Categories Dream Horse Print Media

Dream Horse: The Welsh Filming Locations

Filmed Almost Entirely in Wales at Some Fantastic Locations

by Kathryn Williams | Wales Online | June 4, 2021

Welsh-made film Dream Horse is in cinemas and tells the tale of champion racehorse Dream Alliance, who was raised by a Cefn Fforest syndicate. Dream Horse stars Toni Collette and Owen Teale as Jan and Brian Vokes, the animal-loving Cefn Fforest couple who, with Howard Davies and a syndicate of locals, bred and owned the Welsh Grand National winner.

Davies is played by Billions star Damian Lewis, who talks about his fiercely proud Welsh roots, here.

The film is shot almost entirely in Wales, using local people as extras, and filmmakers built a brand new allotment here just for the movie.

Here’s more about the locations used in Dream Horse:

Blaenavon

This is where Jan and the syndicate live – in real life, of course, it’s Cefn Fforest, but the filmmakers chose to shoot in Blaenavon which is, of course, the home to Big Pit.

All the exteriors, including the allotment (which was built out of wasteland), Dream’s field as a colt and the graveyard were shot here.

A lot of the extras in the big village scenes were locals, including people like the shopkeepers.

Rhymney

The working men’s club interior where Jan works in the film and first meets Howard, is the Brewery club in Rhymney, which is still going strong.

Chepstow Racecourse

The Welsh racecourse features twice in Dream Horse, in the scene of the first and final race in the film.

It’s also here we see Katherine Jenkins singing and where, during the shoot, Jan and Brian Vokes met their on-screen counterparts for the first time, Toni Collette and Owen Teale. You can catch up with Owen about his role as Brian, here.

Newbury Racecourse

Another two racecourse scenes were shot at the Berkshire course. It doubles for Aintree in the third race of the film.

Sully, Vale of Glamorgan

Jan and Brian’s house scenes were shot here, both interiors and exteriors, as well as Jan’s parents’ house interiors in an empty bungalow.

Pant Wilkin Stables, Cowbridge

Tim Vaughan’s stables in Aberthin doubled for the stud farm in the film and also for Philip Hobbs’ training arena and gallops.
Glanusk Estate, Crickhowell

Any seasoned Green Man Festival attendee will recognise the stunning landscape and tower bridge and stable yard of the Glanusk Estate and they get a showing as Dream Alliance is taken to see Philip Hobbs in the film, doubling as the famous horse trainer’s stables.

Blaina

Howard and Angela’s house was shot here, inside and out, on an estate towards the top of the village.
It’s where the couple – played by Damian Lewis and Joanna Page – have a showdown about Howard getting involved with a syndicate again.

Taff’s Well

The all-important syndicate meeting took place at the local working men’s club. It was shot in the committee room (the snooker room) and the syndicate decide to take on the Dream Alliance dream here.

Merthyr Tydfil Co-Op

Jan is seen working in the Co-op in the film – whereas in real life she worked (and still does) in her local Asda.
The exterior and interior of the Co-op used is in Pentrebach.

Cardiff

At the start of the film Howard (Damian Lewis) is seen working in a miserable office job, that’s in the city centre and there are some aerial shots of the city, too.

Read the rest of the original article at Wales Online