Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
The Dig, which marks Netflix‘s latest big film release, recounts one of the most historical moments in 20th century archaeology. The Carrie Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes movie tells the true story of Sutton Hoo, where an English landowner hired an archaeologist to excavate her property. What he found there was a nearly perfectly preserved burial ship that dated back to the 7th century and held ancient treasures like masks and helmets.
Decider’s John Serba praised the new drama as “a lovely film” in his The Dig movie review. “Sure, The Dig fulfills expectations of classical Oscar-bait formula, mostly for better, gilded as it is with intellectual ambitions and strong performances, showy landscapes and sweeping strings, metaphor and symbolism, joy and weeping, strength and frailty, summer wools and winter wools, itchy wools and scratchy wools. But at least it’s not a chilly watch,” he wrote. “The Dig is comfort food for tea-time fetishists (and then some).”
Curious about the setting behind Netflix’s stunning melodrama? Here’s everything you need to know about The Dig filming locations.
THE DIG FILMING LOCATIONS: WHERE WAS THE DIG FILMED?
According to Bustle, The Dig was filmed mostly in Surrey and Suffolk, two locations in England. Specifically, the film’s landscape shots were filmed around Snape Maltings, Aldeburgh beach, and Shingle Street, according to the Yorkshire Evening Post. The Dig filmed other Suffolk scenes in Iken, Butley and Rendlesham Forest.
When it came to filming Sutton Hoo, The Dig traveled to the village of Shackleford, which is located about 30 miles outside of London in Surrey. If you’re hoping to catch a glimpse of the real Sutton Hoo in The Dig, you’re out of luck. But the famous archaeological site, which is now a National Trust Site, is typically open to visitors, although the coronavirus has made it more difficult to travel and see Sutton Hoo.
WHERE DOES THE DIG TAKE PLACE?
The Dig takes place right where it was filmed, in Suffolk, England. The film follows the discovery of an Anglo-Saxon burial ship at Sutton Hoo in 1939. “It is one of the greatest Suffolk stories that there is,” said Jim Horsfield, business development manager at Suffolk Screen, per Bustle. “The film is fantastic. From the opening scene it is Suffolk.” To learn more about the IRL location from The Dig, check out our post on Everything We Know About Sutton Hoo.
WHERE IS SUFFOLK, ENGLAND?
Suffolk, England, where The Dig takes place, borders Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex, and is located on the East side of the country. Suffolk is known for its archaeology, and digs are still taking place today, with new discoveries being made in the region by archaeologists as recently as last year.
