▁C ran ford . ▁Despite ▁several ▁references ▁to ▁Kn uts ford , ▁including ▁King ▁Street ▁and ▁The ▁He ath , ▁the ▁TV ▁adaptation ▁was ▁actually ▁fil med ▁in ▁Lac ock , ▁W ilt shire . ▁Not ably , ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁Leg h ▁Road ▁in ▁Kn uts ford , ▁designed ▁by ▁Richard ▁Hard ing ▁W att , ▁double d ▁for ▁Col onial ▁Shang hai ▁in ▁the ▁opening ▁scenes ▁from ▁Steven ▁Spiel berg ' s ▁film ▁Empire ▁of ▁the ▁Sun . ▁A ▁G askell ▁prot ég é ▁who ▁died ▁in ▁Kn uts ford ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 9 ▁was ▁the ▁once - pop ular ▁novel ist ▁Sel ina ▁D aven port , ▁who ▁abandoned ▁writing ▁desp air ingly ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 4 ▁and ▁kept ▁a ▁tiny ▁Kn uts ford ▁shop ▁instead . ▁ ▁Kn uts ford ▁Am ateur ▁D rama ▁Society ▁was ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 5 ▁and ▁moved ▁to ▁its ▁prem ises ▁in ▁Queen ▁Street , ▁Kn uts ford ▁shortly ▁after ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War . ▁Now ▁known ▁by ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁building ▁it ▁occup ies , ▁Kn uts ford ▁Little ▁Theatre ▁continues ▁to ▁produce ▁a ▁selection ▁of ▁plays ▁each ▁year , ▁including ▁an ▁annual ▁p antom ime . ▁ ▁Kn uts ford ▁Heritage ▁Centre ▁is ▁situated ▁in ▁a ▁ 1 7 th - century ▁tim ber - fr amed ▁building ▁just ▁off ▁King ▁Street , ▁which ▁was ▁a ▁black sm ith ' s ▁for ge ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9