From Sophia Loren to Doctor Who - they've all filmed in Gwent

But as MARTIN WADE shows, there are films old and new which have used Gwent as a backdrop.

ARABESQUE

Scenes from this 1966 action/adventure romp starring Sophia Loren and Gregory Peck were shot in Crumlin, with action centred on the famous metal viaduct which once straddled the valley there. Noteworthy for stilted action scenes when Peck improbably downs a helicopter with a ladder, it also reminds us how unstar-like were our stars back then.

In film shot on the set, both Gregory Peck and Sophia Loren can be seen tottering over mud to get to their not very salubrious caravan. Thankfully the Monmouthshire Division of St John Ambulance were also on duty in case of emergencies, like if bits of a fake helicopter fall on you.

The sight of these mega-stars being peered at by valleys ladies in coats and scarves is sadly a sight we'll never see again.

The viaduct had already been closed to railway traffic by 1966 and was already being dismantled when filming began.

THE CITADEL

Made in 1938 and filmed in Abertillery, The Citadel is a British film based on the novel of the same name by AJ Cronin, published the year before. It tells the story of an idealistic, newly-qualified Scottish doctor dedicated to treating Welsh miners suffering from tuberculosis. It is set in the fictional Welsh mining village of Blaenely, 'played' by Abertillery.

DOCTOR WHO

Film crews have often used were in Newport as a backdrop for the Doctor's time-travelling adventures.

Victoria Place, Newport

This isn't the first time the striking Newport street has been used to film Dr Who. Russell T Davies, the former writer of the programme, said he loved the city's London-like street and wrote a scene in the Christmas 2008 special The Next Doctor to be played out there.

Cybermen invade St Woolos cemetery

It was not the only Newport location to appear prominently in that episode. The funeral procession descended into chaos as Cybermen and Cybershades attacked mourners at St Woolos cemetery.

The BBC Wales drama team covered the site in fake snow for a winter scene which left residents wondering whether the team may have been filming a Christmas special.

A Glasllwch resident said she saw the filming while out walking her dog. "I was going past the cemetery walls and saw lots of white smoke. A security guard said they were filming Doctor Who - it was very exciting."

Tredegar House

Newport's stately home was first used for the episode, The Christmas Invasion. Filmed in July 2005 it saw David Tennant make his debut as The Doctor and Penelope Wilton guest starred as the Prime Minister Harriet Jones.

Duffryn High School

Duffryn High School served as a location for the episode School Reunion, which was filmed in August 2005 and shown in 2006. Even the name of the school in the programme has a resemblance to Duffryn.

The school in the programme, Deffry Vale High, was controlled by an evil head teacher, played by Buffy the Vampire Slayer actor Anthony Head. It also marked the reappearance of the Doctor’s doggy sidekick, K-9.

Diverse Records, Newport

Diverse Records, a record shop on Charles Street, Newport, was used in Blink, which starred Carey Mulligan and introduced the Weeping Angels to the Whoniverse in November 2006. Programme makers used the untidy desk in the Diverse Records storeroom as a prop in the show, rather than clearing it up.

Trefil Quarry, Tredegar

Film-makers have been drawn to the bleak site of Trefil Quarry near Tredegar for many years. Dr Who was filmed here many times, most recently the episode 'Planet of the Oods' was filmed here.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy and Clash of the Titans 2: Wrath of the Titans, and BBC TV series Merlin and, of course, have all been shot there.

The quarry, provides limestone which gives the site it characteristic white rock.

The privately-owned land, on the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park, went up for auction for £45,000 in 2014.

CAPTAIN AMERICA

Cinema-goers in Monmouthshire who saw the new Hollywood blockbuster Captain America, may have spotted a few familiar locations, as film-makers shot many of the war scenes in Caerwent.

The film, which starred A-list actors including Chris Evans, Samuel L Jackson, and Tommy Lee Jones, was a big-screen adaptation of the popular Marvel comic character Captain America, and told the story of an ordinary GI who was transformed into a genetically-modified soldier with super powers by a secret military experiment during the Second World War.

Location managers looking for a suitable site to film the war scenes approached the Wales Screen Commission, who immediately recommended the MoD training camp in Caerwent.

During October 2010, movie makers shot most of the war scenes that feature in the film around the site, which also coincided with Newport’s hosting of the Ryder Cup, which actors Samuel L Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones were seen attending.

Monmouthshire has proved a popular location with film crews in recent years, with the Wales Screen Commission playing a big part in encouraging many feature film and TV companies to use areas of the county to film an impressive number of hit movies and TV programmes.

Time Bandits and Just Visiting were filmed at Raglan Castle, and more recently Chepstow Castle was used by BBC film crews to shoot scenes from TV series Merlin, and SARA’s Beachley Station was used to film scenes from Casualty.

The 2010 BBC comedy series Whites, starring Alan Davies, was also filmed in Chepstow. In 2006 the Wales Screen Commission encouraged the producers of the film The Baker, starring Damian Lewis, to film in Grosmont, Monmouthshire.