Starring role for Durnford Quarry

Tarmac quarry lends touch of gritty realism to David Hayman’s latest murder mystery movie

Tarmac’s Durnford Quarry provided the moody backdrop to a new tale of murderous intrigue in the latest mystery thriller to hit the small screen. The quarry, near Bristol, was used for some of the filming of The Ballad of Billy McCrae, starring David Hayman (pictured far right) as the eponymous Billy.

The film – which goes on general digital download release today [14 March] following its successful launch on the big screen late last year – follows Chris Blythe (played by Ian Virgo) as he returns to his hometown in Wales after losing a fortune in Canada.

He starts working in a quarry and falls in love with Elen (Sianad Gregory), a volatile yet charismatic woman. But her father, Billy, is a dangerous man and Chris finds himself torn between love and hate as the two men clash.

Filmed in Port Talbot, Wales, and on location at Durnford Quarry, the film was directed by Chris Crow – renowned for Panic Button and The Lighthouse – who said: ‘We’re excited about the film’s digital release and are grateful for the excellent location opportunity Tarmac allowed us.

‘Without such an impressive backdrop, it would have been challenging to tell the full story about where the protagonists work. Without giving away too much, it was really quite central to the plot.’

Durnford Quarry has been working limestone since at least the 1880s and provided an ideal location for some of the action. Under certain conditions, Tarmac occasionally give permission to film makers to incorporate some of the company’s locations into their stories.

Neil Hoddinott, quarry manager at Durnford, said: ‘We are delighted to have been able to support Cymru Films in the making of this movie. It is not often that quarries provide the setting for a storyline, so hopefully we have lent authenticity to the The Ballad of Billy McCrae.’