In 2020, director Autumn de Wilde created a new movie adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma. EMMA. (written with a period to symbolize it being a period drama) is the story of Emma Woodhouse, played by Anya Taylor-Joy, a rich (and spoiled) young lady whose desire for matchmaking teaches her about the meaning of life and love.
The visuals, costumes, and locations for this Emma adaptation were an important aspect of the storytelling by Autumn de Wilde. Pastel colors and dream-house-styled sets transport you to a dreamy Regency England.
Many Emma film locations can be visited, and they have also appeared in other Jane Austen adaptations such as Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility.
Where Was EMMA. Filmed?
Firle Place as Hartfield
The family house of Emma Woodhouse and her father (played by Bill Nighy) is named Hartfield. As Emma Woodhouse treats the people around her as dolls, director Autumn de Wilde wanted Emma’s house to look and feel like a doll’s house.
It was up to Production designer Kave Quinn and set decorator Stella Fox to turn Firle Place into the fictional Hartfield. The Firle Place rooms used as a film location have been given a fresh look with pastel-colored walls and Georgian adornments.
The Upstairs Italian Drawing Room didn’t get a new lick of paint. The green that you see on the walls in this beautiful room is original to the house. But the set decorator did fill the room with flowers to signify the changing season in the film and to give the room a whimsical look.
Firle Place is a 15th-century manor house in the South Downs National Park in Sussex. While the house dates back to Tudor times, it was given a Georgian appearance when it was cladded with Caen Stone. The house has been the family seat of the Gage family since its construction, and today, Viscount Gage, Henry Nicholas Gage, lives at Firle with his wife, Alexandra Murray Templeton.
While the lady of the house loved the colorful rooms that were created by the production crew of Emma, the rooms have been returned to their former appearance, so when you visit Firle Place, do not expect the pastel blue and pink rooms that you see in the movie.
Wilton House as Donwell Abbey
Wilton House is a favorite film location for Jane Austen adaptations. Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility are also filmed at this beautiful stately home in Salisbury. The Double Cube Room features in both movie adaptations as the Pemberley drawing room where Georgiana plays the piano and the London ballroom scene in Sense and Sensibility.
In Emma, Wilton House is used as the film location for Donwell Abbey, Mr. Knightley’s (Johnny Flynn) house. In Emma, the Double Cube Room is also seen in the movie Emma.
The Earls of Pembroke have owned the estate since 1544, when the land was gifted to the family by King Henry VIII.
Wrotham Park as the Cole’s House
The Coles host a large party in Emma, and these scenes are filmed at Wrotham Park. As a period drama lover, you may recognize Wrotham Park from other period dramas, including the BBC adaptation of Sense and Sensibility, where it was used as Norland Park.
Wrotham Park is one of the largest private country houses near London. The house was built in 1754 for Admiral John Byng, and to this day, the house belongs to the same family.
Lower Slaughter as Hartfield Village
Lower Slaughter is one of the prettiest villages in the Cotswolds. The picturesque village sits beside the River Eye and features original historic limestone cottages that were built in the traditional Cotswold style. This unspoiled village makes it the perfect film location for a period drama, and in Emma, they used Lower Slaughter as the fictional village of Hartfield.
The Village Hall in Lower Slaughter has been transformed into the Haberdashery in Emma, and the market square is also used in the movie. But you will also recognize the original cottages and the River Eye in the movie Emma.
Leith Hill as the Box Hill Picnic Location
Leith Hill has been a popular visiting spot since Victorian times. The hill is set within the Surrey Hills, and from the tower (the highest point in South-East England), you have a beautiful view of London and the English Channel.
The famous Box Hill picnic in Emma is filmed at Leith Hill. The beautiful setting is located within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and it’s a perfect place to escape into nature. The hill is now part of the National Trust, and you can follow a self-guided trail through ancient woods, enjoy the Rhododendron Wood, or walk across open heathland.
Chavenage House as Randalls and The Home of Mrs. Bates and Miss. Bates
Chavenage House in Tetbury is used as the film location for Randalls, the home of Mr. and Mrs. Weston as well as the home of Mrs. And Miss Bates.
Emma often visits Randalls to see her former governess Miss Taylor (now Mrs. Weston). One notable scene that was filmed at Chavenage House is the funny Christmas dinner party.
The upstairs rooms of Chavenage House are used as the home of Mrs. and Miss Bates. One of the house’s bedrooms, with its distinctive wall tapestries, was turned into the sitting room of the mother and daughter.
You may also recognize Chavenage House as the family seat of the Poldark family.
Ramster Hall as the Ballroom at the Crown Inn
The ballroom scenes at the Crown Inn are filmed at Ramster Hall. Ramster Hall is a romantic country house in Surrey that can now be rented as a wedding venue. The 17th-century open-beamed converted barn (The Long Hall Barn) is used for the ballroom scenes in Emma.
All Saints Church, St. Paul’s Walden as Hartfield Church
The All Saints Church, St. Paul’s Walden, is used as the Hartfield church in the 2020 adaptation of Emma. The village in which the church stands is home to St. Paul’s Walden Bury, a large country house that is owned by the Bowes-Lyon family, whose most prominent member is Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. The church at St. Paul’s Walden is famous for being the church where the Queen Mother was baptized.
Kingston Bagpuize House as Mrs. Goddard’s School
Harriet Smith (Mia Goth) is a pupil at Mrs. Goddard’s School in Hartfield. The scenes at Mrs. Goddard’s School in Emma are filmed in the Entrance Hall, the Drawing Room, and the Pink Bedroom of Kingston Bagpuize House.
The early Georgian house is set in the Vale of The White Horse in Oxfordshire, and beautiful gardens and parkland surround it. While the house remains a private family home, it is occasionally open to visitors.
About Emma
Autumn de Wilde directed the 2020 film adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma, which was nominated for two Academy Awards.
The movie was released eleven years after the BBC mini-series featuring Romola Garai as Emma Woodhouse and Johnny Lee Miller as Mr. Knightley. In the 90s, Emma was adapted into a movie twice with Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Beckinsale as Emma Woodhouse.
