Current restrictions mean none of us can travel anywhere right now, but we can still experience the beauty of the ‘Celtic Routes’ through some big screen moments filmed across Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire from the comfort our own homes on the box.

Some beautiful locations in the area have been used for various blockbuster movies in recent years - from a film about poet Dylan Thomas partly shot in Tenby to the magic of Harry Potter on the beaches of Freshwater West...

The Edge of Love (2008) - Famously known as the home of renowned writer and poet, Dylan Thomas - Laugharne has appeared on the big screen more than once.

‘The Edge of Love’ a film that loosely depicts the life events of Dylan Thomas, was filmed in Laugharne and Tenby, as well as several other locations across Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion.

Hollywood glitz and glamour was brought to Tenby when filming took place in May of 2007 for scenes, featuring some of the movie world’s biggest actresses - Keira Knightley and Sienna Miller, as well as Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy and Welsh actor Matthew Rhys who took the lead role playing Dylan Thomas.

‘The Edge of Love’ centres on a time in the life of the poet when he briefly lived in New Quay with his young family in 1945. The story revolves around a reputed love triangle involving Thomas, his wife Caitlin (played by Sienna Miller), and the curious real-life incident in which childhood friend Vera Phillips (portrayed by Keira Knightley) and her eventual husband William Killick (Cillian Murphy) opened fire on the Thomas home with a machine gun and a hand grenade.

Filming of scenes caused a stir in New Quay, Ceredigion, as the press invaded the tiny seaside town to clamber for photographs of the two lead actresses who were shooting scenes on the beach and sea front. Filming also took place at Dylan Thomas’s boat house in Laugharne.

However, when the film’s producers needed a suitable property to recreate a 1940s style London Georgian house, they discovered the perfect place to shoot following a scouting trip to Tenby.

“I think the film-makers were impressed with the architecture of the town and started making enquiries six weeks ago as to whether they could use any of the buildings along St. Julian Street for filming,” said Marion Hutton at the time, who was more than happy for the film-makers to use her property at Lexden Terrace for the film.

Effectively the property was turned into a 1940s London house, so the film-makers had to block out any views of the sea.

The film’s producer Rebekah Gilbertson said that it had been a great pleasure for the cast and crew to film in Tenby.

“The house is stunning and creatively, the team fell in love with it,” she said at the time.

“From a filming aspect, the premises works in two ways, one because it looks like a London Georgian house and also the view from the back of the house overlooking the sea is very beautiful, so we will also be using that for extra honeymoon scenes.’

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Parts 1 and 2: 2010/2011) - With so many beautiful beaches to choose from in Pembrokeshire, a view of Freshwater West on the big screen is a good place to start.

This beach is known for numerous reasons, the fantastic surf, the abundance of a specific type seaweed used to make the Welsh speciality of Laverbread, and as the location of the burial site of one of Harry Potter’s most beloved friends Dobby the house elf.

Freshwater West was used as the breathtakingly beautiful backdrop for Shell Cottage in ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’. The cottage was built on site down to the smallest detail including the seaweed. The cottage has now been taken down of course, but you can relive the moment through the film again and again.

Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) - The classic Brother’s Grimm fairytale, Snow White, reimagined in this medieval Gothic style film starring Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth and Kristen Stewart.

Marloes Sands, with its vast expanse of flat sand and stunning panoramic views, was chosen for the film’s dramatic cavalry assault scene. Chosen apparently, because of its dramatic jagged rock formations that stand proud at low tide. Become engrossed in this dark fantasy of a love story-come-fairytale and see how they transformed one of Pembrokeshire’s most tranquil beaches into a bloody battle scene.

Man From U.N.C.L.E (2015) - From the Cambrian Mountains, on a clear day at the summit, the whole of Wales unfolds before the eyes. To the west, Snowdonia links to Preseli via the sweep of Cardigan Bay and, to the east, the Berwyn and Aran ranges connect to the Brecon Beacons along the English border.

Chosen perhaps because of these views, the Cambrian Mountains and surrounding areas were the filming locations for the epic car chase in action film, ‘Man from U.N.C.L.E.’.

This comedy spy film directed by Guy Ritchie, based on the television series of the same name from the 1960s, stars actor Henry Cavill. Get a faster, adrenaline fuelled view of the Ceredigion mountains from your sofa.

Background about the Celtic Routes

The Celtic Routes has been borne out of partnership between six Irish and Welsh counties encouraging visitors to ‘go deeper, stay longer’. The relationship between the two Celtic nations has been formed on the basis of an unbreakable bond formed through their shared heritage of untamed landscapes, ancient crosses, chapel ruins and sacred stones.

The Celtic Routes partnership is comprised of the coastal communities of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Wicklow, Wexford and Waterford, who have joined forces to deliver a selection of curated travel experiences in order to encourage visitors to Ireland and Wales to discover the Celtic Spirit by offering a number of immersive and authentic Celtic experiences.