Sarah Beeny shares a look inside her latest Somerset venture

The recently opened film studio, Stokeford Studios, in Charlton Musgrove near Wincanton, is the result of Sarah's mission to create a space that can be rented for film and music production in the South West as well as helping to "open young people's eyes to the thousands of jobs involved in that industry".

What was previously an unused "derelict old barn" is now a state-of-the-art 6,000 sq ft film studio that could even become "the Pinewood Studios of Somerset".

Sarah Beeny at the door of Stokeford Studios. (Image: Pacific Curd Photography)

The recently opened Stokeford Studios. (Image: Pacific Curd Photography)Stokeford Studios is available to rent to "anyone who wants to make a film", and launched a couple of weeks ago "so it's all new and fresh and a really lovely working environment that people like being in", Sarah said.

Sarah told the Gazette: "I'm excited to have a base that not only enables commercial ventures to be here — so that they could use the local catering suppliers and a whole load of other businesses benefit  — but it also opens young people's eyes to the thousands of jobs involved in that industry because it's not taught at school anymore and I think that's really sad. It's not just being an actor or presenter or director, there's loads of other jobs."

The presenter added: "I'd always wanted to do something like this because when we moved down here six years ago, I recognised that in the world of television and film if you want a career you often have to go to a big city. I thought well, a lot of people don't live in a big city, how are they going to know about [the industry]?

The interior of Stokeford Studios. (Image: Pacific Curd Photography)

Stokeford Studios (Image: Pacific Curd Photography)

"If you're going to go into farming, food production, or hospitality, there's loads of opportunity to go and get work experience when you're young around Somerset, but TV, film, music production, and podcast production, you wouldn't be able to unless your parents know about it."

The property expert and entrepreneur, who began her career presenting Channel 4's Property Ladder, hopes to offer studio space to local colleges and schools once commercial ventures are "up and running".

Sarah said: "I talked to a few people about it [bringing the film industry to the South West] and they said they couldn't picture it happening without a studio. So I thought, you know what I'm going to build a studio, I'm going to convert a barn.

"It was a bit of a derelict old barn and it needed something done with it. I thought, worst case scenario it's just going to be a very good haybarn, it was a very leaking haybarn before. But best case scenario, hopefully, it will take off and be the Pinewood of Somerset!"

Sarah added: "There's so much going for Somerset, and the more opportunities the better for this fantastic place to live."

A description of Stokeford Studios on Somerset Council's filming venue list reads: "A sustainable 6,000 sq ft studio space with overlooking gallery, suitable for filming of all kinds or use as a unit base with access for vehicles of any size.

"The studio features a large production entrance and as well as the main studio space. It offers rehearsal spaces, flexible office space, meeting rooms, toilets and kitchen facilities. A sustainable three-phase power supply is provided by rooftop solar panels."