With the release of the third season of Bridgerton, fans of the Netflix series are in for a treat. Not only are there four brand-new episodes to watch (more to come on 13 June), the new season also made use of a range of never-before-seen filming locations. Some of them are mere sets, some of them you might not be able to step inside, but some are actually open to the public. Below are 5 brand-new filming locations you might want to visit soon.
1. Squerryes Court, Kent
Squerryes Court in Kent has been around since 1731 and is especially famous for its gardens. That’s exactly why it was used as the setting for a garden party scene after the debutantes had been introduced to Queen Charlotte. “It was a fascinating experience to watch the Bridgerton team transform the garden into the set and we’re looking forward to seeing those scenes once part one of the new series is released on May 16th. We’ll be looking closely to see if our dog Inca appears in the final edit!”, owner Henry Warde said.
Squerryes Court and its gardens are a private residence and thus not generally open to visits. However, there are some exceptions and especially during the summer months, quite a few events take place on the estate.
2. Osterley Park and House, London
Even though Osterley Park and House are located just West of London, the grounds dating back to the 1570s have very little in common with the modern-day Britain capital. It’s not hard to picture why this made for a stunning filming location, even though during the shooting of the Full Moon Ball, a crane actually had to be used to provide the so-called moonlight.
Osterley House, the park, the formal garden, the second-hand bookshop and the stables cafe are all open to the public year-round.
3. Grimsthorpe Castle, Lincolnshire
One of Bridgerton’s newest characters, Lord Hawkins, lives in a 13th-century citadel called Grimsthorpe Castle situated about 160 kilometres north of London. The building is unusually big and majestic for the series’ standards and was also the backdrop for the Innovations Ball – even though a new dance floor had to be built before filming as the original one turned out to be too old to be used.
If you want to get a look at Grimsthorpe, you can do so throughout Spring and Summer from Sunday until Thursday. The Grade-I listed Castle houses a remarkable collection of art, furniture, sculpture and porcelain inside while the 3000-acre parkland is home to wildlife, a lake and medieval woodland. Real enthusiasts even have a chance to spend the night on-site.
4. Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire
Even though it was already featured in Bridgerton’s spinoff, Queen Charlotte, season 3 is where Blenheim Palace really gets its chance to shine. The estate, which has been around since 1722, serves as a backdrop for the Hawkins Hot Air Balloon Event and doubles as Buckingham House.
In real life, Blenheim Palace opens its interiors and exteriors to the public on a daily basis and organises a wide range of exhibitions. Winston Churchill fanatics might also be acquainted with the estate as this is the place where the former Prime Minister was born. And yes, his birth room and most cherished places on the grounds are highlighted.
5. Kingston Bagpuize House & Gardens, Oxfordshire
Kingston Bagpuize was also used as a filming location for Downton Abbey and now it returns to the screens for the third season of Bridgerton where it was used as Will (Martins Imhangbe) and Alice (Emma Naomi) Mondrich’s family home.
The story of Bagpuize House is too long to be summarised in only a few words so only a visit to the estate will give fans a true impression of what life was like at Bagpuize. Both the garden an house are open to the public on set dates throughout the year and it is even possible to rent the location for weddings.
