Where was Emma filmed? From stately homes and chocolate-box villages, to a moated castle, track down every Emma filming location from 1972 to 2020.
“Handsome, clever, and rich” – and absolutely hopeless at minding her own business. Jane Austen‘s most charmingly flawed heroine has been brought to life on screen at least half a dozen times, with Emma Woodhouse blissfully rearranging everyone’s love life except her own.
In the 2020 version, Anya Taylor-Joy dons pastel bonnets and a perfectly arched eyebrow as the matchmaking queen bee of fictional Highbury, alongside Johnny Flynn as a smoldering Mr. Knightley and Bill Nighy as her hilariously hypochondriac father.
Other beloved adaptations include:
- 1996 theatrical film (Gwyneth Paltrow)
- 2009 BBC miniseries (Romola Garai)
- 1996 ITV film (Kate Beckinsale)
- 1972 BBC miniseries that started it all.
Table of Contents
☂️ Jane Austen’s Emma Filming Locations
Whether you’re a purist or a casual fan, grab your Regency-inspired walking boots – we’re going location hunting across England‘s most picturesque counties.
🏘️ Lower Slaughter, Gloucestershire – Highbury’s Unlikely Name
In the 2020 film directed by Autumn de Wilde, the fictional village of Highbury was brought to life using Lower Slaughter, one of the most ridiculously photogenic villages in the Cotswolds.
Don’t let the name fool you – “Slaughter” comes from the Old English word “slough,” meaning a muddy place, not a medieval massacre. This honey-hued stone idyll sits along the gentle River Eye, crossed by two charming footbridges that feature prominently in the film.
Production designers spent weeks erasing the 21st century, covering modern asphalt with gravel and straw, hiding burglar alarms, and transforming storefronts into a Georgian haberdashery and bakery.
The real genius? The crew added a temporary working fountain to the square, because nothing says “Regency England” like the sound of trickling water while Emma ruins someone’s engagement.
Lower Slaughter is four miles southwest of Stow-on-the-Wold, a 40-minute drive from Gloucester.
🏰 Firle Place, East Sussex – Emma’s Candy-Coloured Hartfield
For Emma’s family home, Hartfield, the 2020 adaptation chose Firle Place in Lewes, a Tudor-turned-Georgian manor owned by the Gage family for over 500 years. The original builder, Sir John Gage, was an executor of Henry VIII‘s will – so yes, this house has seen some drama.
Director Autumn de Wilde wanted a “confectionery” color palette, so the owners granted unprecedented access, allowing the crew to completely re-wallpaper and repaint historic rooms in pastel greens.
The house’s distinctive pale look comes from imported French Caen stone, making it look like a frosted wedding cake. Sit in Emma’s window seat overlooking the South Downs, and you’ll half expect Anya Taylor-Joy to sashay in with another ill-fated matchmaking scheme.
Firle Place is open to the public on select days. The on-site tea room serves a splendid scone, and no one will judge you if you eat it with your gloves off.
📚 Wilton House, Wiltshire – Knightley’s Donwell Abbey
Just outside Salisbury lies one of England‘s grandest stately homes: Wilton House, the seat of the Earls of Pembroke for over 450 years. In the 2020 film, this breathtaking Palladian masterpiece doubled as Mr. Knightley’s Donwell Abbey.
The Double Cube Room – designed by legendary architect Inigo Jones — has an impressive filmography of its own, serving as the Queen’s residence in The Crown and the Duke of Hastings’ home in Bridgerton.
But here’s the wartime trivia that will make you the star of any pub quiz: Wilton’s Single and Double Cube rooms were used as secret planning headquarters for the D-Day invasion during World War II.
Wilton House is open daily from March to October, and the grounds feature a water garden, arboretum, and a café serving cakes that are frankly too good for 19th-century etiquette. Don’t miss the Inigo Jones telescopes – they’re historically accurate and oddly addictive.
🎭 Chavenage House, Gloucestershire – One Manor, Two Different Homes
Chavenage House is an Elizabethan manor near Tetbury that became a cinematic workhorse for the 2020 film, pulling double duty with clever vertical zoning.
The ground floor was dressed as Randalls, the warm and welcoming home of the Westons, while the cramped, modest apartments of the endlessly chatty Miss Bates and her mother were filmed upstairs – social climbing directly above social suffering.
The crew shot both locations simultaneously: one crew upstairs, one downstairs, which must have made for some very confusing call sheets. Built in 1576 and largely unchanged for 440 years, Chavenage has also appeared as Trenwith in Poldark and in Disney+’s Rivals.
It only opens to the public on Thursdays. The current owners are famously welcoming, and if you’re lucky, you might hear the story of the “Chavenage Ghost” – a Cromwellian-era rider who supposedly haunts the grounds.
Sadly, no reports of Miss Bates’ ghost rambling about anyone’s poor health.
🌄 Leith Hill, Surrey – The Tense Box Hill Picnic
In Jane Austen’s novel, the infamous and emotionally devastating picnic takes place at Box Hill in Surrey. But the 2020 production relocated the scene a few miles south to Leith Hill, the second-highest point in southeast England.
The tower at the summit was built in 1765 by a wealthy eccentric who wanted to raise the hill’s height artificially – a very Emma move, now that we think about it.
The sweeping, expansive views from the summit provide a glorious backdrop for Emma’s cruel insult to Miss Bates – making her fall from grace all the more breathtakingly tragic.
Leith Hill is an easy day trip from Dorking (take the train to Dorking station, then a 20-minute taxi or a very steep 45-minute walk). On a clear day, you can see all the way to the English Channel.
🕊️ Evershot, Dorset – Highbury
The 1996 theatrical film set up camp in Dorset, and the delightful village of Evershot was transformed into Highbury. Fore Street was dressed with sheep pens and loose straw to look like a bustling rural market hub.
Director Douglas McGrath wanted a “fairytale-like” quality, so the crew added loose gravel, wooden sheep pens, and even a temporary market cross. The local post office was converted into a 19th-century haberdashery – though we assume they kept the stamps hidden.
The village is located about eight miles south of Yeovil, and Summer Lodge (where much of the cast stayed) now offers a rather splendid afternoon tea.
Evershot’s main street is so narrow that modern vehicles look hilariously out of place – which is exactly why the filmmakers chose it. Literature fans will recognise it from another classic: it served as the inspiration for “Evershead” in Thomas Hardy‘s Tess of the d’Urbervilles.
🏡 Came House, Dorset – Hartfield in Winterborne Came
Emma Woodhouse‘s home in the 1996 version is Came House, a stunning Georgian manor in the tiny village of Winterborne Came, just two miles south of Dorchester.
The interiors were actually shot elsewhere (Stratfield Saye House in Hampshire), but the exterior’s warm, honeyed stone set the tone for the film’s romanticised countryside.
The casting of an American as Emma raised eyebrows at the time, but Paltrow‘s flawless British accent – perfected during months of preparation – won everyone over. Her co-star, Toni Collette (Harriet Smith), famously gained weight for the role because she believed period actors should avoid looking like “Barbie dolls.”
The house is not open to the general public (it operates as a private wedding venue), but you can still admire its elegant facade from the lane. After your drive-by viewing, console yourself with a cream tea in Dorchester.
💒 Mapperton House, Dorset – Randalls & That Proposal
The Weston family home of Randalls in the 1996 theatrical film was brought to life at Mapperton House near Beaminster, a glorious Jacobean manor set within a romantic Dorset valley.
The most swoon-worthy moment? Mr. Knightley (Jeremy Northam) finally confesses his love and proposes to Emma under the trees in it’s dramatic, intimate arboretum. The house’s 15 acres of gardens include a stunning Italianate garden, a wildflower meadow, and a coach house café.
Mapperton is the home of the Earl and Countess of Sandwich – yes, that Sandwich family, though sadly no word on whether the cast enjoyed a quick lunch between takes. It’s open to the public from April to October, and the current Earl is known to give enthusiastic tours.
🏛️ Crichel House, Dorset – Donwell Abbey Exteriors
For the exterior shots of Mr. Knightley’s Donwell Abbey in the 1996 theatrical film, the production chose the imposing Crichel House near Wimborne in Dorset.
This Grade I-listed neoclassical mansion is an “archaeological puzzle” of architectural layers, built around an 18th-century core with later Georgian additions. For the film, the crew added temporary gravel drives and Georgian-era window treatments.
Knightley’s interiors were filmed elsewhere (Broughton Castle), but the exterior’s grand, slightly forbidding elegance perfectly captures the character’s stern-but-sexy energy.
Crichel is private and not open to the public. Admire its magnificent facade from the surrounding parkland. The house gained notoriety in the 1950s for the “Crichel Down affair,” a political scandal about compulsory land purchase – the kind of drama that would have made Emma raise an eyebrow.
🏛️ Broughton Castle, Oxfordshire – Donwell Abbey
Broughton Castle is a moated medieval fortress (circa 1300) so perfect that two different 1996 adaptations used it. The 1996 theatrical film shot Donwell Abbey interiors here.
The ITV Beckinsale film used Broughton for both interiors and exteriors – unlike the theatrical version, which used Crichel House for outside shots.
Mark Strong’s Knightley benefited from Broughton‘s dark stone and narrow windows, playing the role with an intentionally intimidating, historically grounded edge (hot, honestly).
The castle is open on select afternoons. It secretly hosted Civil War plotters against King Charles I. The moat is fully intact. Don’t fall in while attempting a romantic stare.
🎶 Thame Park, Oxfordshire – Abbey Mill & Sea Scenes
Thame Park in Oxfordshire provided the backdrop for Abbey Mill and several sea-adjacent scenes in the 1996 theatrical film.
This former Cistercian abbey turned stately home has architecture spanning from the 13th century to the Georgian era. While the “sea” was likely a bit of filmmaking magic (Thame is landlocked), the park’s lakes and river provided convincing maritime substitutes.
The 1996 theatrical film also used Syon House in London for the Cole’s party interiors. That stunning Long Gallery was designed by Robert Adam and was actually the childhood home of Queen Victoria. Talk about a venue upgrade.
Thame Park remains a private estate, so this is one for the “admire from the lane” list. The estate’s most famous feature is the “Thame Park Barn,” a medieval tithe barn that’s one of the largest in England.
🏡 Chilham, Kent – Highbury
For the beloved 2009 BBC miniseries starring Romola Garai and Jonny Lee Miller, the historic village square of Chilham in Kent became the fictional Highbury.
Production designers spent weeks completely sealing off the square, blanketing modern asphalt roads with tons of loose gravel and straw to hide 21st-century road lines. They camouflaged burglar alarms, hid TV aerials, and even erected a working water fountain right in the centre.
Chilham is one of England‘s most complete “estate villages,” built largely in the 18th century by the same family that owned Chilham Castle. The square’s timber-framed buildings are so perfectly preserved that the crew barely needed to dress them.
The miniseries’ director, Jim O’Hanlon, wanted a “modern spirit” in the actors’ body language, allowing them to move faster and laugh louder than typical Regency dramas. The result? A Highbury that feels alive, not embalmed.
Chilham is reachable by train from London St Pancras via Ashford – about an hour.
🏰 Squerryes Court, Kent – Hartfield
The 2009 miniseries chose Squerryes Court in Westerham, Kent, as Emma Woodhouse‘s home of Hartfield. This 17th-century, red-brick Georgian manor house sits on 20 acres of manicured gardens, with stunning period rooms that perfectly reflected Emma’s high-society status.
The miniseries costume designer, Rosalind Ebbutt, used deeply saturated colours inspired by Georgian oil paintings, so Hartfield‘s interiors pop with rich corals and shimmering fabrics rather than flat pastels.
Squerryes is still owned by the Warde family, who have lived there for over 300 years. The house is open to the public on weekends from March to October, and the on-site café serves something called a “Westerham Waffle” – which we desperately hope is a Regency recipe.
Book a tour:
Eagle-eyed fans will notice that one of the schoolgirls’ dresses is the exact same costume Keira Knightley wore in Pride & Prejudice (2005). That’s the BBC costume department for you – nothing gets wasted.
📸 Lacock, Wiltshire – Highbury
The 1996 ITV television film starring Kate Beckinsale used the impossibly well-preserved village of Lacock in Wiltshire as Highbury. Owned by the National Trust, it has no visible modern overhead cables, paved roads, or TV antennas – making it a favourite for period dramas.
This adaptation took a deliberately darker, more realistic tone, showing muddy lanes, working servants, and the financial hardships of the lower classes. Scriptwriter Andrew Davies (famous for his Pride and Prejudice adaptation with Colin Firth‘s wet shirt) intentionally avoided the “fairytale” look.
Kate Beckinsale played Emma with a noticeable edge of snobbery, making her eventual humility feel earned. Lacock also appeared as Meryton in Pride and Prejudice (1995) and as Godric’s Hollow in the Harry Potter films.
Lacock is open daily, but parking fills up fast – arrive early, or you’ll be circling like a nervous suitor.
🏛️ Dorney Court, Buckinghamshire – Randalls
The Weston family home in the 1996 ITV adaptation was filmed at Dorney Court in Buckinghamshire, a stunning Tudor manor house widely considered one of the finest examples of Tudor architecture in England.
Dorney Court is still a family home (the Palmer family has lived there for over 450 years), and it’s open for guided tours and wedding bookings. The house’s most distinctive feature is its “upside-down” layout – the Great Hall is on the first floor, which confused the cast during the first day of filming.
The 1996 ITV production also used Stanway House in Gloucestershire for the Cole’s dinner party interiors. It’s 200-foot fountain, powered by gravity, is the highest in England – though sadly not visible on screen.
Dorney Court is near Windsor, so you can combine your pilgrimage with a visit to the Queen’s former weekend home. Just don’t expect any royals to wave at you.
🏛️ Uppark House, West Sussex – Hartfield Exteriors
The very first television adaptation of Emma – the 1972 BBC miniseries starring Doran Godwin as Emma – used Uppark House in West Sussex for the exterior shots of Hartfield.
This late-17th-century manor house is owned by the National Trust, sitting high on the South Downs with spectacular views. The house famously survived a devastating fire in 1989, and an army of conservators painstakingly restored it using original materials.
The 1972 miniseries is rarely seen today (it was shot on videotape, and the BBC hasn’t released a restored version), but Uppark remains a glorious destination.
Uppark House is open from March to October, and the hike up the hill from the car park will give you a true sense of what servants had to endure. The house’s dollhouse room – a complete 18th-century child’s plaything – is worth the admission alone.
❓ Jane Austen’s Emma FAQs
You’ve mapped your pilgrimage, but your brain still has questions. Let’s fix that.
What year is Jane Austen’s Emma set?
Emma, the novel was published in 1815, but Austen likely wrote it between 1814 and 1815. The fashions, social customs, and the Napoleonic Wars in the background place it firmly in the late Georgian period.
What is the plot of Jane Austen’s Emma?
A wealthy young woman in early 19th-century England meddles in her friends’ love lives, repeatedly fails spectacularly, insults a kind-hearted spinster, nearly loses her own chance at love, and finally learns humility and self-awareness – just in time to marry the neighbour who’s been calling her out all along.
What are the main themes in Jane Austen’s Emma?
Class and social hierarchy, the danger of self-deception, marriage as both economic and emotional choice, female independence within constraints, and the painful process of self-awareness. Also: never assume you know what’s best for your friends. Ever.
Who are the main characters in Jane Austen’s Emma?
- Emma Woodhouse (the meddler)
- Mr. George Knightley (the sensible love interest)
- Harriet Smith (the naive project)
- Frank Churchill (the charming secret-keeper)
- Jane Fairfax (the talented rival)
- Miss Bates (the talkative victim)
- Mr. Woodhouse (the hypochondriac father)
What movie is based on Jane Austen’s Emma?
Clueless (1995) is the most famous loose adaptation, but there’s also Aisha (2010, Bollywood), Emma Approved (2013, YouTube series), and Metropolitan (1990, set in New York debutante society).
What is the character of Miss Bates in Jane Austen’s Emma?
A poor, chatty spinster in her 40s living with her deaf mother. Emma‘s cruel insult to her at Box Hill is the story’s moral turning point. In the 1996 film, Sophie Thompson (real-life daughter of Phyllida Law, who played Mrs. Bates) took the role; they’re the sister and mother of Emma Thompson.
How do I understand Jane Austen’s Emma?
Emma’s meant to be unlikable at first – Austen called her “a heroine whom no one but myself will much like.” The book is a comedy of errors, not a romance. And yes, dancing bare-handed was scandalous. The 2020 film got away with it because they’d “just finished dinner.”
Was Emma filmed in England for all adaptations?
Yes, the 2020, 1996 theatrical, 1996 ITV, 2009, and 1972 versions all filmed primarily in England across Gloucestershire, Dorset, Oxfordshire, Kent, Wiltshire, East Sussex, and West Sussex.
Why does the 1996 film have two versions?
Because 1996 was a very crowded year for Emma. The theatrical film (Paltrow) was released in August 1996. The ITV television film (Beckinsale) aired in the UK in November 1996. Both were produced independently, and neither studio backed down. Jane Austen fans ate well that year.
Is there an Emma musical?
Yes – the most notable is Paul Gordon’s Emma: A New Musical (2007), a chamber pop-infused adaptation that’s been produced across the US, alongside numerous other stage versions including Kate Hamill’s feminist take and various high-school retellings.
📺 Where to Watch Every Emma Adaptation
Enough planning. Time to actually watch the darn thing.
Emma series (2009) (Romola Garai)
Jane Austen’s Emma (1996) (Kate Beckinsale)
Emma movie (1996) (Gwyneth Paltrow)
- ➡️ Buy the DVD
Whether you’re team Anya, team Gwyneth, team Romola, or team Kate, the real star of every Emma adaptation is England itself. Pack a picnic, mind your manners, and for heaven’s sake, keep your gloves on unless you’ve just finished dinner.
Disclaimer: This fan-created article is provided for entertainment purposes only. We don’t guarantee the accuracy of any of these facts and don’t recommend making important life decisions based on them. All referenced titles, names, and related intellectual property are the property of their respective owners, and no copyright infringement is intended.
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