Places Features

You wouldn't think of Kent as a classic James Bond location but in the pages of Ian Fleming's 'Moonraker' of 1955, Special Agent 007 finds himself driving through Kent to encounter the evil Sir Hugo Drax...

In 2005, BBC Radio Kent presenter and journalist Jonathan Witchell followed in the footsteps of Ian Fleming:

Jonathan's programme took a close look at 007’s links with Kent, following the journey Bond made in Ian Fleming’s novel 'Moonraker'.

Forget the glamorous locations of some of the other Bond films – Moonraker takes in the journey from Maidstone to Dover, stopping off at Charing Hill and Canterbury along the way.

The magnificent Bentley

Following Bond

In his documentary, Jonathan describes how he went about tracing the story of 007 in Kent: "I re-read Moonraker, and kept a careful watch for the many references to Kent place names. If you don’t know the story, it bares little resemblance to the film of the same name.

"In Moonraker the novel, Sir Hugo Drax is a wealthy beneficiary to Britain who is making a nuclear rocket, supposedly for the defence of the realm but actually for its destruction.

"Having earned the trust of the British government and the love of the British people he intends to wreak havoc by destroying London.

"Drax and his men are all German and they’re out for revenge following their country’s defeat in the Second World War. James Bond is sent by M to Drax’s Moonraker plant at Kingsdown, on the coast between Dover and Deal.

"He teams up with Gala Brand from Scotland Yard, who’s spent a year working undercover as Drax’s secretary. Together they uncover the plot and set about putting a stop to it.

"Kingsdown is just along the coast from St. Margarets, where Ian Fleming owned a house by the sea.

"As James Bond travels from London to Dover it’s no surprise then that there’s so much local detail – this was a trip Fleming would have made over and over again."

Jonathan's programme followed this same route (albeit starting from Maidstone rather than London), and like James Bond, Jonathan made the journey in a period Bentley.

Sadly Jonathan Witchell died after a short illness in December 2007.