Sunday, June 15, 2025

Want to watch Landscape Artist of the Year being filmed?

Filming has started on Series 11 of Landscape Artist of the Year which will be broadcast between January and March 2026.

Derwent Water is next week
Best View yet - by a long way

For those curious as to how it is going and for those who maybe want to go and watch, this is what I've found out so far. (They've stopped sending me press releases!)

Of the locations they have identified 5 are about 

5 Very BIG Structures 

  • Dover Castle, Kent
  • Dover Ferry Point, Kent
  • The Thames from HMS Wellington, London
  • The Ouse Valley Viaduct, West Sussex 
  • Falkirk Wheel, Scotland

3 Actual Landscapes!

  • The Lake District, Cumbria (two heats) - actual real landscape as painted by very many landscape painters - but BIG!
  • St James’s Park, London - actual land which is green - small and manicured and a lake with a lot of birds on it!
BELOW you can find out where the heats are and which date they are filming - although some of this is guesswork.

Heat Locations


Locations of "public" heats are as listed in this marketing image


They say they are 
unable to accommodate audiences at the other locations due to the lack of parking and facilities. 
However every single one of them is a public space - so, if you fancy, you can ignore that if you can work out how to get there and where local facilities might be located.

I can't work out whether they mean this is what they are ALSO telling the wildcards to do!

Last week: Dover Castle, Kent and Dover Ferry Point, Kent


Given they split up the locations during the series but do them at the same time while filming I'm assuming there were two heats at Dover was last week
  • a view of Dover Castle
  • a view of the ferryport from the cliffs!
Here are some of the photos from social media!  Some of those pods look somewhat precarious. I wonder what the insurance was like after the risk assessment exercise?


Next week: Crow Park, Keswick in The Lake District / Cumbria


Two days in the Lake District - on Wednesday18th and Thursday 19th June means two heats.

You will recall that last year, they went to Wales and maybe moved the pods about half a mile to get a different perspective on the same place. 

Here's the Google Maps reference for Crow Park which appears to overlook Derwent Water.

Plus see the photo above of the view from Crow Park over Derwent Water.

I envy anybody who gets that view.

Remember - the sites they use will ALWAYS be an expanse of flattish land big enough for eight sizable pods.

Wednesday 25th June: St James's Park


St James Park - the Lake View, with trees (2008)

What I do know is that anybody getting this heat better be good at trees!

There are various places they could theoretically set up the pods in St James's Park - however they also run the risk of causing an obstruction for the other people using the park.. 

 Those who have sketched or plein air painted there will know the places to "go to". I'm assuming it's probably going to include water as it's a bit silly going to a park with a great big lake and then ignoring it.  Just as you can hardly ignore the trees....

See, for example, my blog post about Capturing the Moment - plein air paint out in St James's Park organised by the British Plein Air Painters.  I'd so like them to turn out en masse and NOT be wildcards and paint what they want to paint....

I'm including a couple of sketches I did back in 2008 (above and below)

St James Park - Tree Study #3 (8th October, 6pm)
8.5" x 11", coloured pencils in Daler Rowney sketchbook

However it's going to be absolutely swarming with tourists - who all love a camera! You can't move in London at the moment for school trips and families all speaking every language under the sun! 

I do not envy those who get this heat!  But I might go and watch!

Thursday 26th June - The Thames from HMS Wellington, London

I think it's a fair bet that if they're in London with the pods on Wednesday then on Thursday those pods will have been erected somewhere else in London and the crew will be working two days back to back with the pods etc - which means that Thursday will be the date for the other location they've already announced

Which is The Thames from HMS Wellington, London - and below is HMS Wellington - moored on the north side of the Thames inbetween Waterloo Bridge and Blackfriars Bridge. 

I don't know if they're going to put the pods on the boats - but it strikes me that could be problematic!

HMS Wellington, 
HMS Wellington is a Grimsby-class sloop, formerly of the Royal Navy. During the Second World War, she served as a convoy escort ship in the North Atlantic. She is now moored alongside the Victoria Embankment, at Temple Pier, on the River Thames in London, England
I wouldn't be at all surprised if the wildcards are on the bridges... Maybe with a few others?

I am speculating. They're not saying. However all the land either side of the river and along the bridges is public - and this is very much a public location . However it's next to the Embankment and a very busy road so common sense dictates that they won't be encouraging people to attend next to the boat. There again they can't stop them either...

HOWEVER, the irony is THAT there is a MUCH MUCH BETTER view from the "made for LAOTY filming" area exactly on the opposite side of the river on the South Bank.

The view from the other side of the river
You can see St Paul's cathedral and all the towers in the City of London
as well as an excellent view of the bridges

SEMI- FINAL

(I'm guessing! Wednesday 2nd July) - The Ouse Valley Viaduct, West Sussex

There are always two locations which are isolated from the others. Which means 
  • one is the location for the semi-final and 
  • the other is the location of the Final.
Since they're telling us the Final is in Falkirk, I'm making the reasonable assumption that the semi-final is in West Suusex.

The Ouse Valley Viaduct is another ridiculous structure - which is only outdone by the ridiculous structure for the Final!
The Ouse Valley Viaduct
A structural marvel, the viaduct was originally built in 1838 to carry the London-Brighton line over the River Ouse.

It has been estimated that around 11 million bricks were used in construction, with almost 17 million passenger journeys being made across the viaduct every year!

It strikes an elegant silhouette over the beautiful High Weald area and is a must for all photography fans. Standing at 29 metres tall, the Viaduct has 37 arches stretching 450 metres across the Ouse Valley and over the River Ouse. Ouse Valley Viaduct, Visit South East England Website
Basically it's halfway between Crawley and Hayward's Heath.
  • This is the location - link from Google Maps
  • Also described as Haywards Heath Road, Balcombe, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH17 6QP.
The date provides for three clear weeks before the Final on the 23rd - during which time the finalists have to product their commission artwork. (as in "find a really silly view near you and paint it")

THE FINAL

Wednesday 23rd July - The Falkirk Wheel

That's a horror story of a subject for a Final. 
Sue England (Series 5 LAOTY 2019) was given the Falkirk Wheel as the subject for her commission painting prior to the Final proper (see Fujiko Rose won Landscape Artist of the Year 2019 in Final at Battersea Power Station). I remember then thinking how unlucky she was. There again - at least she got to choose how she portrayed it and from what angle and how much!

The Falkirk Wheel, Scotland

But it gets better - the producers are complete sadists! IT MOVES!
Threre's a canal at the top and a canal at the bottom. At rest, the wheel sits with a gondola at each level, filled with water. Barges sail in, and the water relevels, but due to Achimedes' principle, the weight in the gondolas remains the same. The wheel, in perfect balance, is turned by a small electric motor (same power requirements as a few teakettles, we're told) and the gondlas stay level thanks to wheels within the wheel. The rotation takes 5 minutes, and then the barges sail ou

So, if you were applying for a heat, I wonder which you would choose......


More about Landscape Artist of the Year
on MAM and by participants

Series 11 - to be broadcast early 2026

Series 10 - broadcast early 2025

Posted by Making A Mark on Sunday, June 15, 2025
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