* photo Focus Films 2005
Even slightly unwashed and decidedly unglam, the characters in this 2005 version of the celebrated Austen novel are both funny and charming. The film’s sigh-inducing natural lighting and treks across bucolic meadows will have you booking a flight on BA looking for the exact England depicted in the film. The good news… it’s there if you have the time and the cash to seek it out.
KentGroombridge Place – This stand-in for the Bennet family home Longbourn is nicely situated amongst several formal gardens. The house is private but the gardens are open to the public. {website}
StamfordBurghley House – Already a popular venue for filming (DaVinci Code, Elizabeth the Golden Age, and The Golden Bowl), the stately Burghley house serves as Rosings Park and the home of Lady Catherine de Bourgh (Dame Judi Dench). The dramatic Heaven Room featuring paintings by 17th Cent. artist Antonio Verrio was the backdrop for the drawing room scenes.
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Stamford – This picturesque town stands in for the village of Meryton
*Side Note – cast and crew stayed at the George Hotel in Stamford which I had the pleasure of visiting (see Photo Gallery for pics).
DerbyshireChatsworth House – It is believed by many that Jane Austen actually had Chatsworth in mind when she described the regal Pemberley in the novel. The house is one of the finest in England and is open to the public. Fans of the film won’t want to miss the Sculpture Gallery where Lizzie sees the marble bust of Mr. Darcy and hears about his good character from the housekeeper.
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