The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain (1995)

I know the area where this film was made and I have met many of the locals who's lives were affected by the film crews. People's windows were removed and replaced with older looking ones, some residents were sent on fully expensed holidays and telephone poles were taken down.

Most of the remarks I heard were quite negative, but at least the local pubs and hotels were full. Hugh and the other stars stayed at the Lake Vrnwy Hotel which is about 7 miles away from Llanraedr Ym Mochnant the village where the pub, garage etc were situated.

The pub in the movie wasn't a pub at all, but it is now. After the film crew packed up, the Hargest sign in the shop next door was left and is still there.

The police station was fake and is actually the village bus shelter which had a structure built around it.

The butchers is real and a very good butchers it is too. Run by Roger Evans for many years now, his wife played a small part in the film, she appears at the school and announces "we've come for the children".

The mountain which is shown in the film looming over the background of the village, is actually three miles away at Peny Bont Fawr. I've spent considerable time in the locality, staying at Peny Bont and I always called it Hugh Grant's mountain.

There are some very nice pubs in the area and the scenery is breath taking. If you are in Llanraedr, you can drive up to the Pystil Falls, the highest waterfall in Wales.

Go in late spring and the falls are at their fullest, following the melting of the mountain snows.

Incidentally, the pub that wasn't a pub is now a real pub and has been for about 4 years now.