*This is an ongoing series of posts featuring some of my filming location escapades, if you enjoy it please check out the others! I travel a lot, and one of my favorite things to do while traveling is track down and visit filming locations from my favorite movies/shows. It’s really not just the fan element that compels me to do this – I love sightseeing and many times filming locations are beautiful places to visit and sometimes a nice off-the-beaten-path challenge to get to as well. Another reason is practice – being a photographer, location scouting is a skill I’m constantly trying to improve. What better way than to follow in the footsteps of the pros?*
This quest was by far the most challenging and rewarding of all the filming location hunts I have been on – it was for the key locations in the 2005 adaptation of Pride & Prejudice starring Keira Knightly and Matthew Macfadyen. One of my favorite movies of all time, not only because of the story and fabulous acting but because the cinematographer and director so perfectly captured the character of the locations as well – the fields, the houses, the moods and colors of the English countryside… there’s a reason Lizzie likes walking so much, the countryside is as much a part of her as her wit and pride, and when you’re there it’s easy to see and feel why. There is a magical element too it that can’t be expressed verbally.
Without further ado here are the places I visited along with stills from corresponding scenes:
Chatsworth House – Mr. Darcy’s “Pemberley”
Film Stills:
I was fortunate that part of Chatsworth was open, even in the middle of winter. This was the first year they have ever been open in winter at all. That being said, I was very unfortunate that the parts of the house used in filming were closed, including the garden/pond area with the best view of the house (the view that Lizzie sees on arriving for the first time), I did however hike far enough down the river that I got a view of this side of the house, even if it wasn’t the exact view from the film. So if you’re wondering why my pictures don’t look exactly like the house from the movie, I can assure you they are, just not the view seen in the film. The house is absolutely spectacular and I cannot wait to visit someday when the entire estate is open. And when I don’t have to track through 6 inches of mud and sheep poo to get a good photo of it!
My photos…
Stanage Edge & The Peak District – Where Lizzie stands in a sweeping view of the Peak District
This entire area was so magical I don’t even know how to explain it. There is something about the air, the earth, the feeling you get there. “What are men, compared to rocks and mountains!” It’s true. The rocks here look as though a giant just picked them up and stacked them in a game of Jenga.
Again, this wasn’t the exact spot from the film, but the exact spot is impossible to find unless you hike along the entire edge to find it, which is many miles. I would have been down, but it was already getting dark (sun sets at 4PM in the winter in England!) and in classic English fashion the ground was extremely muddy and I wasn’t in boots.
Stourhead Gardens – The scene where Mr. Darcy confesses his love to Lizzie in the rain
This was the only spot I got dead-on to the film, and it was also my favorite location in the film and in real life. It was just as magical in person! I also grabbed a video at this location too… couldn’t help it! This was also the hardest location to get to, since I couldn’t afford to rent a car for another day I decided to take public transportation, and no route took you straight to Stourhead – it’s in the middle of nowhere. I got a train out of London Victoria to Salisbury, then a connection to Gillingham which is still 6 miles from Stourhead, so I took a taxi the rest of the way, and arranged for them to pick me up again an hour 1/2 after they dropped me off (I hit up Stonehenge later that day so I was on a tight schedule!)
It was about 30 degrees F the morning I was at Stourhead, and I had practically the entire garden to myself which extends all around the lake you see in the backdrop and beyond. It’s a huge estate/garden with many temples and sculptures, but the Temple of Apollo used in the movie was by far the coolest feature of the garden. It sat on a hill overlooking the entire property that was a nice hike to get to. I was freezing cold but the hike warmed me up!
Lastly here is a video of my journey to Stourhead…