Lotte Brundle
The power of the big screen has played a big part in firing visitors’ imaginations. Badminton House in Gloucestershire, seat of the Dukes of Beaufort, is rarely open to the public, although millions are familiar with its exterior from the well-attended Horse Trials. Now, however, there are tantalising peeks at its family treasures — the Canalettos and Woottons, the Georgian furniture and wallpaper — through the camera lens; the house has been the setting for Netflix series The Gentlemen and Bridgerton and for Vogue shoots.
Theo James enjoying the grounds at Badminton House in The Gentlemen.
Highclere Castle in north Hampshire already had the Egyptian treasures discovered in Tutankhamun’s tomb by the 5th Earl of Carnarvon in 1922, but then, in 2010, came the hit television series Downton Abbey; it’s hard not to hear the theme tune or expect the all-seeing butler Mr Carson to open the door as you approach the proudstanding house.
The recent BBC drama Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light featured, among other places, Haddon Hall, Derbyshire; Berkeley Castle, Gloucestershire; Barrington Court, Somerset; and Chastleton House, Oxfordshire.
Chavenage House, Gloucestershire, home of the Lowsley-Williams family, was recently seen in the Disney+ series Rivals, as the O’Hara family home. The Fuller family’s Neston Park, Wiltshire, doubled up as television mogul Tony Baddingham’s house in the same series and the McTaggarts’ Ardross Castle, near Inverness, is the compelling setting for The Traitors – the compulsive Claudia Winkleman-hosted game show that sees contestants betray one another in the battle for a cash prize.
There was murder on the dancefloor at Drayton House where Saltburn was filmed.
'Saltburn – famed for Barry Keoghan's nude dancing, inappropriate graveside antics and malignant intentions'
Jacob Elordi enjoying an ice lolly and some children's literature in Saltburn.
Guests watch a display of regency dancing during the Pride and Prejudice Ball in the painted hall of Chatsworth House to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the publication of Jane Austen's novel in 2013.
Drayton House, Northamptonshire, home of the Stopford Sackvilles, was the glorious setting for Emerald Fennell’s lavish 2023 film Saltburn, famed for Barry Keoghan's nude dancing, inappropriate graveside antics and malignant intentions.
In Derbyshire, Chatsworth’s many credits include Pride and Prejudice, starring Keira Knightley as the Elizabeth Bennet to Matthew Macfadyen Mr Darcy, a devout fan of long walks in the countryside, who's flowing, unbuttoned white shirt also received plenty of screen time. It was also used as a filming location in Peaky Blinders.
Scenes from Gentleman Jack and All Creatures Great and Small were filmed at Broughton Hall, North Yorkshire. Hatfield House, Hertfordshire, home of the Cecil family, has been in numerous films since a Tarzan epic in 1984, most recently Bridgerton and Enola Holmes, Netflix's take on the famous sleuth's younger, wittier sister. Rebecca and The Favourite were also filmed there.
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Ford Ranger PHEV: The eco-pickup for campers, builders and post-apocalyptic survivalistsThe Ranger PHEV might deviate from first principles, but it remains convincingly fit for purpose — and therefore highly desirable
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Jane Austen's uncles house comes to the market, tucked away in its own conservation area, and just half an hour from LondonIn a secluded spot in Sevenoaks, Brittains Farm is up for sale — though it'll need a new owner not afraid of a little hard work.
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Killer whales: The perilously rare and super-smart predator we risk loosing from British waters foreverThey’ve recently made headlines for interfering with boats, but intelligent, family-focused and remarkably long-lived orcas–better known as killer whales–contain multitudes.
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‘Though she be but little, she is fierce’: Everything you didn't know about sparrowhawksScourge of the bird feeder and a master of ‘shock and awe’ assassinations, the sparrowhawk pursues its quarry with such tenacity and unpredictability that it often blindsides its prey.
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An ode to Britain's wildflowers, from the London bloom which grew in the craters of the Blitz, to the weather-predicting scarlet pimpernelDecorating the land with their brilliant and varied hues, our native flora which operate as clocks, calendars and Nature’s medicine cabinet are blooming brilliant, says John Lewis-Stempel.
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Sophia Money-Coutts: If I’m sending a thank you card to a friend, do I really have to address it to ‘Mrs W Butler’ as if it’s 1928?Sophia Money-Coutts is the new Debrett's and she's here every Wednesday to set some modern etiquette wrongs, right.
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'F1 on water': SailGP makes a splash in PortsmouthSix years after it was founded, SailGP has got the wind behind its sails. What makes this sport, dubbed 'F1 on water', so compelling?
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'Calm, beautiful, loving, and intelligent — everything about that dog was pure majesty': The greyhound is Country Life’s first dog breed of the weekFrom ancient hunting dogs to royal symbols in medieval Britain, greyhounds have captured the hearts of many — including Jilly Cooper and Twiggy.
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The pine marten is a predatory force to be reckoned withThe pine marten may have a taste for jam sandwiches, but its razor-sharp claws and appetite for eggs and grey squirrels makes it a predatory force to be reckoned with.
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The white-tailed eagle is crafty, controversial and has wings the size of a barn doorA penchant for spring lamb saw the raptor species ruthlessly exterminated, but the beguiling white-tailed eagle — also known as the sea eagle — is now back on our shores.
