As many people’s dating lives hit a plateau amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Netflix introduced Bridgerton, adding some spice and drama to our lives. The historical romance unveiled the first half of its third season on May 16th, and already the internet is buzzing with all the passion brewing between our favorite royal characters. Besides the stunning costumes and beautiful soundtrack, Bridgerton‘s filming destinations also drum up conversation about the beautiful tourist spots Europe has to offer us.
Where Was ‘Bridgerton’ Season 3 Filmed?
New data from Trainline, the continent’s No. 1 rail booking platform, reveals that several spots previously shown on the Netflix series are attracting more visitors thanks to the exposure. The Theatre Royal Brighton (seen in S1) is up 61% while Windsor Great Park, where the Bridgerton characters took a hunting trip had a 58% increase. Other noteworthy spots gaining visitors across the UK are Painshill Park, Royal Crescent and Chatham Dockyard, where Lady Featherington once took Marina.
Location manager Tony Hood shared that the crew wanted the show’s latest episodes to be its most fantastic yet. “More color, bigger costumes, bigger locations… More everything, we wanted it bigger and better.” The effort was ambitious, but Hood and his team worked tirelessly to pull it off. “In every room you walk into there and priceless pieces of furniture or art that usually can’t even be breathed on, let alone moved,” he said of the many historic filming locations. “We have to shift these things that are worth an astronomical amount of money.”
Wilton House, Wiltshire
Bridgerton‘s biggest fans will have no trouble recognizing Wilton House, which has been used in all three seasons so far – mostly when Queen Charlotte and Lady Danbury converse, giving the former the upper hand in terms of power. “It has the biggest private collection of van Dyck paintings in the world. God only knows how much they’re all worth. It’s a beautiful room,” Hood shared of Wilton’s Double Cube Room.
Netflix’s latest installment of the show previewed the house’s exteriors for the first time. “There’s a lovely river that runs through the back of the grounds, and we [use] that a lot for promenading. Wilton is not of the right realm, but we get a lot out of it when we go there,” the location manager added.
Squerryes Court, Kent
In the first episode of season three, viewers witness the beauty of Kent’s Squerryes Court. After the debutantes meet Queen Charlotte we see an elegant garden party unfolding outside. While it appears to be warm outside on camera, Hood notes it was “really cold” when they were on set in Kent. “Filming takes about eight months, but I’d say three of those months are useful because the trees have blossomed and the gardens look green. The rest of the time we have to add greenery to the trees. It’s a huge amount of work,” the industry insider revealed.
Osterley Park and House, London
Dating back to the 1570s is Osterley Park and House, which is just a few miles west of London. You’ll see it in S3E2, during the glamorous Full Moon Ball; coincidentally, there wasn’t actually full moonlight outside during the shoot, so a “huge crane” was brought in to falsify the effects. “It’s a beautiful building,” Hood said of the tourist attraction. “It worked very well for the ball sequence, which had to be spectacular.”
Grimsthorpe Castle, Lincolnshire
Also close to London (roughly 100 miles north of the city) is Grimsthorpe Castle, built in the 13th century. It’s used as the home of a new character, Lord Hawkins, who has a love for inventions and eccentricities. When hosting his Innovators Ball, Hawkins invites guests into his luxurious abode, which the location crew wanted to match his personality. “It needed to be a large and very ornate building,” Hood explained, noting that this style is unusual compared to other Bridgerton filming destinations.
Both the courtyard and walled garden are prominently featured, though they ran into issues with the location’s old flooring. “We had to build a dance floor for the dancers, which took an awful long time. But it’s a great location. We loved it up there,” Hood shared with Time Out.
Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire
Bridgerton has quickly become one of Netflix’s biggest hits and has even generated a spinoff show centered on Queen Charlotte. If you’ve watched that, you might recognize Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire making a crossover in the upcoming episodes of the original series. Keep your eyes out during episode three, during the Hawkins Hot Air Balloon Event. If you pay a visit to Blenheim, there’s The Orangery Restaurant and The Oxfordshire Pantry to grab a bite and plenty of local souvenir shops to commemorate your visit.
Hampton Court Palace
Once the home of King Henry VIII, Hampton Court Palace is a must-visit for any admirers of the Royal Family. It’s already been one of Bridgerton’s filming destinations, but in episode four of the latest installment, it was the set of the Greek myth ballet and the Queen’s Ball. The show’s location manager explained that he likes shooting at the historic site because of its vast size, allowing them to shoot sequences at seemingly separate locations. “You probably wouldn’t guess what we’ve used Hampton Court for,” Hood teased.
Basildon Park, Berkshire
Eagle-eyed viewers might’ve recognized that the Featherington family garden was actually Basildon Park, Berkshire in the past. As their story continues into S3, the interiors are being used as the home of another new character – Lady Tilley Arnold. “It’s immaculate inside,” the professional location scout declared. “Everything – the mouldings, ornaments, plasterwork, furniture, woodwork – was done with the same design.”
Claydon House, Buckinghamshire & Kingston Bagpuize House, Oxfordshire
The second half of S3 is arriving on June 13th, and ahead of that, we have some intel on what you can expect to see. One spot, Claydon House in Buckinghamshire (pictured above) is likely to be used for an extravagant party scene, though Hood couldn’t divulge. Another spot, Oxfordshire’s Kingston Bagpuize House has already been used for projects like Emma and Downtown Abbey and will only add to the iconic list of Bridgerton filming destinations.
