In 2018, I wrote two blog posts about the Hawaiian islands
O’ahu and
Kaua’i. Both locations feature in the film
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES, the fourth instalment in the film series about pirate captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp).
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| Pirates of the Caribbean: On stranger tides, 0:10:29 |
At the start of the film, Jack Sparrow meets the British King George II (Richard Griffiths) and Captain Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) in London. The king has heard that the Spanish are searching for the Fountain of Youth and wants Jack to lead a British expedition to be the first to find the mythical spring. According to legend, whoever drinks from or bathes in its waters become young again.
The scenes set in London were filmed in England, both on location and in the studio, from September to November 2018. After the opening credits, a court in London around the year 1750 can be seen. In reality, this is the Old Royal Naval College in the borough of Greenwich, where hundreds of films and TV series have been filmed; see also my blog post about
The Crown. The image has been significantly digitally altered: the tower of the Painted Hall has been replaced by a statue of Lady Justice, and the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral has been added. The day before, we had photographed this cathedral from Waterloo Bridge.
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| Pirates of the Caribbean: On stranger tides, 0:03:41 |
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| Old Royal Naval College, London, 3 May 2025 |
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St Paul's Cathedral seen from Waterloo
Bridge, London, 2 May 2025 |
After the trial, Sparrow plans to escape in a waiting carriage with his former first mate, Joshamee Gibbs (Kevin McNally). This is the courtyard of Queen Anne Court at the Old Royal Naval College. He has bribed the coachman (Robert Stone), but the man turns out to be corrupt. They are captured by the British army. This scene was filmed at Hampton Court Palace, which we did not visit.
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Pirates of the Caribbean: On stranger tides, 0:06:47
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Queen Anne Court, Old Royal Naval
College, London, 3 May 2025 |
Sparrow is taken away by two soldiers, who drag him through a large hall. Once again, it is the Old Royal Naval College, this time the Painted Hall at King William Court.
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| Pirates of the Caribbean: On stranger tides, 0:09:09 |
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Painted Hall, Old Royal Naval
College, London, 3 May 2025 |
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| Pirates of the Caribbean: On stranger tides, 0:09:13 |
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Painted Hall, Old Royal Naval
College, London, 3 May 2025 |
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| Pirates of the Caribbean: On stranger tides, 0:09:17 |
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Painted Hall, Old Royal Naval
College, London, 3 May 2025 |
This set photo shows more of the Painted Hall. The paintings were created in the early eighteenth century by Sir James Thornhill.
 | Pirates of the Caribbean: On
stranger tides, set photo
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 | Painted Hall, Old Royal Naval
College, London, 3 May 2025
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The soldiers chain Sparrow to a chair ahead of a meeting with the king in the dining hall. This also appears to be the Painted Hall, but is in fact a set at Pinewood Studios in Iver Heath, about 18 miles (29 kilometres) west of central London. It is possible that a set was chosen because Sparrow manages to escape via a chandelier and a balcony, neither of which are present in the Painted Hall. St Paul’s Cathedral can once again be seen in the mural.
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| Pirates of the Caribbean: On stranger tides, set photo |
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Painted Hall, Old Royal Naval
College, London, 3 May 2025 |
Sparrow manages to escape from the palace and ends up on a passing carriage. After a brief and amusing encounter with an English lady, played by Judi Dench, the carriage travels through London. It appears to be a long street, but it is in fact College Way, which is only 985 feet (300 metres) long and runs between the buildings of the Old Royal Naval College. It was filmed from various angles.
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| Pirates of the Caribbean: On stranger tides, 0:16:51 |
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| Old Royal Naval College, London, 3 May 2025 |
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| Pirates of the Caribbean: On stranger tides, 0:17:00 |
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| Old Royal Naval College, London, 3 May 2025 |
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| Pirates of the Caribbean: On stranger tides, 0:17:11 |
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| Old Royal Naval College, London, 3 May 2025 |
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| Pirates of the Caribbean: On stranger tides, 0:17:15 |
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| Old Royal Naval College, London, 3 May 2025 |
After hopping onto a second carriage, Sparrow ends up on an undertaker’s cart and then jumps onto a coal merchant’s cart.
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| Pirates of the Caribbean: On stranger tides, 0:17:23 |
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| Old Royal Naval College, London, 3 May 2025 |
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| Pirates of the Caribbean: On stranger tides, 0:17:32 |
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| Old Royal Naval College, London, 3 May 2025 |
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| Pirates of the Caribbean: On stranger tides, 0:17:41 |
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| Old Royal Naval College, London, 3 May 2025 |
The coal merchant falls off the cart and Sparrow carries on alone. The soldiers fire at him and hit a lantern, causing the coal to burst into flames. The gate through which the cart passes carrying the burning coal is on Middle Temple Lane, near Temple Gardens, close to the River Thames.
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| Pirates of the Caribbean: On stranger tides, 0:18:13 |
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| Middle Temple Lane, London, 2 May 2025 |
Middle Temple Lane appears in the film for just two seconds, and little can be seen of the area. The set photos below show more of the street and the beautiful gateway. The building dates from 1879 and the sculptures were created by Calder Marshall. Above the entrance, two cherubs hold a medallion bearing a portrait of Queen Victoria.
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| Pirates of the Caribbean: On stranger tides, set photo |
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| Middle Temple Lane, London, 2 May 2025 |
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| Pirates of the Caribbean: On stranger tides, set photo |
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| Middle Temple Lane, London, 2 May 2025 |
During our visit to the Old Royal Naval College, we took the Film Tour, a guided tour providing information about the films and TV series that have been filmed here; for up-to-date information, please check the Old Royal Naval College website under
All Events. Our guide pointed out the entrance gate. Producers had asked if Johnny Depp could enter via this gate rather than the busy main entrance. However, the gate would no longer open; over the years, the lock had become seized up with rust. That was no problem for the producers, and for £ 1,000 the gate was repaired and opened again. Johnny Depp, however, decided to go in through the main entrance.
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| Old Royal Naval College, London, 3 May 2025 |
Screenshots and set photos © Walt Disney Pictures
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