The Cotswolds has the perfect scenery to be used for TV and film locations and many of the Cotswold country retreats are perfect settings for great British drama.
New experiences can now be enjoyed such as immersing yourself in Bridgerton-styled tours of Bath, staying locally and going on a dedicated film tour or exploring Blenheim Palace’s film locations.
Come and immerse yourself in the drama or walk in the footsteps of your film hero’s by checking out just some of what has been seen on screen here in the Cotswolds.
Attractions that have enjoyed a starring role
Blenheim Palace has recently featured in the film Napolean and the Bridgerton spin off Queen Charlotte & visitors can now follow a dedicated trail. Previous film shoots have included The BFG and Transformers 5 as well as Spectre, Cinderella, and Mission Impossible. Visitors are able to spot the locations by following the Lights, camera action trail.
For the Harry Potter film series, Gloucester Cathedral was transformed to become one of the five locations making up the magical Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Keep your eyes peeled as you walk around and you may find the entrance to the Gryffindor Common room, petrified Ms Norris or even Harry & Ron skipping class!
Chavenage House near Tetbury continues to star in so many films and TV programmes it can be hard to keep up! It has been Trenwith', the Poldark family pile, Lark Rise to Candleford, as well as Randalls, the home of Mr & Mrs Weston in the 2020 comedy drama adaption of Emma, to name just a few. Book a family led tour at this unique Elizabethan manor house to learn more and enjoy a unique day out.
Rousham Hall & Gardens is considered a favourite by TV gardener Monty Don, but it is popular with production companies too. The House played the part of Crevecoeur Hall in ITV's ‘Lewis’ episode "The Dead of Winter” and BBC's 2021 production The Pursuit of Love.
Check out the ghostly feel at Woodchester Mansion hidden away in a beautiful Cotswold valley near Nympsfield. This unfinished gothic mansion house has been included in celebrity haunted mansion live, Ghost Hunters, His Dark Materials and also appeared in the second series of Netflix’s The Crown, becoming Gordonstoun boarding school.
The Cotswold manor Stanway House featured in the film ‘The Libertine’ where Johnny Depp plays a debauched 17th century poet. It has also starred in Emma, Wolf Hall and Father Brown.
Look out for Brum in the Cotswold Motor Museum at Bourton on the Water. This fun little car was a half-scale replica of a 1920s Austin 'Chummy' convertible, which magically came to life in each episode of the '90s children's show ‘Brum’ venturing out from his home in the Cotswold Motoring Museum to enjoy the big wide world.
Berkeley Castle took a central role in the comedy Johnny English Strikes Again starring Rowan Atkinson. This 12th century castle has also featured in TV dramas such as Poldark, Wolf Hall and the White Princess.
Many of our towns and villages have also featured in film and TV productions. When visiting, please remember that these are not film sets, but places our local community are lucky enough to call home, so please be respectful to residents when you visit.
Popular series & locations include:
Father Brown
The popular BBC series of Father Brown based on short stories by G. K. Chesterton features many Cotswold towns and villages. Blockley parish church of St Peter & St Paul along with the village vicarage are prominent regular features of the series. Other locations include Moreton-in-Marsh, Sudeley Castle, Stanway House, Donnington Brewery, Winchcombe Railway and the village of Notgrove. First aired in 2013, and set in the 1950’s, it is still regularly filmed in the north Cotswolds.
Agatha Raisin
Agatha Raisin is a British comedy drama TV series, based on the books by MC Beaton. Set in the fictional Cotswolds village of ‘Carsley’ it is about a PR agent who solves crime mysteries. Key filming locations include small village of Biddestone in the south Cotswolds, Eastnor Castle, the towns of Malmesbury & Corsham, Chavenage House near Tetbury, and Hamswell House, Bath.
Bridget Jones
Remember the beautiful snowy Christmas scene before the family festive party in Bridget Jones’s Diary? The stunning Cotswold village of Snowshill was the location.
Downton Abbey
The Cotswold village of Bampton doubles as the fictional village of Downton in the hit drama series Downton Abbey. Many of the houses, church and pub exteriors have been used in the filming. Fans should visit Cogges Manor Farm that doubled as Yew Tree Farm.
Cider with Rosie
The BBC drama retells the vivid memoir of Laurie Lee’s childhood during and after WWI. The Cotswold village of Miserden doubles as ‘Slad’, where the book was set. Visit the Woolpack Inn to see more about Laurie Lee or take the Laurie Lee Wildlife trail.
Country File
The Cotswolds feature regularly in Countryfile where presenter Adam Henson has his Cotswold Farm Park.
This Country
The hilarious BBC Three mockumentary This Country is filmed in and around Northleach, written by and starring local brother and sister duo Daisy May and Charlie Cooper. The series focuses on the day-to-day lives of two young cousins living in a small village in the Cotswolds.
Rivals
Tetbury has taken a starring role in Rivals, the Disney+ adaptation of local novelist Jilly Cooper’s book. The town was transported back to the 1980’s for filming, becoming Cotchester. The drama, which delves into the dog-eat-dog world of independent television in 1986 follows the story of Rupert Campbell-Black, played by Alex Hassall, and his rivalry with Tony Baddingham, David Tennant, and charts how a longstanding rivalry comes to a head.
Other nearby filming locations include the City of Gloucester, City of Bath, village of Lacock, Forest of Dean with Puzzlewood & Symonds Yat, and Midsomer Murder locations around Oxfordshire.
