Set-jetting
Stonor Park, Oxfordshire
The Living Daylights saw the debut of actor Timothy Dalton in the role of MI6 agent James Bond.
In the 1987 movie, 007 is sent to investigate a KGB policy to kill enemy spies and uncovers an arms deal that potentially has global ramifications.
The opening NATO exercise teaser was filmed in Gibraltar, with the action moving to Vienna to shoot the Czechoslovakia scenes.
However, a major sequence featuring the fictional MI6 safe-house was shot at Stonor Park, an 850-year-old country house in a valley in the Chiltern Hills, just north of Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.
It’s one of the oldest family homes still lived in today, and visitors can enter the red brick Jacobean facade and journey through history, discovering the Stonor family’s art and treasures collected from across the globe, along with historic maps, documents and artefacts.
The estate features a 12th-century private chapel, Italianate gardens with lily ponds and fountains, a cafe in a 13th century hall, visitor centre and gift shop.
Its latest venture is the launch of its innovative adventure playground for four to 12 year olds, Tumblestone Hollow, situated in its glorious parkland.
Boulders in the playground recreate Stonor’s original ancient stone circle, giving the sense that the play area has always nestled in these woods.
High level walkways, climbing nets, look-out decks and bridges connect through a quirky, gnarled central tower.
There’s even a new children’s book to go with it, The Legend of Tumblestone Hollow, about magical characters.
The country house is also set to open two individually styled shepherd’s huts for luxury sleepovers from June.
Playground tickets for up to three hours are pre-booked via stonor.com.
It can be accessed separately to the house and gardens. Playground prices from £6.50 for adults and older children (£8.50 peak), younger children from £4.50 (£6.50 peak).