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Pub-goers watching Doctor Who this weekend may recognise one of the locations used in the latest episode.
The White Cross Inn, Groeswen, will feature in this week’s episode 73 Yards – which was filmed at the pub back in 2022.
Landlady Mair Arthur told Caerphilly Observer she has been “sworn to secrecy” since the BBC approached her about filming at the pub, near Hendredenny, Caerphilly, in December 2022.
The new series stars Ncuti Gatwa as the fifteenth iteration of the Doctor alongside companion Millie Gibson, whose character, Ruby Sunday, is seen at the pub in this week’s trailer.
Talking about the filming, Ms Arthur said: “They got in touch with us around October 2022 and by the December they were here and spent three days filming.
“We had to shut the pub and they spent the first day taking out whatever they didn’t want and the fifth day putting it all back together again.”
Ms Arthur explained how a window from the pub was taken out and replaced with a single pane of glass to suit a particular scene.
“It was a freezing cold couple of days and they even had to defrost their rain machine. Some of the actors ended up using my flat upstairs as a greenroom.”
To celebrate, Ms Arthur is hosting a watch along at the pub with locals and fellow Whovians when the episode is broadcast on BBC One at 6.50pm tomorrow night (Saturday May 25).
“It should be really cool. We’ve even got fish fingers and custard, the Doctor’s favourite snack.”
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