IF YOU’VE BEEN glued to the ITV drama Unforgotten – which is partly filmed in Lymington – here’s some good news. It could be your business or even your house or garden which stars in the next hit TV series or movie.

Thanks to Film New Forest, a partnership set up between the district council and Creative England to showcase the national park and surrounding area as a location, people living in the New Forest are being encouraged to register their property or premises as a potential location.

More than 40 sites have signed up already, including Braemore House, a livery yard, Beaulieu Motor Museum, Art Sway and the Bay Trees bed and breakfast in Milford on Sea.

They’ll be hoping for the same kind of exposure enjoyed by The Angel and Blue Pig Hotel in Lymington, which featured prominently in Unforgotten when detectives, played by Nicola Walker and Sanjeev Bhaskar, arrive in the fictional town of Middenham to investigate the murder of a young girl.

Cllr Michael Harris, Portfolio Holder for Economic Development at New Forest District Council, is keen to point out the direct benefit of the filming to the area. "Thanks to the increased range of filming locations added to our database, the district has been considered by a number of productions looking to film in the English regions,” he said.

Over the years the New Forest has featured in a number of films. Back in 1966 the Oscar winning movie A Man For All Seasons was filmed at the Beaulieu river (standing in for the Thames) and in 1991 Fritham featured in the Kevin Costner movie Robin Hood Prince of Thieves.

So convinced is the district council of filming’s benefits that Cllr Harris posed alongside a Star Wars Stormtrooper at the recent New Forest Show, to advertise the New Forest Film Festival which takes place in June next year.

Property owners can register their locations and buildings as potential filming locations at https://filmnewforest.com/filming-locations/register-property-film-location/