Memories of Patrick McGoohan filming on Romney Marsh returned this week after the actor - the most famous incarnation of Dr Syn - died aged 80.

Mr McGoohan (March, 1928 – 2009) played the Vicar of Dymchurch in the Disney three part miniseries Scarecrow of Romney Marsh, in 1963. It was later condensed to become a feature film, while McGoohan went on to become famous as Danger Man and Number Six in The Prisoner.

Dymchurch was not suitable for filming, as it was a tourist hotspot even then, and Old Romney stood in for it, with Camber playing the role of the beach. The church in the village was done up thanks to Disney in return for filming.

Joe Barnes, of Dungeness, remembers the film crew’s visit and he even has a photograph of McGoohan on location.

He said: “I remember cycling out to Old Romney, because they altered the church there - I think it is still painted in the colours they painted it. They spent quite a bit. I also remember riding to Camber where they did some filming. George Cole was there as well as he was in it, playing Mr Mitts.

“I’ve got photos of him [Patrick McGoohan] in his big long coat and I got his autograph. He was good, very amenable.

“It was a big thing when a film was made here, especially then. It was a bit more of a thing than it is now as they are always films being made at Dungeness.”

Oddly enough, Mr Barnes’ son in law Owen Leyshon works for the Romney Marsh Countryside Project and it is him who liases with film crews hoping to shoot the beautiful shingle shore.

For those who haven’t seen it, Scarecrow of Romney Marsh featured a theme tune along the lines of Rawhide – see it on youtube – set to shots of horses thundering across the Marsh. The chorus went: “Scarecrow, Scarecrow, the soldier of the King feared his name. Scarecrow, Scarecrow, the country folk all loved him just the same...”

It also featured an amazing cast, including Geoffrey Keen, Eric Pohlmann and Michael Hordern and Patrick Wymark.

McGoohan was born in New York and raised in Ireland and he used his usefully unidentifiable accent to great effect. He moved the USA in the 1970s following the furore over the ending of The Prisoner, and appeard in various episode of Columbo with his friend Peter Falk, along with 1976 train film Silver Streak, where he literally lost his head.

Younger readers will remember him from Braveheart, A Time to Kill, and possibly his last ever picture, the animated Treasure Planet.

McGoohan brought an air of great menace to the Rev Dr Christopher Syn and whoever plays the Vicar in future will have a hard act to follow.

The only other actor to play Syn on screen was George Arliss, in 1937. The McGoohan Syn was released on DVD last year, with artwork by Ashford artist Terry Anthony. So popular was it, the limited edition sets sold out within weeks.