The National Trust property in West Sussex was used as a filming location for Season 2 of the scandalous Regency drama
Tune in to watch Netflix’s racy Regency drama Bridgerton and as well as the antics of the eight close-knit siblings you might spot something very familiar – Petworth House.
The National Trust’s West Sussex property was used as a filming location for the second series of the popular show, which is based on the best-selling novels by Julia Quinn. The period drama, following the siblings’ navigation of Regency-era London’s competitive high-society marriage market, made overnight stars of Rege-Jean Page as the dreamy Duke of Hastings and Phoebe Dynevor as Daphne Bridgerton in the first series.
Season 2 focuses on a major love triangle and more calculated controversy courtesy of Lady Whistledown, but as well as extravagant balls, gorgeous costumes, and plenty of scandal, Petworth House features in episode seven.
The house displays one of the finest art collections in the care of the National Trust, making it the ideal stand-in for an art gallery in Bridgerton. Filming took place in the North Gallery, with four of the other show rooms used for equipment storage and the ‘video village’.
Before the production teams arrived, the Petworth team worked to prepare the show rooms. Sue Rhodes, Petworth’s Visitor Experience Manager said: ‘We had to move some collection items to make way for filming, including our incredible Molyneux Globe. We brought in specialist art handlers to support our collections team as some of the paintings needed to come down, including one of the biggest ones – a painting by Northcote. We also had filming conservators on site while the production company were with us and they were a huge support, we couldn’t have done it without them.’
The production team didn’t have to do a lot of set dressing, but they did bring in some prop sculptures to sit alongside the remaining artworks – including one called ‘the lovers’.
‘It was wonderful to see the cast and the large number of supporting artists all in beautiful regency costume walking through the house,’ said Sue. ‘It was as though the people in the paintings had stepped out of their canvases – you got a real glimpse of what Petworth would have been like during its golden age when the 3rd Earl of Egremont was hosting and entertaining.’
From glittering ballrooms to extravagant palaces and sweeping parklands, Bridgerton explores a whole range of grand locations. Production Designer Will Hughes-Jones said: ‘Bridgerton is a dialled-up version of the regency period. We’re not historically accurate because it’s a pastiche of the period, [but] we’re always looking at the historical references and seeing how we can use them to emphasise the grandeur and importance of all these characters… It’s a feast for the eyes.”’
As well as showing off beautiful locations, the filming of Bridgerton directly benefits the places that star in the series. The location fees go back into conservation work to care for these historic houses and landscapes, so that we’ll all be able to see them both on screen and in real life for years to come.
Series two of Bridgerton is available to view on Netflix from Friday 25 March.
Petworth House is open to visit from Monday 4 April, 10am-4:30pm, last entry 4pm. From Monday 4 – Wednesday 20 April the rooms open to view include Oak Hall, Somerset Room, Square Dining Room, Marble Hall, Beauty Room, Grand Staircase, Little Dining Room and Historic Kitchens. The Carved Room and Red room will be closed, and the North Gallery will be partially open. These rooms will reopen on Thursday 21 April, but please check Petworth House’s website for up-to-date information before travelling.
No advanced booking needed, but visitors are required to purchase a ticket to the site to enter, free for National Trust members. For prices and opening times visit the Petworth House and Park website.
