*photo Miramax 1995
The Vermeer-esque cinematography of Ang Lee's "Sense and Sensibility" (1995) and brilliant performances by the cast, made the lesser known Austen novel the most popular Austen film. Who could forget poor, jilted Marianne Dashwood (Kate Winslet) wandering through the formal gardens of this palatial estate towards Willoughby's house, as the rain soaks her to the bone.
SomersetMontacute House - The Elizabethan style Montacute House has an H-shaped ground plan with formal gardens and portraits on loan from the National Portrait Gallery. For Kate Winslet fans, try flicking a few drops of water on your face and whispering the following sonnet with a forlorned stare:
"Love is not love, Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove. O, no! it is an ever-fixed mark, That looks on tempests and is never shaken..."Through the magic of cinema, Marianne's walk in the rain appears to have been filmed in one location but was actually done on three different sites. The initial walk through the garden was shot here, while the hillside and the Willoughby estate sequences were filmed in Devon. {website}
WiltshireMompesson House - Since modern-day London looks nothing like it did in 1815, "Sense" director Ang Lee chose this marvelous Queen Anne building in Salisbury to stand in as the town home of the incomparable Mrs. Jennings and her parrot, Pooter. ("Ah, Pooter, there you are. Still alive, I see.") This is the foyer where Marianne badgered the butler for any messages from Willoughby. After viewing the house, have a seat on the grass outside and indulge in a scoop of your favorite ice cream. Remember, everything is fat free on vacation! {website}
Trafalgar House - Get ready for a spirited game of lawn bowling with the Miss Dashwoods at this glorious estate used as Barton Park, the home of Sir John Middleton. Mosey into the music room and sing a few notes in your best soprano. You may catch the eye of Colonel Brandon (Alan Rickman) or more likely, a concerned National Trust employee.
Wilton House - Inigo Jones helped design this incredible sixteenth-century mansion. Filled with exquisite paintings by Van Dyck and Rubens, the ante-rooms all lead to the Single Cube room (named for its symmetrical dimensions), which in turn leads to the larger, Double Cube. Lee wanted to shoot the London ball scenes in a way that would mirror the movement of a class-conscious society. Introductions were made in one room, dancing in the next, and Willoughby's group in yet another room, one even more exclusive than the rest. The idea was to emphasize the lower standing of the Miss Dashwoods and prepare the audience for Willoughby's shunning of Marianne. {website}
DevonSaltram House - Because estates passed from Father to son and not to daughter or wife, the poor Dashwood women were forced to leave Norland Park, their family estate in Plymouth. You can pretend you've inherited their spread and spend some time roaming around the house and its landscaped park. The George II mansion still houses its original contents, but probably not the atlas or the tree house enjoyed by young Margaret Dashwood (Emilie Francois). It is in this house, the handsome Edward Ferrars (Hugh Grant) promised the eleven year-old that he would be her servant on a pirate expedition to China. This was, of course, with the understanding that he would be very poorly treated. {website}
Flete Estate - I included this one for the "budget? schmudget" traveler. The Dashwoods eventually move into the decidedly quaint "Barton Cottage," with a fireplace that smokes and lovely views of an estuary. These scenes were filmed at Efford House, one of the secluded cottages on the privately owned Flete Estate. The cottages are not open to day visitors, but are rentable on a weekly basis.
Also on the Flete Estate is Mothecombe House. Curiously, the filmmakers shot the parlor scenes of Mrs. Jenning's London home here, while the rest were filmed at Mompesson in Salisbury. Edward had an unexpected run-in with both Elinor and Lucy Steele (Imogen Stubbs) in the front room of this house, belonging to the owner of Flete Estate. {website}
Berry Pomeroy Church - Who doesn't love a romantic film that ends with a big wedding? Much of the St Mary Berry Pomeroy Church harkens back to the 17th Century and was the location used for Marianne's wedding to Colonel Brandon. You too can have your wedding here - contact the local parish for details.