Fabulous film locations from the silver screen
From a legendary Pride and Prejudice scene to current favourite The Crown, discover some of the most iconic filming locations seen on screen.
With the 2025 Academy Awards coming up – AKA the Oscars – we've highlighted a selection of historic houses, opulent palaces, vast gardens and an art gallery that have played host to some of the most legendary moments seen on screen.
From Colin Firth emerging from the lake in Pride and Prejudice, to replicating Buckingham Palace for The Crown, these lavish homes and galleries have lent their decorated rooms and striking exteriors to an array of wonderful stories.
Whether for huge Hollywood adaptations or small independent cinema projects, their romantic sceneries have contributed to the landscape of British film and television.
All of these venues offer fantastic benefits with a National Art Pass. You can also explore our full list of museums and galleries for more places to visit near you.
Discover six film locations to visit with an Art Pass
Ham House and Garden
Combining elegant interiors with historic gardens, the 17th-century Ham House has featured in many a blockbuster film, notably Young Victoria, Anna Karenina and the 2010 adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s 2005 novel Never Let Me Go, starring A-listers Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley and Andrew Garfield, with the house doubling as Hailsham boarding school.
Lyme Park
The grounds of this spectacular Tudor-come-Italian Renaissance mansion were host to one of the most iconic moments in British television: Mr Darcy, played by Colin Firth, emerging from the lake in the 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. The house is home to a range of impressive tapestries and beautifully furnished rooms, spanning six centuries of history, as well as a herd of majestic red deer that wander the vast grounds.
Old Royal Naval College
One of London’s most popular filming spots, the Old Royal Naval College has featured in Les Misérables, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and is used as a stand-in for Buckingham Palace in The Crown. Perched on the bank of the Thames, it encapsulates a sense of historic London, with 500 years of British history on display within its walls. The magnificent Painted Hall is a particular highlight, boasting one of the most spectacular Baroque interiors in Europe.
Newby Hall and Gardens
The historic mansion house of Newby Hall was the setting of another Austen adaptation: the 2007 television series Mansfield Park starring Billie Piper. The venue also turned itself into Birmingham Museum and other sets for series one of popular BBC drama Peaky Blinders. Designed by Christopher Wren, the house has spectacular 18th-century interiors by Robert Adam, including gorgeous painted ceilings, sculpture work and decorative furniture.
Eltham Palace
When it came to adapting Evelyn Waugh's fantastic Brideshead Revisited for the small screen, Stephen and Virginia Courtauld's Art Deco palace was the perfect period residence. After centuries of neglect, the Courtaulds set about lovingly restoring the palace, resulting in what is now considered a masterpiece of 20th-century design. The circular entrance hall stood in for Fox Studios in the biopic Stan and Ollie. The glamorous interiors, which you may have also recently spotted in the 2023 blockbuster Wonka, are set in ancient surroundings, retaining remnants of a Tudor palace. There are also a spectacular 19 acres of garden featuring a medieval bridge.
Walker Art Gallery
The Walker Art Gallery came to blockbuster fame when it featured in The Batman, starring Robert Pattison – becoming one of the locations that transformed Liverpool into the fictional city of Gotham. Home to one of the UK's most significant painting collections, the gallery is best known for its pre-Raphaelite collections, which are among the best in the world. Visit to discover a stunning array of works spanning 600 years, and to imagine yourself transported to the notoriously dicey Gotham City.
The more you see, the more we do.
The National Art Pass lets you enjoy free entry to hundreds of museums, galleries and historic places across the UK, while raising money to support them.