15 Greatest English Stately Homes Used in Films and TV Shows

England boasts over 3,000 stately homes dating back to the Middle Ages all the way through the Regency and Victorian eras. These English stately homes are opulent, extravagant, and many have been lovingly restored or preserved. Walking through the doorways of the grand country houses in England is like taking a step back in time.

That’s why they make the perfect locations for British period films! Studio recreations cannot match the feeling you get when you’re surrounded by hundreds of years of history. Every sheet of wallpaper, every decorative plate and every door knob tells a story.

Filmmakers must agree because there are many famous manor houses in England that have appeared on the big screen multiple times. Want to know what some of the best stately homes used in films around England are? Let’s check them out!

1. Hatfield House as seen in Shakespeare in Love (1998)

This is, by far, one of the most prolific English stately homes used in films. It’s the finest Jacobean house (though it’s laughable to call it a humble house with 223 rooms) in England and sits on 40-acre land just 21 miles north of London. The Queen spent much of her childhood here so anyone who is a fan of the real Queen and Claire Foy’s Netflix interpretation should add this estate to their bucket list.

Where? Hatfield, Hertfordshire

Also seen in: Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2008), Batman Begins (2005), The King’s Speech (2010), The Crown (2016- ), The Favourite (2018)

2. Blenheim Palace as seen in The Young Victoria (2009)

Not only is it Winston Churchill’s birthplace, a World Heritage Site and the current home of the 12th Duke of Marlborough but it is also a cinematic filming location. In fact, Blenheim Park which the palace sits on is so attractive that the Harry Potter crew only filmed a tree on the grounds and it’s still one of the most beautiful locations in the entire series.

Where? Woodstock, Oxfordshire

Also seen in: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007), Cinderella (2015), Spectre (2015), Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)

3. Chatsworth House as seen in Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Ever since Keira Knightley caught a glimpse of Chatsworth House from her carriage, all English mansion lovers have been obsessed with Chatsworth House. Nestled in the Peak District, this Derbyshire stately home dates back to the 1600s and has one of the most impressive art collections in the country. It’s not even one of the most popular mansions of England for film productions (most likely because of its remote location) but its striking beauty makes it one of the most notorious.

Where? Edensor, Derbyshire

Also seen in: Barry Lyndon (1975), The Duchess (2008), Jane Eyre (2011)

4. Highclere Castle as seen in Downton Abbey (2010-2022)

It’s not just the movie industry that loves using the many manor houses of England as locations because there are many period TV shows that love them too. Before Downton Abbey, Highclere Castle was criminally overlooked in a few forgettable dramas but now this Victorian house is getting the attention it deserves. The multi-level atrium with the cathedral-esque arches and columns has surely earned its own BAFTA.

Where? Highclere, Hampshire

Also seen in: Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

5. Kenwood House as seen in Notting Hill (1999)

Speaking of overlooked stately homes of England that make phenomenal locations, Kenwood House is begging for more time in the limelight. It feels a hundred miles away from a city but this 17th-century house sits in Hampstead Heath which makes it perfect for local film companies.

Where? Hampstead, London

Also seen in: Mansfield Park (1999)

6. Castle Howard as seen in Brideshead Revisited (2008)

This might be one of the youngest mansions of England on this list (it’s only a mere 300 years old) but it’s one of the most impressive. Multiple lakes, bridges, ponds, fountains, and even a church make up one of the best North Yorkshire stately homes. Film productions use this gilded English stately home for only the wealthiest, most grandiose of characters.

Where? York, North Yorkshire

Also seen in: Barry Lyndon (1975), Bridgerton (2020- ), The Great (2020- )

7. Knebworth House as seen in Batman Begins (2005)

It’s not only period films that take advantage of using English country homes as filming locations. They’re fantastic stand-ins for wealthy individuals who live anywhere, even fictional places like Gotham. And where better to display Bruce Wayne’s wealth than a Gothic Tudor stately home like Knebworth House with its 250 acres?

Where? Stevenage, Hertfordshire

Also seen in: Eyes Wide Shut (1999), Batman (1989), The King’s Speech (2010), Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020), Paddington 2 (2017)

8. Hampton Court Palace as seen in The Favourite (2018)

Another country house of England even more synonymous with the Tudors is Hampton Court Palace. Henry VIII lived here with all of his wives and he couldn’t have picked a better estate because it boasts 60-acre grounds - one for each wife! Of all the London stately homes, it’s the perfect one to stand in for any royal estate because it actually is one.

Where? Molesey, Greater London

Also seen in: The Young Victoria (2009), Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011), The Theory of Everything (2014), Bridgerton (2020- )

9. Stoke Park as seen in Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)

This stately home in England is now a hotel and spa but it began life as the first-ever country club in the UK. Contrary to many of the other manors in England on this list, its working status means it isn’t suitable for period dramas (the decor is too modern) but has still found a place in British action films like the James Bond series. Just call it Park, Stoke Park.

Where? Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire

Also seen in: Goldfinger (1964), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), Layer Cake (2004)

10. Chavenage House as seen in Poldark (2015 - 2019)

Chavenage House is one of the more rustic stately homes used in film on this list, but all that should tell you is how extravagant all these houses are. Unchanged for almost 400 years, this Elizabethan manor house has had dozens of famous residents including Katherine Parr (one of Henry VIII’s luckier wives) and the sister of King Edward the Confessor. The dark wood-panelled walls, marble fireplaces and tapestries hung like wallpaper evoke images of Middle Earth as well as Middle England.

Where? Tetbury, Gloucestershire

Also seen in: Barry Lyndon (1975), Tess of the D’Urbervilles (2008), Emma (2020)

11. Wrotham Park as seen in The Crown (2016- )

This English stately home dates back to 1754 and unlike many other country houses of England, it’s not open to the public. But this sprawling estate (around 2500 acres!) is available for hire as an events venue. The stately homes in Hertfordshire, like Wrotham Park, are in close proximity to London so they are perfect for London-based film crews.

Where? Barnet, Hertfordshire

Also seen in: Gosford Park (2001), Vanity Fair (2004), Jane Eyre (2011), Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)

12. Haddon Hall as seen in Jane Eyre (2011)

You don’t need to go to London for Tudor England manor houses because there are stately homes in Derbyshire that will also satisfy this desire. The oldest parts of this country home date back 900 years and Haddon Hall’s Elizabethan Walled Garden and wooden beamed ceiling will transport you right back to the late 1500s. It’s incredible that film crews are able to dress up such fragile English stately homes and fill them with hundreds of crew members and actors but they clearly take a lot of care and have great respect for these historic locations.

Where? Bakewell, Derbyshire

Also seen in: The Princess Bride (1987), Pride & Prejudice (2005), The Other Boleyn Girl (2008), Mary Queen of Scots (2018)

13. Mompesson House as seen in Sense and Sensibility (1995)

Some of the great houses of England aren’t always in vast country parks. Some, like this Wiltshire stately home, sit on historic streets. Mompesson House is a Grade I building from the early 1700s and the entirety of Cathedral Close is like an open-air museum. It’s no wonder that this Jane Austen adaptation thought it would make the perfect filming location for a period London location.

Where? Salisbury, Wiltshire

14. Stokesay Court as seen in Atonement (2007)

Cinema audiences found another reason to fall in love with Keira Knightley again wearing that silky green dress in the library at Stokesay Court. It’s one of the most underrated and under-visited Victorian estates in England sitting close to the Welsh border but it has an interesting history. It became a convalescent home for soldiers in WWI and now it’s a beautiful English Heritage home you should visit in spring when the daffodils are in full bloom.

Where? Onibury, Shropshire

15. Ranger’s House as seen in Bridgerton (2020- )

Trust a brand new, forward-thinking period TV show like Bridgerton to find one of the only mansions in England that hasn’t yet appeared onscreen as a filming location. Ranger’s House is a Georgian villa in Greenwich Park with an ornate cast-iron gate and even more decadent interiors. It may have started its journey in 1720 as a Naval officer’s house but today it holds an extensive 19th-century art collection featuring renaissance paintings and fabulous jewels.

Where? Greenwich, London

Pretend You're in Your Own Period Film

The above-mentioned are just a handful of the best English stately homes used in films, but there are many more grand country houses that are still hidden gems to the film industry. Indeed, there's a reason why lots of historical films and TV series come from England.

You don't have to be a film star to get your own taste of courtly life. You can check Giggster's selection of elegant homes in the UK and rent one for a majestic experience of country living. Or, you may use them for your own filming and production as well! Here are some of our favorite locations:

Maritime Mansion on Tower Hill in London, UK

Book this stunning location here.

Milebrook House in Knighton, UK

Check this house's amenities and rates here.

18th-Century Stately Home in Worcestershire, UK

Check out prices and book this for your shoot here!

Enchanting Country Estate in Midlothian, UK

Book a slice of elegance here.

Private Country Estate with diverse film backdrops in Casterton, UK

Book this magnificent location for your film shoot here!