The film locations of the 1995 BBC mini series adaptation of Pride and Prejudice will transport you to Regency times. This BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice was a huge hit in England and abroad. And the locations used for this series are as beautiful as the love story between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth.
The BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice stars Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet and Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. The set design and locations are typical for a period drama in the 1990s. Unlike the movie adaptation that came ten years later, the locations and settings can be experienced as less grand (or perhaps less dramatic). But this slower and less flashy viewing certainly has its charms.
But you can’t have a Jane Austen adaptation without grand stately homes and beautiful English landscapes. And in Pride and Prejudice 1995, you will also be transported to the English countryside of the late 18th century.
And many of these locations can be visited. Wander through the grounds where Mr. Darcy took his famous dip into the lake. Or visit Belton House, which was used as Rosings Park, which is by some considered “the perfect English country house.”
Where was BBC Pride and Prejudice Filmed?
Luckington Court as Longbourn
The family home of the Bennet family plays a central role in Pride and Prejudice. In the BBC adaptation of the Jane Austen novel, Luckington Court is used as the location for Longbourn.
The history of Luckington Court goes back to the Norman period when this site was the home of a manor owned by King Harold II. The estate was named “Lochintone” in the Domesday Book at that time.
However, the core of the present Cotswold building dates from the 16th century. The house is made from local Cotswold stone, and the Tudor core of the house is fronted by a Queen Anne-style design.
In 2022, Luckington Court was put up for sale.
Lyme Park as Pemberley
The most famous scene from the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice is, without a doubt, the moment Mr. Darcy (Colin Firth) dives into the lake at Pemberley. This iconic scene was filmed at Lyme Park in Cheshire. Lyme Park is used for the exterior scenes of Pemberley.
Lyme Park is a 16th-century stately home that now shows a mixture of architectural styles. Parts of the original Elizabethan house are still visible, but you’ll also find Palladian and Baroque elements.
The Legh family owned the largest house in Cheshire until 1946 when it was given to the National Trust, which opened it up for visitors.
Lyme Park also features in: Brideshead Revisited and The Forsyte Saga
Belton House as Rosings Park
Some describe Belton House as the most perfect English country house. The 17th-century house was built by Sir John Brownlow, 3rd Baronet, and the house was the seat of the Brownlow family for 300 years.
We would consider this a grand house, but for Sir John, who was extremely wealthy, this house was rather modest compared to the great Baroque residences built at that time. However, the Carolean-style house was fitted with the latest innovations, from 17th-century sash windows to a cast iron-framed orangery in the Italian Garden that dates from the Industrial Revolution.
Visit Belton House: the estate is now owned by the National Trust. It has a grand art, silver, and ceramics collection and a world-renowned library.
Edgcote House as Netherfield
Netherfield is the country house that Mr. Bingley rents close to Longbourn. In the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, several houses are used to film scenes at the fictional Netherfield. The 18th-century Edgcote House is used for the exterior scenes of Netherfield Park.
The Edgcote estate was previously owned by Anne of Cleves (the fourth wife of Henry VIII), but the Tudor building no longer exists. Richard Chauncy, a London merchant, built the present house. The house is surrounded by a 1,700-acre park with a lake and a Roman villa’s remains.
Brocket Hall as Netherfield Park Ballroom
One of the big events in Pride and Prejudice is the ball at Netherfield Park. The ballroom scenes at Netherfield were filmed at Brocket Hall in Hertfordshire.
Brocket Hall is an 18th-century Neo-Classical country house that was built by Sir Matthew Lamb, 1st Baronet. Brocket Hall is famous for being a film location for Pride and Prejudice and for being the residence of Viscount Melbourne.
Brocket Hall has an adulterous and royal history. The Prince Regent (later King George IV) often visited Brocket Hall as he had an affair with Lady Melbourne, the wife of the first Viscount Melbourne.
Queen Victoria also visited Brocket Hall regularly as the second Viscount Melbourne was her first Prime Minister. His wife, Lady Caroline Lamb, has an affair with Lord Byron, leading to a large scandal.
The Old Rectory as Hunsford
After Charlotte Lucas marries Mr. Collins, she starts living at the Hunsfod Parsonage on the Rosings Estate. Elizabeth, Mr. Lucas, and Charlotte’s sister Maria visit Charlotte (and Mr. Collins) at the parsonage. Old Rectory in Teigh, a small village between Melton and Oakham in Rutland, is used as the film location for Hunsford.
The Old Rectory is now a bed and breakfast. Though the interiors have been modernized, you can still get a Pride and Prejudice experience while staying at the cottage.
Lacock Abbey as Cambridge and Pemberley
The great thing about the Pride and Prejudice mini-series is that there is more time to show the entire story. One of the things that is included in the series (in comparison to the movie) is that you also have scenes from Darcy’s time at Cambridge.
These scenes, together with scenes from Pemberley, are filmed at Lacock Abbey. The abbey was founded in the 13th century by Ela, Countess of Salisbury, as a nunnery. In the 16th century, the abbey was turned into a residence by Sir William Sharington. The house was built over the cloisters, so its main rooms are on the first floor.
In the 19th century, the house was the residence of William Henry Fox Talbot, who made one of the earliest photo negatives of one of the windows of Lacock Abbey.
Lacock Abbey also features in: The Other Boleyn Girl, Wolf Hall, and Harry Potter.
Visit Lacock Abbey: the house is owned by the National Trust and is open to visitors.
Sudbury Hall as Pemberley
Sudbury Hall is used for the interior scenes of Pemberley. The hall, built between 1660 and 1680 by George Vernon, is one of the finest Restoration houses in England. The house is known for its Great Staircase, the Long Gallery, the portraits by John Michael Wright, and the portraits of Charles II’s mistresses.
For three years, Sudbury Hall was the home of Queen Adelaide (widow of William IV). The National Trust now owns the house, and it’s used as “the children’s country house.”
Lord Leycester Hospital as London and the Coaching Inn
Lord Leycester is one of England’s best-preserved medieval courtyard architecture. And these historic buildings are featured in Pride and Prejudice as the Coaching Inn and for some London scenes.
The history of Lord Leycester started in 1123 when the chapel was built. Between 1385 and 1430, the medieval Guilds built the half-timbered buildings. The buildings have been admired by many famous visitors, such as Kings and Queens, Oscar Wilde, and Charles Dickens.
Lacock as Meryton
The village of Lacock is a favorite of film and television makers and not without reason. The quintessential English village has historic timber-framed cottages and shops. The Bennet family often visits Meryton, and these scenes were filmed at Lacock. But you can also recognize the village from Downton Abbey or Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
About Pride and Prejudice BBC Mini Series 1995
The 1995 BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice was written by Andrew Davies (known for many period dramas such as Little Dorrit, Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility series, Sanditon, War and Peace, and Les Misérables). It was nominated for four Emmy Awards (1 Win) and six BAFTA Awards (1 Win for Best Actress)
The cast includes Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet, Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy, Alison Steadman as Mrs. Bennet, Benjamin Whitrow as Mr. Bennet, Susannah Harker as Jane Bennet, Lucy Briers as Mary Bennet, Julia Sawalha as Lydia Bennet, Polly Maberly as Kitty Bennet, Crispin Bonham-Carter as Mr. Bingley, Anna Chancellor as Miss Bingley, David Bamber as Mr. Collins, and Emilia Fox as Georgiana Darcy.
Ten years after the mini-series, Joe Wright directed the movie adaptation of Pride and Prejudice featuring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen. The film locations for the 2005 adaptation featuring Chatsworth House can be found in this article.
