Despite the Doctor's multiple regenerations, one thing that has remained constant is South Wales being used as a filming location Doctor Who universe.
The likes of David Tennant, Jodie Whittaker, Peter, Capaldi, Matt Smith and Christopher Eccleston have all found themselves in south Wales on more than one occasion during their stints as the Doctor on the hit BBC sci-fi series.
But with the Doctor and his companions travelling through time and space and backdrops being altered to suit the story, you may have missed some of the South Wales locations featured on Doctor Who.
So we have rounded up all the south Wales locations that have been used for the filming of Doctor Who over the years. How many have you spotted?
South Wales locations used for filming of Doctor Who
From Tredegar House in Newport to Southerndown Beach in Glamorgan, here are all the locations in south Wales used for filming of Doctor Who over the years:
Penarth Pier
Doctor Who filming has taken place in south Wales as recently as this year.
In January Ncuti Gatwa, who plays the fifteenth Doctor, was spotted filming at Penarth Pier alongside Varada Sethu.
Sethu - who has featured in Star Wars spin-off Andor on Disney+ - is set to play another of the new Doctors companions (alongside former Coronation Street star Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday) in Gatwa's second season as the Time Lord which will be released in 2025.
Film crews, along with Gatwa and the Tardis were spotted at Penarth Pier in January.
The Pier had been transformed into an 1950s/60s American cinema called the Palazzo with a sign on the front explaining it was showing the Rock Hudson film “The Harvest Bringer”.
To complete the look there were Cadillacs and other classic American cars parked in front of the cinema.
Cold Knap Bay
Cold Knap beach, in Barry, was used during filming of series 13 of Doctor Who - featuring Whittaker as the Time Lord from Gallifrey.
The scenes shot at the Barry beach saw Whittaker facing off against the Weeping Angels.
Newport
Newport has been featured in the storyline and as a filming location for Doctor Who and its spin-off series' - Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures – for several years.
Some of the Newport sites used for filming include:
Tredegar House
"This 17th-century mansion in Newport, Tredegar House has been a stalwart of modern-day Doctor Who, appearing in multiple episodes," Visit Wales said.
The Newport mansion proved particularly popular with the David Tennant-era series' of Doctor Who.
Tredegar House appeared in both The Christmas Invasion and The Girl in the Fireplace.
Diverse Records
The Newport business was featured as a filming location for the Doctor Who episode Blink in 2006 starring Tennant and Carey Mulligan.
This episode saw the introduction of the feared Weeping Angels.
The Shakespeare Code, in which the Doctor and his companion Martha travel to 1599 and meet the playwright, was partly filmed in Newport Market, and the Celtic Manor Resort was used for Arachnids in the UK.
Duffryn High School
Duffryn High School was also used for the 2006 Doctor Who episode School Reunion with the school being rebranded Deffry Vale High in the show.
The episode featured Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Anthony Head and saw the return of robo-dog sidekick K-9.
Other places in Newport to have hosted Doctor Who casts for filming include:
- Victoria Place
- St Woolos Cemetery
- West Usk lighthouse
- Belle Vue Park
- Mellon Street
- Stow Hill
Chepstow Castle
The historic Chepstow Castle has kept watch over the River Wye since it was built back in 1067 by associates of William the Conqueror.
More recently it has acted as the backdrop for several Doctor Who episodes.
Chepstow Castle, according to Visit Wales, appeared in The Rebel Flesh and The Almost People, both featuring Matt Smith as the Doctor.
It also appeared in the 50th anniversary special - The Day of the Doctor which starred Smith, Tennant and John Hurt.
St Donat's Castle
St Donat's Castle is a 12th-century castle, located in the grounds of Atlantic College in the Vale of Glamorgan, and is the longest continually inhabited castle in Wales.
During Whittaker's time as the Doctor, the castle was used to film Mandip Gill (Yaz) and guest actor, Jacob Anderson, battling Sontarans for Flux in the college grounds, according to Visit Wales.
Merthyr Mawr Warren
Merthyr Mawr Warren National Nature Reserve is located just outside Bridgend and is well known for The Big Dipper - the highest sand dune system in Wales.
The nature reserve, dunes and surrounding farmland, also hosted the Doctor Who cast for filming during the Whittaker era of the show.
Southerndown Beach
The beach, located along the Wales Coast Path in Glamorgan, is officially known as Dunraven Bay.
But to Whovians is better known as Bad Wolf Bay.
Southerndown Beach has featured in several Doctor Who episodes over the years, according to Visit Wales.
It starred as the backdrop for one of the more dramatic scenes of modern-day Doctor Who when Tennant's Doctor and companion Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) said goodbye in Doomsday.
National Botanic Garden of Wales
The National Botanic Garden of Wales is a 568-acre site in Carmarthenshire.
The centrepiece Great Glasshouse featured in The Waters of Mars during Tennant reign as Doctor.
Cardiff
Visit Wales explains: "The Welsh capital, Cardiff, has been a regular destination for Whovians since the arrival of the ninth doctor, Christopher Eccleston.
"It even featured in the 50th anniversary special, The Day of the Doctor, whereby doctors ten and 11, David Tennant and Matt Smith respectively, joined forces — plus a preview of the incoming twelfth doctor, Peter Capaldi."
Principality Stadium and the Wales Millennium Centre have also been used for the filming of Doctor Who, the BBC said.
There are also now several Doctor Who walking tours around the Welsh capital.
National Museum of Wales
Located in Cardiff’s Civic Quarter, the National Museum Cardiff is a "treasure trove of discoveries" including for Doctor Who fans.
The museum’s staircase is the biggest attraction for Whovians, with it featured in the 2005 episode - Dalek which saw The Doctor’s arch-nemesis conquering stairs.
Cardiff Castle
The iconic Cardiff Castle, located in the city centre of the Welsh capital, featured as a Victorian backdrop to a Matt Smith-era Christmas special - The Snowmen.
It was during this episode that fans met the Doctor's future companion Clara Oswald, played by Jenna Coleman, for the first time.
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St Fagans National Museum of History
St Fagans National Museum of History is located in the grounds of 16th-century St Fagans Castle.
The open-air museum, located just outside Cardiff, was used for filming Doctor Who episodes Human Nature and The Family of Blood, both with Tennant at the helm as the Doctor.
Other prominent south Wales sites which have feature in the Doctor Who series include Caerphilly Castle, Margam Country Park near Port Talbot, Rhondda Heritage Park, Park & Dare Theatre in Rhondda Fawr valley and Cardiff's Dyffryn Gardens.
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