Lacock, Wiltshire
The beautiful village of Lacock in Wiltshire has been seen by millions of people around the world. The picturesque landscape is the perfect location for period dramas that span the ages, from the 16th century to the present day.
Due to its excellent gothic architecture, Lacock Abbey is the perfect setting as the backdrop for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry’s interior in the Harry Potter film series. You’ll also find Lacock abbey in the 2017 Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald film.
You also notice Lacock village in the popular series Downton Abbey. A series set in the interwar years of the 1920s, the team at Downton Abbey transformed modern-day church Street into a 1020s livestock market.
Lacock Abbey has also played the part of the Seymour family house in the BBC’s critically acclaimed Wolf Hall adaptation. The multi-award-winning ‘Wolf Hall’ trilogy including ‘Bringing Up the Bodies’ and ‘The Mirror and the Light’, tells the saga of Thomas Cromwell. From teenage runaway to England’s most powerful man, and the downfall to the bottom of an axeman’s basket.
Bath City Centre, Bath
The beautiful city of Bath has played many a starring role on the big and small screen. With the stunning Georgian city kept in its original 18th-century style, it’s easy to see why it’s a period drama’s dream location. Holburne Museum is proudly seen in 2004’s Vanity Fair, whilst The Royal Crescent is a common extra in the background of 2008’s The Duchess and most recently, Shonda Rimes’ Bridgerton. Keen lovers of musicals will recognise the great historical weir of the Avon River under the Pulteney Bridge stand in for the famous French river Seine in Les Misérables.
The Pump Room/ Roman Baths, Bath
As one of Bath’s main tourist spots, the Roman Baths and Pump Room needs little else to add to their repertoire. However, Jane Austen fans will be quick to recognise the location for its appearance in both Persuasion, the 1995 adaptation and Persuasion, the 2007 adaptation. Not to mention 1987’s, Northanger Abbey.
Dyrham Park, Chippenham
Dyrham Park is host to many a tale. The baroque English country house and the estate is a favourite for production teams looking for a bit of pizzazz, especially with its grand staircases and checkerboard floor, which can be seen in Doctor Who’s ‘Night Terrors’.
2015 to 2018 saw the estate used as the setting for BBC’s adaptation of the runaway hit Poldark. Where Dyrham Park took the form of the town residence of George Warleggan and family. Most recently, Dyrham Park has been used as a location in 2021’s The Pursuit of Love; the Nancy Mitford novel adaptation set in Europe in the interwar years.
Wells Cathedral, Wells
You can’t write about filming locations across Wiltshire and Somerset without mentioning the beautiful city of Wells. A firm favourite for productions of big blockbuster films and even tiny independents, Wells, namely its cathedral, is the place to go for film location scouting. Popular titles include Wolf Hall, The Huntsman: Winter’s War, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, The Canterbury Tales, Doctor Who ‘The Lazarus Experiment’, Poldark, and many more.
Wells in its glory is celebrated, murderously so, in the 2007 film Hot Fuzz. Met police officer Nicholas Angel is transferred to the sleepy fictional village of Sandford, where accidents are routine and the local Neighbourhood Watch Alliance does everything in its power for the greater good; helping Sandford win Village of the Year.