Britain’s Film and TV by region: The south-west of England
Stop 1 - The Cotswolds
Blenheim Palace, Woodstock
Britain’s only non-royal palace to hold the title, Blenheim Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the birthplace of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. It has taken a starring role in Bridgerton, Mission: Impossible, Cinderella, and The BFG. Its grand Baroque architecture and vast, carefully manicured grounds make it a picturesque setting for lavish period dramas and action-packed scenes. In Bridgerton, the palace doubles as the Duke of Hastings’ country estate, while Mission: Impossible used its opulent interiors for key action sequences. A packed annual events calendar features everything from food festivals and special exhibitions to Christmas stalls.
Woodchester Mansion, Woodchester
A striking example of Gothic Revival architecture frozen in time, Woodchester Mansion was abandoned mid-construction in the 1870s, leaving behind a shell of vaulted ceilings, exposed beams and mysterious staircases that lead nowhere. It doubled as an asylum in His Dark Materials, a series based on the books by Phillip Pullman, and featured as a royal residence in The Crown. Tucked in a wooded valley near Nympsfield, the building sits within a 400-acre park, rich in walking trails and wildlife. Open seasonally, it also hosts specialist tours and workshops.
Badminton House, Badminton
Usually closed to the public, Badminton House opened its Palladian doors for Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, representing royal palaces in the Bridgerton spin-off. This stately home is the ancestral seat of the Dukes of Beaufort and has a distinct claim to fame: the sport of badminton was formalised here. While interior access is limited to pre-booked private group tours, the formal gardens are open to the public on select dates from April to June, with tickets available for timed garden-only visits or combined house and garden tours.
Captivating Cotswolds Tour (from Bath)
The Captivating Cotswolds Tour is a full-day guided experience from Galahad Tours, tailor-made for lovers of film and the English countryside. Setting off from Bath Spa train station (or your clients’ Bath hotel location), the tour visits the historic villages and grand estates that have doubled as locations in Downton Abbey, Bridgerton, and No Time to Die. Stops include the historic market town of Tetbury near His Majesty King Charles III’s permanent home of Highgrove, and the village of Castle Combe, seen in War Horse and Stardust. Guests travel in a luxury Mercedes with an expert guide who shares film trivia, historical context, and location lore. With time for tea and photos, it’s an entertaining mix of screen magic and real-world charm.
Iford Manor Gardens, Bradford-on-Avon
Tucked into a secluded valley near Bradford-on-Avon, Iford Manor’s Grade I-listed gardens are a prime example of early 20th-century Italianate design in Britain. Created by landscape architect Harold Peto, the site includes colonnades, Roman columns, pools and wisteria-draped terraces. With its wild romanticism, the Peto Garden was one of several locations that brought Misselthwaite Manor’s magical grounds to life in director Marc Munden’s 2020 adaptation of The Secret Garden. From April to September, visitors can explore the cloister, Japanese garden and Great Terrace – or stay for a seasonal open-air concert. The on-site café serves local produce, including cakes, cheeses and garden-grown herbs.
Highgrove Gardens, Tetbury
The private residence of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, Highgrove is a model of organic gardening and Royal environmentalism. While not a filming location, its meticulous design and scenic views of the surrounding countryside are truly cinematic. Pre-booked garden tours and autumn walks grant access to the walled kitchen garden, wildflower meadow and the award-winning Carpet Garden, as well as other landscaped areas. A highlight is the Champagne Tea and Garden Tour, including afternoon tea in the elegant Orchard Room Restaurant after a guided tour of the grounds. Please note, all visitors must bring photographic identification, such as a passport or a driving license.
Bourton-on-the-Water
With its arched limestone bridges, traditional stone cottages, and the River Windrush flowing through its centre, Bourton-on-the-Water is a picture-postcard village. It also earned a cinematic cameo in No Time to Die as part of James Bond’s route across the British countryside. Beyond Bond, it’s a compact cultural hub. The 1930s Model Village is a Grade II-listed one-ninth scale miniature replica of Bourton itself, while the Cotswold Motoring Museum houses more than 50 vintage cars, enamel signs and more. The Cotswold Perfumery, which has been crafting fragrances since 1966, offers perfumery courses and workshops. For nature-lovers, there’s Birdland Park and Gardens – home to penguins, parrots and Jurassic-themed woodland trails. Bourton-on-the-water is also a good base for exploring the north of the Cotswolds by foot or by bike. The village is an intersection for nine walking routes including the Monarch’s Way and Heart of England Way.
Getting around
Getting around: From London Heathrow Airport, the Cotswolds are around 90 minutes by car. Direct trains run from London Paddington to hubs like Moreton-in-Marsh, Kemble, and Cheltenham Spa. To travel from the Cotswolds to Bath and Somerset, take a direct train from Cheltenham Spa, Stroud or Chippenham to Bath Spa (around 30 to 60 minutes).
Stop 2 - Bristol and Somerset
We the Curious, Bristol
Located on Bristol’s lively harbourside, We the Curious is an award-winning science centre which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2025. With more than 250 hands-on exhibits across two floors, it invites visitors of all ages to get stuck into science and the arts – from generating electricity to controlling mini-storms. Budding animators can experiment with stop-motion in the Animation area, inspired by Bristol’s own Aardman Animations, the studio behind Wallace and Gromit. The 3D digital Planetarium offers immersive daily shows, including guided tours of the night sky.
Brunel’s SS Great Britain, Bristol
Brunel’s SS Great Britain was the world’s first great ocean liner – and the longest passenger ship when launched in 1843. Now restored in Bristol Harbour, it offers clients a full-scale dive into Victorian travel, from the boiler rooms to the beautifully preserved First-Class cabins. A below-the-waterline glass dry dock reveals the pioneering design that made it the Concorde of her day. The VIP Experience lets your clients enjoy exclusive after-hours access, private guided tours, and champagne receptions. Seasonal events span open-air opera in summer, Murder Mystery Christmas dinners, and a Masquerade Ball each December.
The Bristol Cheesemonger, Bristol
Tucked inside Bristol’s Wapping Wharf, The Bristol Cheesemonger has been award‑winning since 2017, sourcing artisan cheese direct from West Country farms and maturing it in-house. In a city that’s home to Wallace and Gromit, this destination shop feels like a fromage fête, with two city branches and 35 regularly rotated British farmhouse varieties on offer. Here, your clients can channel their inner Wallace and enjoy a Cheesemaking Workshop. During the five-hour course, they will learn to make three different cheeses followed by a lunch consisting of a local cheeseboard with accompaniments.
Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare brings vintage seaside charm to the screen with its sweeping beaches, historic pier, and slightly faded glamour – all of which have appeared in Sanditon, Never Let Me Go, and The Remains of the Day. This north Somerset resort town offers classic coastal scenery. Walk the promenade, take in the Grand Pier amusements, or dive into local history at the Weston Museum. For a dose of fast-paced fun, Laser Quest Weston offers family-friendly laser tag action just minutes from the seafront.
Tyntesfield House, Wraxall
A neo-Gothic mansion, Tyntesfield House is all turrets and theatrical flair – no wonder it’s appeared in Sherlock and Doctor Who. Owned by the National Trust, this Victorian building was once home to a soap magnate and is now welcoming visitors to explore its ornate chapel, sprawling parkland, and more than 10,000 original objects and paintings, including works by Sir Joshua Reynolds and Scottish artist William Bell Scott. Family trails and seasonal events add an interactive twist.
A Grand Way Out at Locked In A Room, Bristol
Run by Aardman and Locked In A Room, A Grand Way Out is an immersive puzzle experience which brings the eccentric inventions of Wallace and Gromit to life. Help Wallace remember the code to his workshop, so that he can show off his new invention at the village science fete. Teams solve tasks in a fully themed world, where the visuals and voice acting stay faithful to the stop-motion style.
Montacute House, Montacute
A marvel from the late Elizabethan era, Montacute House played a starring role in the adaptation of Hillary Mantell’s historic novel Wolf Hall and even inspired Wallace and Gromit’s West Wallaby Street home – a reminder that Renaissance architecture and animated cheese-lovers needn’t be mutually exclusive. Managed by the National Trust, Montacute features a Long Gallery lined with Tudor and Jacobean portraits on loan from the National Portrait Gallery. Outside, your clients can explore the formal gardens or follow one of the three waymarked trails through the Tudor parkland, leading round Ladies’ Walk and up to St Michael’s Tower.
Bristol Beacon
Reopened in 2023 following a £132 million refurbishment, the Bristol Beacon is a concert venue with multiple performance spaces. With a 2,000-capacity main hall, it hosts everything from international orchestras to cutting-edge electronic acts, while the glass-fronted foyer floods the space with natural light. But it’s more than just a concert hall: your clients can dine beneath the arches at Colonnade restaurant, sip a cocktail at Simon’s Bar or grab artisan coffee and pastries from Bristol Loaf. With its vaulted bars, seasonal menus and rooftop views, this cultural hub hits all the right notes.
getting around
Getting around: Direct trains run frequently from Bristol Temple Meads to Bath Spa, taking just 10 to 15 minutes. Alternatively, the drive takes around 30 to 40 minutes, depending on traffic. For a scenic and eco-friendly option, cycle the Bristol and Bath Railway Path, a flat 13-mile route through green countryside.
Stop 3 - Bath
No. 1 Royal Crescent
The elegant Georgian architecture of Bath created the magical backdrop for many period dramas, from Jane Austen adaptations to Netflix hit Bridgerton, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory prequel, Wonka. Your clients can immerse themselves in the history and lifestyle of the city’s real-life residents at No.1 Royal Crescent, featuring paintings and period furniture as well as soundscapes, changing exhibitions and displays.
Fly Away Ballooning Bath
With its grand Georgian architecture and rolling countryside, Bath looks cinematic even from 2,000 feet up high. Fly Away Ballooning offer three-to-four-hour long sunrise and sunset flight experiences (45-minute to 1-hour of flying, plus setup, packing up, and return trip) in traditional wicker baskets, launching from Royal Victoria Park. Post-landing, there’s a celebratory glass of fizz.
Abbey Green
The peaceful cobblestone square of Bath’s Abbey Green had a starring role in Bridgerton’s first season, as the setting of shopping trips and dress fittings at the Modiste Dress Shop. Today it is home to a variety of quirky shops and independent restaurants. Your clients can also marvel at the ancient plane tree in the centre of the square.
Brit Movie Tours Bridgerton Bath Walking Tour
Prepare the smelling salts – this two-hour guided tour is positively scandalous. The Brit Movie Tours Bridgerton Bath Walking Tour takes your clients through the very streets where Lady Whistledown’s gossip sheets might have flown. From the Royal Crescent to the Holburne Museum (standing in for Lady Danbury’s home), this guided experience spills behind-the-scenes secrets from the hit Netflix series, while weaving in real tales from Bath’s Regency heyday. A treat for fans or anyone who’s ever dreamed of a forbidden romance with a viscount. Tours depart from outside the Abbey Hotel.
Jane Austen Centre
Let your clients step into a world of bonnets and ballroom gossip. Bath’s Jane Austen Centre brings the author’s life and legacy vividly to life, just a short stroll from where she once lived. Costumed guides welcome visitors into a townhouse filled with Regency fashion, waxwork figures, and writing desks. Your clients can try on a top hat or corset, enjoy a themed afternoon tea at the Regency Tea Room upstairs, and pick up literary souvenirs in the gift shop. Look out for a packed events calendar, especially as 2025 marks the 250th anniversary of the author’s birth.
Thermae Bath Spa
At Thermae Bath Spa, your clients can bathe in Britain’s natural thermal waters, just as the Romans did – only with better views and without the togas. A highlight is the open-air rooftop pool, overlooking Bath’s historic skyline. Inside, there are steam rooms and a whirlpool worthy of a Bridgerton duchess. Pair it with a visit to the ancient Roman Baths next door, and there’s more than two thousand years of wellness to discover in one afternoon.
Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein
Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein invites your clients to step into a spine-tingling world. Inspired by the Gothic masterpiece, Frankenstein, this immersive escape room offers several haunting scenarios, including ‘The Despicable Gift’, where visitors race against time to uncover the dark secrets of a sinister parcel. For extra chills, your clients can try ‘The Shallows’ or ‘Body in a Suitcase’. Afterwards, they can explore the museum’s cinematic homage to Shelley’s masterpiece and meet a towering 8-foot animatronic creature.
Holburne Museum
With its grand neoclassical façade and sweeping gardens, the Holburne Museum stood in for Lady Danbury’s residence in Bridgerton – and it is just as elegant inside. The museum houses a collection of 18th-century fine art, silverware, period costumes and ceramics, many from the personal collection of Sir William Holburne. Your clients can admire Thomas Gainsborough portraits, Venetian glass, and even explore changing exhibitions that range from contemporary sculpture to historic fashion. Set at the end of Bath’s Great Pulteney Street, the museum also boasts a café with views onto Sydney Gardens.
Assembly Rooms
Once the glittering social hub of Georgian Bath, the Assembly Rooms now doubles as a ready-made film set for Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. Built in 1771, these historic ballrooms once echoed with the chatter of Austen-era elites, and today visitors can still wander through the elegant Tea Room, Ball Room and Octagon Room, complete with original chandeliers, decorative plasterwork and a musicians’ gallery. Operated by the National Trust, the venue hosts lectures, performances and a variety of seasonal events.
getting around
Getting around: Direct trains run from Bath Spa to key Wiltshire towns like Bradford-on-Avon, Trowbridge, Westbury and Salisbury, with journey times from just 15 minutes.
Stop 4 - Wiltshire
Lacock Abbey
With its medieval and Tudor architecture, Lacock Abbey was a key filming location for Downton Abbey and other major productions. In the series, it stands in for various grand interiors and exteriors. Beyond Downton Abbey, Lacock Abbey has also appeared in Fantastic Beasts and Harry Potter. The abbey’s Warming Room – which contains a giant cauldron – was Professor Quirrell’s Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, while Professor Snape’s Potions Class was held in the Sacristy. It was in the abbey’s Chapter House that Harry stumbled upon the Mirror of Erised, which shows the heart’s deepest desire.
Stonehenge
Few backdrops in England are as instantly recognisable or enigmatic as Stonehenge. This 5,000-year-old World Heritage Site has featured in numerous mystic dramas, from Doctor Who (‘The Pandorica Opens’) to Tess of the d’Urbervilles (2008). Managed by English Heritage, the site includes a visitor centre with immersive exhibitions, Neolithic houses, and a cafe. Book a Stone Circle Experience for rare, early-morning or evening access inside the stones. Whether your clients are after sunrises, solstices or screen moments, this Neolithic wonder delivers.
Lacock Village
Just a 30-minute drive from Bath, the National Trust-owned Lacock Village notably featured in Downton Abbey. Its medieval streets and quaint cottages stood in for early 20th-century settings in the series, including starring as the village of Downton itself. Visit 13th-century Lacock Abbey (once home to photography pioneer William Henry Fox Talbot), stroll through the Fox Talbot Museum, browse the village shops or warm up in a cosy tearoom.
Bowood House and Gardens
Bowood House is a Georgian stately home that stood in for the Grantham estate in Downton Abbey. Home to the Marquis and Marchioness of Lansdowne, Bowood House features one of Britain’s finest private art collections, including works by Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Gainsborough, as well as Napoleon’s death mask. Outside, 100 acres of parkland landscaped by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown offer clients lakeside walks, a cascade and an arboretum. Families can explore the adventure playground, while grown-ups can unwind at the estate’s luxury spa or enjoy a meal at the Bowood Hotel’s two AA Rosette restaurant, Shelburne, located on the estate.
The Manor House Hotel, Castle Combe
Tucked into one of the prettiest villages in the region, The Manor House hotel in Castle Combe offers five-star luxury with cinematic credentials. Castle Combe’s honey-stone lanes and medieval charm have lured productions like Stardust, War Horse, and Doctor Dolittle – and the hotel sits right in the heart of it all. Set in a 14th-century manor, the hotel offers opulent main house rooms and suites, period mews cottages with heritage furnishings, a Michelin-starred restaurant (The Bybrook) serving modern British cuisine, and an 18-hole championship golf course. Guests can explore 365 acres of gardens and woodland or enjoy afternoon tea on the terrace.
Longleat Safari Park
An estate where lions roam past a stately home, Longleat brings a dash of drama to the Wiltshire countryside. Home to the Marquess and Marchioness of Bath, this 16th-century Elizabethan mansion is as famous for its aristocratic eccentricity (as seen in Animal Park) as it is for pioneering Britain’s first drive-through safari park. Clients can explore the grand rooms of Longleat House on a guided or self-guided tour, wonder through the Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown designed formal gardens, or spot red pandas, koalas, and tigers from their car window on a drive-through safari. For an enhanced experience, the Gold VIP Tour offers a private vehicle, behind-the-scenes animal encounters and lunch at the Chameleon Tree Food Court.
