House of the Dragon back in north Wales for new series

Welsh fans of the TV series House of the Dragon may recognise some familiar locations when the show returns for its third series later this year.

Last summer, the cast and crew of the Game of Thrones prequel were spotted filming at several locations across Anglesey, Conwy and Gwynedd.

Locations included Beaumaris Pier on Anglesey, Craig Yr Undeb (Union Rock) in Gwynedd, and Ffynon Llugwy, a lake in Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park.

The show's executive producer said the cast and crew were "delighted" to return to north Wales - "to a landscape and locale that adds such visual power and vibrant dimension to the storytelling".

Based on George RR Martin's epic fantasy novel A Song of Ice and Fire, House of the Dragon stars British actors Matt Smith, Emma D'Arcy and Olivia Cooke.

For series three - due to be released in June - the trio will be joined by Happy Valley star James Norton and Wales' Rhys Ifans.

The second and third series of the drama received production funding from Creative Wales, a Welsh government agency which supports the creative industry in Wales

The Welsh government expects the investment to generate more than £6m for the Welsh economy, from employment opportunities as well as tourism.

"This production brings the beauty of north Wales to screens worldwide and further strengthens Wales's reputation as a leading filming destination," said Jack Sargeant, Minister for Creative.

"Our investment supports local jobs, skills and training, while delivering significant economic benefits for the region."

The funding also helped support newcomers in the TV and film industry, he added.

Trainees were offered entry-level paid placements, working in areas such as costume, set decoration, props, camera, and sound, while others were given the opportunity to broaden existing skills.