If there’s a grand country house in a blockbuster movie, chances are it’s in England! Dozens of English stately homes make a starring appearance on the big screen each year, and there’s no nicer way to go ‘behind the scenes’ and visit the real places than on one of our tailor-made location tours.

Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, star of many films and TV shows

‘Set-jetting’ is a booming trend in travel and research shows that more than half of international travellers said TV shows and films inspire their travel plans. In 2019 alone, inbound tourists spent an estimated £892.6 million in film-related screen tourism in the UK.

England is dotted with picture-postcard stately homes which have featured in million-dollar movies and many can be visited on a tour of the UK. Here are just seven which caught our eye and are worth a visit.

Drayton House (Saltburn)

Saltburn has been described as one of the most divisive films of 2023, but with a highly successful debut in the US, it’s clear that this black comedy thriller is creating a buzz that it’s hard to avoid. One thing’s for sure, the star of the movie is the real-life stately home of Drayton House in Northamptonshire, which stands in for the fictitious Saltburn. Amazingly, it’s the first time Drayton House has appeared on film, and while not generally open to the public, group tours can be arranged by appointment.

Drayton House in Northamptonshire

Hatfield House (The Favourite)

Hatfield House is perhaps one of the most filmed stately homes in England, having appeared in over 70 movies since the 1960s, including The Favourite, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Batman Forever and Shakespeare in Love. Hatfield is a majestic Jacobean house in Hertfordshire, less than 25 miles from London, which dates back to the early 17th century and is set in 42 acres of gardens. The medieval Old Palace at Hatfield is closely associated with Queen Elizabeth I, who spent her childhood there, and visitors can see many objects associated with one of England’s most famous monarchs. The house and gardens are open each year from spring to autumn.

Hatfield House – one of England’s most filmed stately homes

Chatsworth House (Pride & Prejudice)

Chatsworth House in Derbyshire has played host to 19 film and TV productions including The Duchess, Pride & Prejudice (2005) and Jane Eyre (2011). Voted England’s most loved stately home on numerous occasions, the grand 17th century mansion stands in 100 acres of parkland and Capability Brown landscaped gardens, at the heart of England’s wonderful Peak District. The seat of the Duke of Devonshire, Chatsworth has been in the Cavendish family for almost 500 years and is often described as more like a palace than a house! Chatsworth at Christmas is a highlight for many and afternoon tea there is hard to beat. The house and gardens are open from late March until early January every year.

Chatsworth House – more like a palace than a house!

Burghley House (The Crown)

Burghley House in Lincolnshire, in the east of England, has starred in a number of film and TV productions, including The Crown, The Da Vinci Code and Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Burghley House has been a favourite for filming many scenes for The Crown, in which it stood in for Windsor Castle. Burghley is described as one of England’s grandest 16th century houses and the Italian-influenced Tudor mansion stands in wonderful grounds designed by Capability Brown. Burghley was built for Sir William Cecil, Lord High Treasurer to Queen Elizabeth I, and is home today to an extensive collection of art and priceless treasures. The house and gardens are open from March to October, and then the gardens open at weekends until December. 

Burghley House in the east of England

Waddesdon Manor (The Queen)

A French chateau style country house close to Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, Waddesdon Manor has featured on screen many times. Perhaps most famously, the house featured in The Queen, where it stood in for Buckingham Palace, but more recently it has been seen in the Netflix series The Crown and Queen Charlotte: a Bridgerton Story. Waddesdon Manor was built by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild in the late nineteenth century to display his collection of arts and to entertain his friends. Today, it is one of the National Trust’s most visited properties. Built in the neo-classical style, the house contains one of the most rare and valuable collections in the world. The manor and grounds are generally open from Wednesday to Sunday each week. 

Waddesdon Manor was built by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild

Kenwood House (Notting Hill)

Kenwood House, on the edge of Hampstead Heath, in north London, is one of the capital’s hidden gems. A popular filming location, the 17th century neo-classical villa featured in the Hugh Grant film Notting Hill, as well as Sense and Sensibility (1995) and Mansfield Park (1999) amongst others. Today, the delightful property is home to a world-renowned collection of paintings by artists like Vermeer, Rembrandt, Turner and Constable. It is set in over 100 acres of tranquil parkland designed by Humphry Repton – the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. Kenwood is open all year round. 

Kenwood House in north London © English Heritage

Knebworth House (Batman)

There have been 27 film and TV productions at Knebworth House, a lavish Tudor stately home near Stevenage in Hertfordshire, including Batman, Paddington 2 and The King’s Speech. In the UK, Knebworth is most famous for its outdoor rock concerts, but the house has been home to the Lytton family for over 500 years and Victorian novelist Edward Bulwer Lytton (‘the pen is mightier than the sword’) once lived here. The fantasy exterior of turrets, domes and gargoyles conceals an extraordinary interior which offers a walk-through of half a millennium of British history. Knebworth House, park and gardens is perfect for a family day out, with lots of activities and events for children, and is open from March to September. 

Knebworth House is also famous for its rock concerts

Of course, there are dozens of other stately homes which have featured in movies and TV productions, which can be seen on one of our tailor-made location tours, including Castle Howard in North Yorkshire (Bridgerton, Brideshead Revisited), Highclere Castle in Hampshire (Downton Abbey), Audley End House in Essex (The Crown), Stokesay Court in Shropshire (Atonement), Wilton House in Wiltshire (Bridgerton) and Blenheim Palace (Spectre, Mission Impossible) in Oxfordshire.

If you or your group would like to enjoy a tailor-made location tour of England visiting the stately homes which appeared in your favourite movies or TV series, please do contact our friendly team today and we will put together the perfect itinerary for you.