Bafta-tipped 45 Years is the latest in a long line of films to be shot in Norfolk. ROSA MCMAHON reports on what makes the area such a movie magnet.

%image(14849655, type="article-full", alt="Gwyneth Paltrow walks across the beach at Holkham, North Norfolk, in the closing shot of the film Shakespeare in Love. Universal publicity still dated 1998")

From the vast open beaches and untouched stately homes, to the historic city streets and market towns – it is easy to see why film-makers are drawn to Norfolk.

This month, the beauty of the Broads is beamed around the world as British film 45 Years tells the story of a married couple whose marriage is at threat after a letter arrives about an old flame who died years earlier.

It joins a long list of films which have used the region as a backdrop to drama, action and romance – Shakespeare in Love, on Holkham Beach, All the King's Men, at Sandringham, and Alpha Papa, across Norfolk, to name a few.

And in recent months, October Films added Norfolk to its list of offices in London and New York after being given permission for television production work at Scottow Enterprise Park, the former RAF Coltishall.

%image(14849656, type="article-full", alt="From the film "The Duchess" - this scene was filmed inside Holkham Hall in Norfolk.")

Pete Waters, executive director of Visit East Anglia, said filmmakers are attracted to the variety of landscapes in Norfolk.

'The county has all types of coast, from huge sandy beaches for Shakespeare in Love to traditional seaside resorts for Alpha Papa,' he said.

'We have our own Downton Abbeys, we have the unique Broads and Fens, we have an unspoilt historical city with medieval, cobbled streets and architecture through the ages. And let's not underestimate the fact that we're close to London and yet can appear to be another country.'

But there is also an image which Norfolk has sometimes found hard to shake.

The director of 45 Years, Andrew Haigh, said the flat landscape was a reflection of Geoff's (Tom Courtenay) disappointment in his life, in contrast to the adventure of his mid-20s spent in the mountainous Alps with his German girlfriend.

Mr Waters said the area is brimming with creativity and quality of life. He explained: 'Norfolk increasingly has advantages over metropolitan areas. It's cheaper to live here, we have a better quality of life, our educational establishments are turning out highly-skilled workers, our transport links are improving and digital communication means you can work anywhere.

'There is an uninformed clichéd view in a minority of national media that Norfolk is flat, dull and boring.

'Our challenge is to get people here just once, whether press or public, then their perception of Norfolk is changed – they can't wait to recommend the county to their readers, viewers, friends or relatives.'

In fact, Norfolk has a screen past which goes back more than 100 years. Just 50 years ago the county was littered with cinema buildings which have more recently been demolished or turned into car parks or nightclubs.

Heritage project Norfolk at the Pictures was formed three years ago in a bid to share stories of cinema-going and create a new education space in the heart of Norwich.

The £700,000 project aims to create a permanent archive of the region's screen heritage at Cinema City and build a space for the community to learn about film through the decades.

Already, the team behind the project has been inundated with memories of cinema-going in Norfolk and a trail tracing the lost cinema buildings has been produced.

What do you think? Write to EDP Letters, Prospect House, Rouen Road, Norwich, NR1 1RE. Please give your full name and contact details.