Star Wars filming cancelled over health and safety fears

Filming for Star Wars Andor has been cancelled after landslip concerns were raised in Winspit Quarry in Dorset.

It was previously announced the disused quarry near Worth Matravers would be the location for episodes in the Disney+ television series.

The National Trust said “recent turbulent weather [has] increased the risk of rockfalls and landslips” which has led to filming being cancelled.

The warning to stay away also applies to visitors to the Dorset coastal site. Anyone approaching Winspit Quarry will see signs asking them to stay away from unsafe areas until examination has taken place.

Crews had previously been at the site in 2021 for filming the saga, which is a prequel to the 2016 film Rogue One, and follows Diego Luna’s character Cassian Andor.

The quarry’s otherworldly characteristics have seen it double for the headquarters for character Saw Gerrera and it featured in the eighth episode of the sci-fi series’s first season which was broadcast in October and November last year on the streaming service.

Winspit Quarry has been used for a number of productions (©Tome Clarke/National Trust)

It has not been said when the filming will resume.

The picturesque spot has also been used as a set for television series’ such as Doctor Who and Blake’s 7.

Winspit Quarry has been at risk of landslips (©Tom Clarke/National Trust)

Tracey Churcher, manager of the National Trust for the local Purbeck area, told the BBC: “The coast and cliffs along this stretch of the coast, including the quarry, can be unstable and naturally liable to landslips and falls - particularly after extreme weather including heavy rainfall and hot, dry periods.

"People should always stay well back from the cliff and rock edges, whether on or below them, and we ask people not to visit Winspit Quarry until our experts are confident it is safe to visit again.”

Andor has also been filmed at English sites such as Black Country Park, Buckinghamshire, Coryton refinery, Corringham, Middle Peak Quarry, Derbyshire. In Scotland, it has been filmed at sites such as Cruachan Dam, Argyll and Bute, and Glen Tilt Park in Perthshire.