If there’s one thing Brits (and indeed foreign audiences) can’t get enough of, it’s period dramas. Whether it’s the twisting stories of love and betrayal, the exquisite (and exquisitely uncomfortable) frocks or the sight of people who have no understanding of a day’s work snubbing each other over afternoon tea in a gorgeously-decorated parlour, our obsession with these shows lasts long after we’ve finished them.
And why should it, when you can visit some of the most famous sets on television? London is home to some of the most striking and beautiful buildings in the country, and plenty of them have been used to film everything from Bridgerton to Downton Abbey.
We’ve compiled a list of them for you here.
Syon House
Seen on Bridgerton, Belgravia, Vanity Fair
What is it? This gorgeous stately home in West London is the residence of the Duke of Northumberland. With its sprawling grounds and immaculate interior, its Print Room was used to film the older Duke of Hastings’ study in the first season of Bridgerton, while its State Dining Room was used for Queen Charlotte’s dinner-time meeting with her husband, King George III.
The Ranger’s House
Seen on Bridgerton
What is it? If you’re trying to recapture a sense of Georgian elegance, then The Ranger’s House is it. Situated on the boundary of Greenwich Park, it houses a world-class art collection and was used to film the exterior of the Bridgerton family residence. Sadly the gorgeous summery wisteria is fake.
Lancaster House
Seen on The Crown, Downton Abbey, The Young Victoria, The King’s Speech
What is it? Given that Lancaster House was once part of St James’ Palace, it’s no surprise that this Grade I listed building is in hot demand for period dramas. It’s also a key Buckingham Palace stand-in, with The Crown, Downton Abbey, The Young Victoria and The King’s Speech all shooting royal scenes within its walls. Not one to be missed.
Eltham Palace
Seen on The Crown, I Capture the Castle, Brideshead Revisited, Bright Young Things
What is it? Beautiful Eltham House is an unoccupied royal residence owned by the Crown Estate. With its striking Art Deco decoration, it has been called “a masterpiece of modern design” and has doubled up as everything from the Queen’s quarters of the Royal Yacht Britannia, Bermuda Government Houseand the HMSS Queen Mary. The scene in which the Queen meets the fashion designer Norman Hartnell in his studio were filmed in the entrance hall.
Old Royal Naval College
Seen on The Crown, Little Dorrit, Bridgerton, Les Miserables, Mrs Brown
What is it? The crown jewel of Britain’s Maritime history, the Old Royal Naval College boasts everything from immaculate frescoes to stately corridors. Small wonder it’s a popular site for filming period dramas: in this instance, the exterior of Buckingham Palace in the Crown, a handbell concert in Judi Dench drama Mrs Brown and even the site of a to-be-revealed event from Bridgerton’s series two…
The Queen’s House
Seen on Little Dorrit, Our Mutual Friend (1998)
What is it? This former royal residence was built between 1616 and 1635 for James I’s wife Anne of Denmark, supposedly as an apology for swearing in front of her after she accidentally shot one of his favourite dogs during a hunt. Located in the heart of Greenwich park, it served as the Circumlocution Office Applications Department in Little Dorrit.
Goldsmith’s Hall
Seen on The Crown, Vanity Fair, Downton Abbey, Taboo
What is it? Built in 1835, this spectacular venue was initially built for the Goldsmith’s Company and narrowly escaped destruction during the Blitz. Just as well: it’s played host to several high-profile television shoots, including The Crown, where it served as a makeshift operating theatre for King George to have a lung removed, and the facade of the East India Company in Taboo.
Lyceum Theatre
Seen on The Crown
What is it? Though this Victorian theatre is better known for being the modern-day home of the Lion King production, with a little imagination it’s possible to see Matt Smith and Claire Foy as Prince Phillip and the Queen attending the Royal Variety Performance in an episode of the Crown.
Fitzroy Square
Seen on The Crown, Mrs Dalloway, Emma (2009), Vanity Fair, The King’s Speech
What is it? This elegant Georgian square strikes the perfect note for adding a touch of period drama glamour. Head here to see the exterior location of Margaret’s solicitors in A Very British Scandal, the home of the Osbornes and Sedleys in Vanity Fair and the office of Lionel Logue in The King’s Speech.
Ham House
Seen on The Young Victoria, Joe Wright’s Anna Karenina, Sense and Sensibility (2008), Taboo, Belgravia
What is it? This 17th century house is situated on the banks of the Thames in Richmond. Lovingly maintained by the National Trust, it’s served as a fake Kensington Palace in The Young Victoria, and as the Brussels office of James Trenchard in Julian Fellowes’ drama Belgravia.
Theed and Roupell Streets
Seen on Call the Midwife
What is it? Is there a more iconic image in Call the Midwife than the shots of terraced housing where the midwives of Nonnatus House work? These scenes were shot at Theed Street and Roupell Street in Waterloo, offering a glimpse into the Victorian slums of London, many of which were cleared during the sixties. Now the houses in Roupell Street routinely sell for over £1m.
St. Joseph’s Missionary College
Seen on Call the Midwife
What is it? St. Joseph’s Missionary College in Mill Hill was founded by Father Herbert Vaughan in 1866 as Britain’s first Catholic missionary college. Though it has since been subdivided into flats, the exterior is still visible and it served as the setting for Nonnatus House.
Hoxton Hall
Seen on Downton Abbey
What is it? This Victorian music hall in east London has served as a gospel church, an art gallery and an air-raid shelter - and also served as a set for the scene in Downton Abbey where Lady Rose goes to a servants tea dance.
Hackney Empire
Seen on Vanity Fair, Stan & Ollie
What is it? Situated on Mare Street in Hackney, this music hall was built in 1901 and serves the past, alongside support from Lancaster House, of the Brussels Opera House in period drama Vanity Fair. It also stands in for the Lyceum Theatre in the 2018 film Stan & Ollie in which Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly starred as Laurel and Hardy, during one of the duo’s sold out shows.
Hampton Court Palace
Seen on The Favourite, Bridgerton, The Great, Belgravia
What is it? No trip to London is complete without a visit to Hampton Court Palace. This Grade I listed Royal Palace in Richmond was one of Henry VIII’s most beloved residences, and has served as a filming site for Olivia Coleman’s Queen Anne drama The Favourite and scenes from the first series of Bridgerton, depicting debutantes arriving at Queen Charlotte’s opening ball.
Bridgewater House
Seen on Downton Abbey, Brideshead Revisited (1981)
What is it? With a pedigree stretching back centuries, Bridgewater House in St James has served as a location for many period dramas - chief among them, the exterior of the Crawley family’s London residence Grantham House in Downton Abbey, and as Marchmain House in Brideshead Revisited.
Osterley House
Seen on Vanity Fair, The Duchess, Mansfield Park, The Young Victoria, Belle, Cranford
What is it? With its red brickwork and white pillars, striking Osterley House in Surrey, on the outskirts of London has been used as a setting for countless period dramas. Head here to revisit the scene in Vanity Fair where George Osborne and William Dobbin meet with their regiment before the Napoleonic Wars, and several Buckingham Palace shows in The Young Victoria.
St John’s Smith Square
Seen on Atonement, An Education (2009)
What is it? This 1728 Baroque church is nestled in the middle of a square of period houses and served as the setting for a pivotal scene in Atonement, where Briony attends the wedding of friend Lola Quincey to the disreputable Paul Marshall.
Aldwych Tube Station
Seen on Atonement, The Dig, Mr Selfridge
What is it? This disused tube station was once a one-stop spur of the Piccadilly Line, running back and forth to Holborn. However since it closed its doors in 1994 its regularly been used as a venue for shooting Underground scenes, including during Atonement where Cecilia hides from an air-raid during the Second World War, and in The Dig where Edith Pretty arrives in London.
