Have you binged on Bridgerton? It’s like walking into a fairy tale. Everything glimmers. OK, everything is a bit more beautiful, more glimmering, more lovely than real life really is…then or now. But still gorgeous!
And those film locations…Wow-za! Bridgerton was mostly filmed in Bath, York, and London. Based on the best-selling books by Julia Quinn and narrated by Dame Julie Andrews (aaahhh… Sound of Music … my all time favourite movie), the period drama is set in the early 1800s and follows the Bridgerton family and their high society lives and romances.
Now, let’s get into some of the specific and stunning homes, starting with…
Before visiting any of the historic homes/sites below, check their websites for temporary closures affecting interior spaces, tours, and amenities. In some cases, you may need to make advance reservations for timed entry.
Bath, the largest city in Somerset, England, has a starring role in Bridgerton. Although the show is set in London, the charming historic city—founded by the Romans as a thermal spa, per UNESCO—provides the backdrop for most scenes. Case in point? No. 1 Royal Crescent, a museum, provides the exterior for the Featherington house. Did you guess (SPOILER ALERT) Penelope was Lady Whistledown? Love Nicola Coughlan in Derry Girls!
No.1 Royal Crescent
The exterior of No. 1 Royal Crescent is used for the home of the Featherington family. No. 1 Royal Crescent – due to reopen April 2021- is a museum which has been decorated and furnished just as it might have been in the late 1700’s.
Lady Danbury’s Estate
That’d be Holburne Museum in Bath. The exterior of wealthy widow Lady Danbury’s mansion is actually Bath’s Holburne Museum, which houses the eclectic art collection of a rich 19th-century naval officer. It was built in 1799 as the Sydney Hotel, and it still has the last remaining English pleasure garden from the 1700s.
The Royal Palace
So, all those iconic scenes of the Queen sitting on her throne? They took place at Wilton House.
Did you happen to notice that Bridgerton just “happened” to use the exact same room that The Crown season 4 did?
Badminton House
The interior of Badminton House, on yet another luscious country estate, also performed split duty as portions of the homes of both the Duke and Lady Danbury. But it also served as the inside of the Foundling Hospital. It may surprise you to see such a well-appointed orphanage, but the real Foundling Museum in London’s Coram Fields shows how luxurious such public facilities could be—in the years before government support, foundling homes served as social centers for philanthropists.
Because the Duke and Duchess of Beaufort still live at Badminton House, the gardens are open to the public for only one day a year, and the interior is usually restricted to group tours.
Royal Crescent
One of Bath’s most iconic landmarks makes for an impressive back drop for filming, so you will not miss it when it appears in Bridgerton. The crescent is arranged around a perfect lawn overlooking Royal Victoria Park and forms a sweeping crescent of 30 Grade I listed terraced houses.
The Holburne Museum
According to The Bath Echo, two of Bridgerton’s balls were filmed at the Holburne Museum, an art gallery, and the Banqueting Room at the Guildhall, often used for weddings. Hmmm…thinking of a destination wedding??!!
Bridgerton House
Welcome to Ranger’s House—a casually massive Georgian mansion that you can visit the next time you find yourself in London.
Syon House
Syon House, a well-preserved private home for nobility just west of London, is a frequent movie star, appearing in dozens of productions. In Bridgerton, the place stands in for King George III’s pad but this time it pretends to be Buckingham House.
Bridgerton scenes set in the King’s hallway and dining room were shot at Syon, but that’s not all. It was also used for the study and dressing room of the Duke of Hastings, Simon Basset (swoon!). Outside, the 30-acre gardens are often open on weekends, and there’s a free 200-acre public park beyond. The house interior open only three days a week from March to October (check ahead).
Windsor Great Park
The characters of Bridgerton spend a lot of time outdoors. Instead of filming at London’s actual Battersea Fields and Rotten Row, scenes were shot in Windsor Great Park, a public green space on the doorstep of the monarchy’s principal residence and burial place: Windsor Castle, located a town west of London (train station: Windsor & Eton Riverside or Windsor and Eton Central).
There are lots more locations filming was shot in and about….even one next to Prince Charles’ home. Definitely enough to create the most wonderful of trips!
