Hollywood and Clevedon are worlds apart, but for a couple of days the two came a bit closer together - with the arrival of Keira Knightley.

The A-list star was in the town on Thursday and Saturday to shoot scenes for her latest movie.

Crowds of people gathered at each end of Alexandra Road on Thursday morning hoping to get a glimpse of the star - and they didn't have to wait long.

At around 11.20am the star, famed for her roles in Pirates of the Caribbean, Love Actually and Atonement, was spotted in 1990s clothing to shoot the first scene in the town for Never Let Me Go.

The film, is a tragic romance adapted from the Booker-shortlisted novel of the same name, but Kazuo Ishiguro and is due to be released in 2010.

Reporter Trudi Bird spent part of the morning in Alexandra Road.

She said: "I was there for about one-and-a-half hours watching the film crew setting up the shot, which was fascinating.

"I think everyone was starting to feel like she wasn't going to appear and then suddenly everyone started whispering and there she was.

"You know that it must be an A-list celebrity when members of the location team tell you not to stare at the star."

The road, in upper Clevedon, was shut for more than two hours to shoot around one minute of film.

The scene saw Keira and fellow actors and actresses walk along part of the road to Scruples Exquisite Hats, which had been fitted out as a clock shop.

Producer allowed the clock shop to be called C Lovell after Scruples owner Celia Lovell, for allowing them to use her shop.

Mrs Lovell said: "It was really fun.

"They spent a lot of time transforming the shop window for filming but as promised put it back completely to how it was originally once they had finished filming."

Old cars from the 1990s including Mercedes and Cavaliers were brought in especially to make the scene look authentic and council signs were temporarily removed.

In the afternoon filming took place on Clevedon's historic Grade 1 listed pier, which attracted more people interested to find out what was going on.

Producers Andrew Macdonald – who also produced Shallow Grave, Trainspotting and 28 Days Later – and Allon Reich said they selected Clevedon Pier, as well as a few streets in Clevedon, for a made-up town, which is meant to be in the Norfolk area.

Mr Reich said: "Clevedon Pier was very specific as most piers have an arcade and we wanted a pier which could be walked along. It is just a beautiful pier."

The picturesque scenery made many people watching think the film was a costume drama or light-hearted romance, but Never Let Me Go according to MovieWeb is actually sci-fi thriller.

Describing the film the website says: "As children, Ruth (Keira Knightley), Kathy and Tommy, spend their childhood at a seemingly idyllic English boarding school.

"As they grow into young adults, they find that they have to come to terms with the strength of love they feel for each other, while preparing themselves for the haunting reality that awaits them."

On Friday the crew spent the day filming in Weston at the Regent Restaurant and Coffee Lounge in Regent Street and spent their final day in North Somerset in Hill Road, Clevedon.

During their stay around 15 location trucks have set up home at Salthouse Fields.