Location, Location, Location

Do you ever wonder where some of the best British television programmes or films are filmed?  Have you ever thought a location looked a bit familiar?  Well you are probably right.  Some locations are used frequently because they most closely resemble the period in history that the producers are looking for. Bath (Spa), or even Aguae Sulis - which was its original name in Roman times has always been popular. Its streets and houses have been used in films such as The Music Lovers, Vanity Fair, The Duchess The Fantastic Mr Fox and more recently in  Les Miserables. 

An aerial view of the City of Bath

Pulteney Bridge, Bath

www.visitbath.co.uk is an excellent website giving you everything you want to know about Bath, where to stay and what to visit.
 

Filming in Lacock Village, Wiltshire

Close to Bath are some other very popular locations.  Lacock Village was used for many episodes of the classic Cranford television series as Knutsford (the original setting) in Cheshire was felt to have become too modern to be used.

Lacock Village minus film crews

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince also used it successfully as did The Other Boleyn Girl. Lacock is not just a village but home to Lacock Abbey and the famous Fox Talbot Museum.  Check out this website to discover more. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lacock/

Bridge over Bybrook River in Castle Combe

Nearby is the beautiful Castle Coombe which has featured in the original, classic Dr Doolittle, The Wolfman and the award winning The War Horse. www.castle-coombe.com is the village website and shows it claims to be the most beautiful village in England.

Castle Coombe Village

The UK has some of the most beautiful stately homes in the world.  So many are ideal for locations as they can be dressed up or down to suit the subject. Interiors, exteriors, stable blocks, gardens, wooded areas, ponds, rivers, lakes are all useful tools to producers.

Hardwick Hall was favourite for Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows Part 1 and Part 2. Check out the website for more details of the history of this magnificient building, visiting times for the house, gardens  and holiday cottages. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hardwick/

Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire

Haddon Hall pops up in Jane Eyre, Elizabeth, Pride and Prejudice, The Princess Bride and The Other Boleyn Girl. Their website gives more details of the Hall and the families of the Manners and Vernons. www.haddonhall.co.uk

Haddon Hall, Derbyshire

Chatsworth is always popular with television and film crews and can be seen in The Wolfman, The Duchess and Pride and Prejudice. Have a look at their website for more information on visiting the house, the grounds, and renting holiday cottages. www.chatsworth.org

Chatsworth House, Derbyshire

The Peak District is home to other stately homes such as Eyam Hall (www.eyamhall.co.uk), Renishaw Hall (www.renishaw-hall.co.uk) and Tissington Hall (www.tissingtonhall.co.uk) in Derbyshire and then Adlington Hall (www.adlingtonhall.com), Gawsworth Hall (www.gawsworthhall.com) and Lyme Park (www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lyme-hall) in Cheshire.  All of the stately homes have long histories, beautiful gardens and wonderful interiors that leave lasting impressions.

So if you want a change from a city break, try taking a break in the South West of England and explore Bristol, Bath, Castle Coombe and Lacock or try the North West and explore the beautiful Peak District.