Romantic Film Locations Blog

Mr. Darcy’s Pemberley in Pride & Prejudice (1995) was actually Lyme Park.

If you like Romantic Film Locations as much as I do, you may be interested in Brit Movie Tours, a new bus tour company launching in London, this February. The tours are divided up into themes like Romantic, Harry Potter, Spy, etc… and visit locations featured in movies like Bridget Jones’s Diary, HP, Notting Hill and the James Bond films.

You can find out more about the company at http://britmovietours.com.

copyright 2001. The Film Council

It may not be a fantastic film, but I love the movie Crush with Andie McDowell (sometimes known as Satan’s actress, but she’s ok in this). The film just fuels my fantasy of living in the Costwolds in a glorious cottage with charming avenues and shops. Just look at that doorway in the photo. Sigh. I managed to find a VHS copy of the film for $.99 and snapped it up, but I’d really like to get it on DVD so I can get some screen shots of the cottage/town.

Filmed in and around Chipping Campden, the film’s director was keen to choose a town that was “beautiful but very dull”. Not sure how the town reacted to the dull part of that comment, but it certainly is beautiful.

If you want to stay near Chipping Campden, try the Letter Box Cottage where Andie McDowell stayed during filming: http://www.cotswoldcountrycycles.com/cottage.htm

The real bonus of this film is that the gals go off for a weekend in Paris and stay at one of my “wish list” hotels, the Relais Christine. http://www.relais-christine.com/

Just saw a tweet from the National Trust about outdoor film screenings at a couple of their properties. How cool is that? I’d love to watch The Duchess surrounded by the stately walls of an English country home. But alas I’m in California. However if you are living near the East of England… you can experience one of these cool screenings.  Find out more here.

Photos copyright BBC Films

So I was just lamenting the lack of good romantic comedies (New In Town?) and suddenly I remembered my copy of Imagine Me & You. Not quite your average boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy get’s girl back… it’s more boy meets girl, girl meets girl… but all done in a very posh Primrose Hill (London) kind of way.

The photography and lighting is absolutely gorgeous and if you are starting to lament the heat of summer (as I am, hello 100 degrees this weekend), it will bathe you in the crisp cool air of a fantasy Autumn. I’ve included some captures for your viewing pleasure!

Luce’s adorable flower shop. Notice her retro delivery truck.

Rachel & Heck’s romantic lantern filled wedding. Lanterns and twinkle lights AND candles!

Rachel and Heck’s messy modern flat. Who can afford these places? Sadly not I.

Courtesy of Momentum Pictures

It may be that the main reason to see the new film Young Victoria, about the early years of Queen Victoria and her romance with Prince Albert, will be the stunning locations. The glorious Ham House fills in for the interiors of Kensington Palace in the film and judging from the photos below, the actors will have a hard time upstaging their surroundings.

In fact, little about Ham House needed to be altered in order to make it fit in with the Regency period. According to Jorge Ferreira, Visitor Services Manager at Ham House, “The rooms and spaces within the property were barely touched, which is testimony to the grandeur of Ham House. Props aided some scenes, but the majority was shot in situ.”

Ferreira also talks about what it was like to have a film crew take over the National Trust property. “The cast and crew were with us for a just under a month in 2007, and returned for a few days last year. They enjoyed their time at Ham and were everywhere - from the gardens to the Great Hall. These two areas as well as the Long Gallery and Great Stairs were used at scenes in the movie.”

Ham House was originally built in 1610 for Sir Thomas Vavasour, but was greatly remodeled and decorated by William Murry in the years after he became owner in 1626. Murray was literally the “whipping boy” for young Charles I, taking punishments for the prince, and the two grew up together. They both shared a fondness for art and architecture.

Ham House is on the south bank of the Thames between Richmond and Kingston. It’s also a popular wedding locale with receptions taking place in a 17th Century orangerie.

Courtesy of Momentum Pictures

The Long Gallery. ©NTPL/Andreas von Einsiedel

The Great Stairs. ©NTPL/Bill Batten

©NTPL/Andreas von Einsiedel

©NTPL/Bill Batten

Hello and welcome to the Romantic Film Locations blog. I have always been interested in film locations but I could probably trace it back to seeing the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me. Gorgeous operative Barbara Bach slinking around Egypt in that fabulous evening gown? Yep, that’s who I wanted to be.

Since then I’ve turned my sights toward Western Europe… and England specifically. My desire fueled by the Jane Austen adaptations of the mid-nineties with their lush landscapes and stately homes

I hope you will forgive the site not being completely ready – it is a work in progress. Do check back often as I have plenty more to say on the subject.