Famous Film Locations
Historic Cities in England often play a significant role in some of our favourite movies and television series.
Bath
Bridgerton, Harry Potter, Downton Abbey, Pride and Prejudice & more!
If you’re a fan of the Netflix hit series Bridgerton you won’t want to miss a trip to The Royal Crescent. This curving row of terraced houses which was build between 1767 and 1774 was the home to the series’ lead characters. The elegant façade of No 1 Royal Crescent can been seen frequently throughout the series. But that’s not the only Bath location used in filming. The Abbey Deli on Abbey Green which was the dressmakers’ shop ‘Modiste’ in the series.
Additionally, Lacock Abbey is a must visit film destination in Bath. The village and abbey are instantly recognisable from film and television productions which include Downton Abbey, Harry Potter, Pride and Prejudice and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Gridelwald. Lacock Abbey was featured in two of the Harry Potter films and Fantastic Beasts as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. And Downton Abbey used Lacock Village twice while filming the series.
Cambridge
The King’s Speech, The Crown, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, The Theory of Everything and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (just to name a few)
Ely Cathedral is one of Cambridge’s most used filming locations. It has been featured as Westminster Abbey in The King’s Speech as well as in The Crown when it was used for the backdrop of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s Wedding. The Cathedral has also been used as Whitehall in Elizabeth: The Golden Age and was used as the grand ceremonial areas of the palace in The Other Bolyen Girl.
The Theory of Everything also did a fair share of filming throughout Cambridge. Many locations were not always suitable or available for filming, so doubles were used. For example, it is common knowledge that Hawking studies at Trinity Hall, however it was actually filmed in St John’s College instead and played host to the ‘May Ball’ Scene. St John’s College was also used in the filming of Elizabeth: The Golden Age.
King’s College also deserves an honourable mention for its appearance in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Canterbury
The Capture and Avengement
Canterbury Prison, which is no longer a functioning prison and is being converted by the Canterbury Christ Church University, has recently been used as a filming location. The six-part surveillance thriller, The Capture, on BBC One used the prison as a set. As well as the 2019 Netflix prison drama, Avengement.
Carlisle
Outlander
The popular television series Outlander, which is mostly based in Scotland, used Carlisle Castle to represent Wentworth Prison. The courtyard was used in the opening scene of season 1 episode 15 Wentworth Prison when Jaime and Taran MacQuarrie are waiting to be hanged.
Chester
Secret Life of Zoos, The Irregulars, Hollyoaks, Peaky Blinders & more!
The feel-good docuseries Secret Life of Zoos is filmed at Chester Zoo. See all your favourite animals (and maybe recognise a zookeeper) in person at the UK’s most visited attraction outside of London!
The Irregulars, a new Netflix supernatural crime drama series inspired by Sherlock Holmes, filmed scenes at Abbey Square outside the Chester Cathedral as well as a Victorian house in Hoole. They also used the National Waterways Museum in Ellesmere Port (a short drive outside of Chester) in the series.
Fans of Hollyoaks will recognise many of Chester’s iconic locations such as Queen’s Park suspension bridge, The Chester Rail Station and the Groves by the River Dee as the series is often filmed around the city.
Peaky Blinders fans will want to adventure slightly outside of Chester to visit Arley Hall. The location was used in three series of the show and is recognisable as Tommy Shelby’s home in series three. Arley Hall is no stranger to filming and can also be seen in Coronation Street, Our Zoo on BBC, Disney’s Evermoor and ITV’s The Voice.
London
Harry Potter, Love Actually, Mary Poppins, Captain America, Thor and so much more!
London is a hot spot for filming! Harry Potter fans should pay a visit to King’s Cross Station (which even has a designated Platform 9 ¾ shop and photo op spot) as well as Leadenhall Market which was used at Diagon Alley in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. If you want to see all the filming locations make sure to book onto Tour for Muggles.
A few of the popular filming locations in the city include:
- The South Bank which can be seen in films such as Love Actually, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Closer.
- Trafalgar Square which was featured in Captain America: The First Avenger, Edge of Tomorrow and V for Vendetta.
- Tower Bridge as seen in Mary Poppins, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Run Fat Boy Run.
- St Paul’s Cathedral for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Mission: Impossible – Fallout, Thor: The Dark World, Sherlock Holmes, Paddington 2, and Mary Poppins.
Durham
Harry Potter, Avengers: Endgame and Downton Abbey
Durham Cathedral can be see in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone as well as the Chamber of Secrets as the Transfiguration classroom at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Cathedral is also used to film the battle scene in Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame.
Downton Abbey fans will want to head over to Beamish the Living Museum of the North which was used in the filming of the Downton Abbey film which came out in 2019. The open-air museum was also featured in the Christmas special for the series in 2015.
Greenwich
Visit one of the most popular filming locations in the world!
The Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich has been used in numerous films and series and has been called ‘the most popular filming location in the world’ by Empire magazine. It was used as a double for Buckingham Palace in The Crown, it can be seen in The Iron Lady with Meryl Streep, and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides with Johnny Depp was also filmed there. The Old Royal Naval College was also used in For Weddings and a Funeral, Les Miserables, The King’s Speech and Thor: The Dark World. Make sure to book onto the Film & TV location Tour to learn about 60 years of filming and spot all the famous locations.
Lancaster
Sand, Sea, and Filming
Escape the city with a short trip to Morecambe Bay which has played a starring role in TV series and films over the years. Carnforth Station famously featured in the 1945 classic Brief Encounter. The romantic mystery drama Possession, with Gwyneth Paltrow, was filmed at Leighton Hall. Turn Back Time from 2012 used Morecambe’s Albert Road for filming. And ITV’s new crime drama, The Bay, takes place and is filmed in Morecambe Bay!
Lincoln
The Da Vinci Code, Young Victoria, The King and more.
Lincoln Cathedral was one of the filming locations for the popular film The Da Vinci Code. For the movie it was transformed into Westminster Abbey. The Cathedral was also used in Young Victoria as a double for Westminster Abbey and one of the scenes from the Netflix film The King was filmed there as well. It has been featured in such shows as Antiques Roadshow and Scaling Britain (where Jonathan Foyle climbed the central tower).
Oxford
Harry Potter, Doctor Strange, X-men, Transformers & and so many more we can’t fit them all!
Oxford is definitely a popular location for filming in England. So much filming has been taken place here it’s hard to decide where to start (and what to include)! Let’s start with Harry Potter. The Philosopher’s Stone used Duke Humfrey’s Library as, well, the library of course and the Divinity School was featured as the Hospital Wing. Chamber of Secrets also used Duke Humfrey’s Library as well as Christ Church staircase for a flashback with Tom Riddle. Goblet of Fire filmed at in the New College courtyard (keep an eye out for Malfoy in ferret form) and Divinity School for the scene where they practiced waltzing for the Yule Ball. And Finally, in Half Blood Prince Duke Humfrey’s Library and the Divinity School were used in the same manner as Philosopher’s Stone.
The Exeter College Chapel was used for filming in Doctor Strange. Robert Redford and Brad Pitt used HM Oxford Prison as a Chinese Prison in the 2001 film Spy Game and it was also used as London Prison in 1988’s A Fish Called Wanda. X-Men: First Class features Charles Xavier drinking at a fictional pub next to the Bridge of Sighs and also filmed at The Sheldonian. Transformers: The Last Knight shot a scene in Radcliffe Square. Filming locations in Oxford for The Golden Compass include Christ Church, Radcliffe Square and Exeter. And the final featured film that is getting a mention (there are more but we can’t list everything!) Tomorrow Never Dies, with Brosnan as James Bond, was filmed at New College.
Salisbury
Sense & Sensibility, The Pillars of the Earth, and The White Princess
Salisbury Cathedral has been used in a few series and films over the years. Most notably the Cathedral was featured in Jane Austin’s 1995 version of Sense and Sensibility. In 2010, it was used in an episode of The Pillars of the Earth. And most recently the Cathedral can be seen in the 2017 film The White Princess.
Stratford-Upon-Avon
Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators
The BBC One series Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators takes place in Stratford-Upon-Avon, the birthplace of Shakespeare. Although minimal filming actually takes place in Stratford-Upon-Avon, the Royal Shakespeare Company can be seen an episode as the main characters sit across from it. Another location used for filming the series worth visiting is Alscot Estate, which is just three miles south of the city.
York
Bridgerton, Harry Potter and a few others
Another one for our Bridgerton fans who will recognise the exterior of Castle Howard from the memorable wedding scene in the series. Castle Howard can also be seen in two versions of Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited, Death Comes To Pemberley, and Victoria.
And, of Course, more Harry Potter! In the Philosopher’s Stone when Hagrid drops Harry off at King’s Cross and they stand on the pedestrian bridge, they are actually at York Rail Station not London! And it’s worth mentioning that although Diagon Alley was not filmed in York, many believe The Shambles were an inspiration for its design. You will also find plenty of Harry Potter themed shops in The Shambles, so it is definitely worth a visit for fans.
