Take a Tour of Jane Austen’s England

Although Pride and Prejudice is arguably the best-known Austen novel, Sense and Sensibility (set between the real-life locations of Sussex, London, and Devon) was published first. It also has one of the greatest book-to-screen transformations of all time—Ang Lee’s 1995 English-language debut in Emma Thompson’s Oscar-winning adaptation.

Follow in the footsteps of Elinor (Thompson) and Marianne (Kate Winslet) and make for Devon. There, you’ll find both “Norland Park” (aka Saltram House) and “Barton Cottage” (aka Efford House), as well as the church at which both Dashwoods married their betrothed—St. Mary’s in Berry Pomeroy. Or pay a visit to Montacute House, which served as “Cleveland”, the place where Marianne is taken ill, before dashing over to Wilton House for a peek at where the sisters bump into Willoughby (Greg Wise).

You hear Austen, you think Pride and Prejudice. And with good reason—there have been no fewer than half a dozen screen adaptations of the 1813 novel, including the iconic 6-part BBC miniseries featuring Colin Firth’s dripping wet Darcy and Keira Knightley’s Oscar-winning 2005 performance as Elizabeth Bennett. (Although, can we all just agree that Jennifer Ehle is the best Lizzie?) This, of course, means there are filming locations aplenty for the novel set between Derbyshire and Hertfordshire.

Fans of the 1995 miniseries won’t want to miss Luckington Court in the Cotswolds, which you’ll recognize as “Longbourn”, the Bennetts’ cozy house; or Lyme Park in Cheshire, the site of that Darcy lake scene and "Pemberley" exteriors. (The interior was filmed at Sudbury Hall, though.) Meanwhile, “Meryton” is actually Lacock in Wiltshire.

For the 2005 adaptation aficionados—and Matthew Macfadyen Darcy truthers—Chatsworth House is your "Pemberley," although Stourhead House and Gardens is where that iconic gazebo scene between Darcy and Lizzie was shot. Stanage Edge in the sweeping Peak District National Park gets a good showing too, as it’s where Knightley’s Lizzie looks out longingly over the scenery. The Bennetts? This time, they live in Groombridge House, Tunbridge Wells, while Bingley can be found at Basildon Park.

Of course, some Pride and Prejudice films are more than mere faithful adaptations. Take 2004’s Bride and Prejudice starring Aishwarya Rai which was shot in part at Somerset House or Bridget Jones’ Diary. Track down Bridget’s flat above the Globe Pub, Borough Market; see where Wheeler and Darcy fought over Greek food at 5 Bedale Street; and reimagine Bridget in her zebra-print pants outside the Royal Exchange Buildings, Cornhill.

Perhaps the most controversial of all Austen novels for its depiction (or not) of slave owning in the Caribbean, Mansfield Park has had a number of on-screen adaptations. However, two in particular stand out—the 1999 version directed by Patricia Rozema and Billie Piper’s take on the often unpopular Fanny Price in 2007’s ITV movie.

Visit “Mansfield Park,” where most of the novel’s action takes place, at Newby Hall, North Yorkshire, or Kirby Hall, Northamptonshire, before stopping by Kenwood House in Hampstead Heath for a look at the Rushworth residence. Alternatively, stop at Stoneleigh Abbey, thought to be the inspiration for “Mansfield Park” itself.

Famously, Emma—now one of Austen’s most beloved protagonists—was written as “a heroine whom no one but myself [Austen] will much like.” A classic comedy of manners, Emma has also received plenty of big-budget adaptations over the years, most recently in Autumn de Wilde’s masterful 2020 rendering starring Anya Taylor-Joy.

It’s that adaptation which features Firle Place as the exterior of Emma’s house—as opposed to Came House in the 1996 Gwyneth Paltrow version—while Lower Slaughter in the Cotswolds became “Highbury.” (Of course, if you’re a Gwynny P stan, you might prefer to visit “Highbury” in Evershot, Dorset.) Wilton House, meanwhile, serves as "Donwell Abbey." And that Box Hill scene, where Emma insults Miss Bates and realizes she loves Mr. Knightley? Although Box Hill is a real place, it was filmed at the nearby Leith Hill.

Beyond England, you’ve, like, got to visit Beverly Hills to see where Amy Heckerling’s Emma adaptation Clueless (1995) was filmed.

Lest we forget Austen’s unfinished novel Sanditon, which was adapted into a TV series back in 2019. Although little read by all but the most hardcore of Janeites, Sanditon centers on Charlotte Heywood and her exploits between Sussex and the fictional titular town of Sanditon. While you (obviously) can’t visit Sanditon, you can stop by Worthing in West Sussex, the supposed inspiration for Austen’s coastal setting. As for the TV series, many scenes were shot in Somerset, including Weston-super-Mare and Clevedon.

Austen waded into the world of Gothic novel satire with Northanger Abbey, one of her most underrated works. However, and despite being set firmly in Austen’s England, the 2007 ITV adaptation was shot entirely on location in Ireland. Dublin doubled for Bath, Lismore Castle became “Northanger Abbey,” and Higginsbrook House was used as the Morland family home exterior.

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that all real Austen fans secretly prefer Persuasion, the author’s posthumously published novel with an impressively mature protagonist set in Somerset, Dorset, and Bath. Although two new adaptations (starring Dakota Johnson and Sarah Snook as Anne Elliott, respectively) are slated for forthcoming release, there are lots of Persuasion filming locations to visit in the meantime.

Overshadowed by a wet-shirted Darcy in 1995, the made-for-TV Persuasion movie starring Amanda Root was filmed mostly on location in Bath and Lyme Regis (where Louise Musgrove jumps rather unsuccessfully into Wentworth’s arms). In the latter, visit The George Inn where Anne runs into her cousin and take a (careful) stroll along the Cobb. Or, visit the settings for “Kellynch Hall” (Neston Park) and “Uppercross” (Sheldon Manor), as seen in the 2007 reboot.