The Bottle Yard Studios is a British film and television production studio facility in Bristol, South West England. It is the largest dedicated production space in the West of England. As of November 2022, it has offered a total of 11 stages across two sites.Midgley, Neil. "TV drama tax credit helps put UK in the global game" The Guardian, 22 June 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.Bevir, George. "Soho of the South West" Broadcast, 28 August 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
History The Bottle Yard Studios' main site is located on Whitchurch Lane, approximately 4 miles south of Bristol city centre. In 2010, the site stood unused after operating for more than 50 years as a former winery and bottling plant. At one time it had housed the full production line for Harvey's Bristol Cream Sherry, run by John Harvey & Sons.
The studios opened in 2010 as a partnership initiative with Bristol City Council which owns the studios, transforming the disused industrial space into a busy creative hub for film and TV production with eight stages.Cooper, Sarah. "New film studio opens for business in Bristol" Screen International, 9 November 2010. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
In its first year, the studios were estimated to have brought in £8 million in investment into the city of Bristol.Tech&Facils "Bristol's Bottle Yard brings in £8m" Broadcast 25 August 2011. Retrieved 1 October 2014. In 2021, it was credited with helping achieve about a tripling of drama production in Bristol since 2010.
Expansion
In 2021, the West of England Combined Authority confirmed an investment of £11.8 million to Bristol City Council for the purchase and redevelopment of industrial property at Hawkfield Business Park, less than half a mile from the original Bottle Yard site, in order to expand the Studios in response to increased production demand.
In Summer 2022 it was confirmed that the expansion site would be named TBY2 and would add three additional stages offering 20,000 sq ft, 16,500 sq ft and 7,000 sq ft of clear span, soundproofed build space with maximum heights of 34 ft. TBY2 officially opened in November 2022, increasing the total number of stages offered across the Bottle Yard's two sites from eight to 11.
TBY2's power supply is supported by a 1MWp solar array funded by Bristol Energy Cooperative, widely believed to be the biggest community-owned solar rooftop array in the UK. Bristol City Council originally planned to install a 283kWp solar array on the building, but thanks to funding from Bristol Energy Cooperative the final array was over three times larger than the original, consisting of more than 2,000 panels. During peak conditions, when the array produces more energy than the Council-owned facility needs, surplus energy will be ‘sleeved’ to other Council-owned buildings in the city via Bristol's City Leap Sleeved Pool electricity supply model. The innovative project won the Sustainable Initiative award at the 2023 Global Production Awards, presented during Cannes Film Festival. It went on to win the Innovation in Low Carbon Tech award at the Future Leap Sustainable Business Awards n November 2023.
Productions
Scripted television Possession (2026) Can You Keep a Secret? (2026–) Agatha Christie's Seven Dials (2026) The Forsytes (2025–) The Crow Girl (2025–) The Road Trip (2024) Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light (2024) Rivals (2024–) A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (2024–) The Outlaws (2021–24) McDonald & Dodds (2020–2024) Alex Rider series 3 (2024) Truelove (2024) Boarders (2024–2026) Rain Dogs (2023) The Killing Kind (2023) The Flatshare (2022) Am I Being Unreasonable? (2022–) Chloe (2022) The Long Call (2021) The Girl Before (2021) Showtrial (2021–2024) Becoming Elizabeth (2022) The Pursuit of Love (2021) Sandition series 1 (2019) The Trial of Christine Keeler (2019–20) The Pale Horse (2020) The Salisbury Poisonings (2020) The Spanish Princess (2019–20) Poldark (2015–19)Tech&Facils "Mammoth opts for Bottle Yard base" Broadcast, 16 April 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014."Poldark: Bristol is hosting comeback of TV's top bodice-ripper" Bristol Post, 16 April 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014. Fortitude series 3 (2018) Broadchurch series 3 (2017) Ill Behaviour (2017) Three Girls (2017) The White Princess (2017) Trollied (2011–18)Rosser, Michael. "Sky1's Trollied to return" Broadcast 15 September 2011. Retrieved 1 October 2014. Crazyhead (2016) Sherlock: The Abominable Bride (2016) The Living and the Dead (2016) Galavant (2015–16)Barraclough, Leo. "ABC Studios to shoot Galavant in the UK benefiting from new TV tax credit" Variety, 20 December 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2014.Bevir, George. "Disneys Galavant heads to The Bottle Yard Studios" Broadcast, 18 June 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.Tartaglione, Nancy. "Pinewood Finally Granted Permission To Expand Flagship UK Facility" Deadline Hollywood, 19 June 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014. Eric, Ernie and Me (2017) Wolf Hall (2015)Rose, Lacey. "It's Official: 'Homeland's' Damian Lewis to Star in PBS Wolf Hall Miniseries" The Hollywood Reporter, 8 May 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014."Damian Lewis to film new BBC drama Wolf Hall in Bristol, Somerset and Wiltshire" Radio Times, 9 May 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014. The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies (2014) The Mimic (2014) New Worlds (2014) Frankie (2013) The Fear (2012) Public Enemies (2012) Inside Men (2012) Dirk Gently (2010–12) Casualty (2011) Five Daughters (2010) Excluded (2010)
Film The Wasp (2024) DarkGame (2024) The Undertaker (2023) Hellboy (2019) The Festival (2018) Golden Years (2016) The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box (2014) 8 Minutes Idle (2012) In the Dark Half (2012)
Children's TV The Famous Five (2024) Malory Towers (2024–25) Andy’s Global Adventures (2023–) Dino Club (2023–) The Beaker Girls (2021–22) Dodger (2023–) The Last Bus (2022) The Makery (2022–) How (2022) Andy's Aquatic Adventures (2020–22) Art Ninja (2019) Andy's Safari Adventures (2018–19) Deadly Dinosaurs part of Steve Backshall's Deadly franchise (2018) Andy's Prehistoric Adventures (2016)
Light entertainment Tipping Point (2018–23) The Crystal Maze (2017–20) Cheap Cheap Cheap (2017) Deal or No Deal (2013–16)Bevir, George. "Deal or No Deal moves to Bottle Yard" Broadcast, 5 September 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2014."Creating bespoke production facilities for Endemol’s Deal or No Deal for Channel 4" BBC Studios and Post Production, September 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2014."BBCS&PP renews Deal or No Deal at Bottle Yard" Televisual, 1 October 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014. Hit the Road Jack (2012)
References
External links
"Filming in Bristol" Bristol City Council. Retrieved 1 October 2014. "The Bottle Yard" Bristol Film Office. Retrieved 1 October 2014. "The top British film studios" Televisual. Retrieved 1 October 2014. "The Bottle Yard Studios – from disused warehouses to Disney" Seenit, 9 July 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014. "The Bottle Yard Studios – Bristol’s international hub of film and TV production" Bristol Culture, 31 July 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014. "Bristol film studio's success story" Bristol Post, 6 June 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014. Ribbeck, Mike. "Profile: The Hollywood of Hengrove – Bristol's Bottle Yard Studio" South West Business, 6 June 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.