The runway is well marked and the buildings to the right of the picture are big structures, part of the main UASF base.



Here is a comparison with Hethel, which looks quite close as well.







What is needed is a shot from the '60s that matches up or a recent photograph that show 95% of the features from THE PRISONER grab.

[Anthony McKay]

If the car boot sales are still taking place this would be an ideal opportuninty to grab some photos.

[Cooper S]

The car boot sales seem to have stopped Tony, but there's a classic car show scheduled for the 19th April, so I could take my Moke along for a recce - if no-one gets there first !

[PaulPlowman]

Bovingdon Market





I'm not sure that a modern photo would be any better than the one on that web-page. The page itself mentions that all the buildings bar the tower have been demolished, and looking at aerial photos , there have been trees planted around the area where the two runways cross, so I think it would look too different nowadays.



Aerial photo





Also, I'm not sure that I agree with your comment about Hethel looking similar. In the comparison photos you've provided, I personally can't see any similarities at all, except for the fact that they both have a building on the right hand side, but they don't look the same.

[Anthony McKay]

The main reason I rejected Bovingdon is that damned aerial which is just to the right of the trees and can be seen in 1965 and 1970 photos. The photographic evidence is mounting that, other than the aerial, the Prisoner location could very well be Bovingdon. I'm happy to believe that the aerial was being repaired on the day of filming given other stronger evidence.



It would just be nice to have a crystal clear shot matching exactly this shot from the series so we can prove this 100%.



There will be a lot of Prisoner experts who will dismiss our Bovingdon findings out of hand.

[Cooper S]

name='Anthony McKay']There will be a lot of Prisoner experts who will dismiss our Bovingdon findings out of hand.

Experts, eh ? What do they know !

[ghughesarch]

The Bovingdon photos show a sort of "dip" in the runway, which isn't (so?) evident in the shots from The Prisoner

[PaulPlowman]

I noticed the dip as well.



A possible explanation is that if you look at the Prisoner shot, there is a tarmaced 'path' leading off the runway on the right-hand side. If you look at aerial shots of Bovingdon, assuming the photo was shot facing north-east (which I'm sure it was) you can see that there is indeed a tarmaced path leading off the right-hand side of the runway. However, the point it leads off is a third of the way down the runway, so it's possible that the camera wouldn't see the 'dip' because it was too far forward. Whereas the modern photo was taken from the end of the runway (notice the painted white lines have stopped, as they do at the end of the runway in aerial photos).



Possibly? :)



<edit>



The 'path' looks like the remains of the third runway.

[Anthony McKay]

We have just had confirmation from a Bovingdon expert that this is NOT Bovingdon.



I'm still convinced that this is not Radlett either.



So we are still looking for the Prisoner runway. Any ideas?

[Anthony McKay]

name='PaulPlowman']Bovingdon Airfield - Film And TV Location Environment





It's only a small photo, but it looks like a decent match to me

This is from the experts:



The Bovingdon runway is made up of long concrete strips joined together by pouring tar between the gaps. Even when new these joins are obvious - the PRISONER runway has no such joins.



Also the grass along and around the runways was kept well groomed until 1968 - on The Prisoner runway the grass is overgrown.

[Anthony McKay]

Another Bovingdon photo from THE AVENGERS. This time it is 1968.







The grass is short, the transmitter mast is there and the runway is in good condition.

[Anthony McKay]

I had a look at all the airfields in a 50 mile radius of the studios last night - still nothing looks better than Bovingdon!

[MarmaladeSkies]

Is Santa Pod still in the equation? I live a stone's throw away, might be able to help on that score?

[Mark O]

name='Anthony McKay']I had a look at all the airfields in a 50 mile radius of the studios last night - still nothing looks better than Bovingdon!

In the centre right of the ariel pic there's a group of buildings that look 'official', and looking at the 'complete London street atlas' which covers some parts of the home counties also it's saying 'The Mount HM Prison', plus the layout of the surrounding streets tally, also to the lower left is Whelpley ash Farm on the Chesham Road, the twists and turns of the Chesham Road also tally, I would safely say it's Bovingdon!

[Bernardo]

I have read the threads and looked at the photographs of tarmac and blurred landscape and then asked myself. Why did I do this?