Literature, film and TV
Many of our famous writers have been inspired by the drama of the landscape. Wordsworth loved the light on a Cumbrian lake. The wildness of the Yorkshire Moors compelled Emily Bronte to write Wuthering Heights. The misty marshlands of Kent feature in many of Charles Dickens’ novels, and the rural idylls of Dorset were beloved by Thomas Hardy. But if writing a great English novel is not on your agenda, visit one of the many stately homes which are regularly used for film locations and TV locations. Make your own costume drama at houses like Highclere Castle, the setting of the fictional Downton Abbey.
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Picture Mr Darcy coming out of the lake
The magnificent house, gardens and deer park at Lyme Park was the filming location for the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice.
Location: Lyme Handley, Cheshire
Visit the home of the WWII codebreakers at Bletchley Park
Once Britain’s best kept secret, this major visitor attraction was also the filming location for The Imitation Game starring Benedict Cumberbatch.
Location: Bletchley, Milton Keynes
Visit Derby's three National Trust treasures
Derby has a trio of National Trust treasures all within a 10 mile radius, so use the city as your base to explore Calke, Sudbury and Kedleston.
Location: Derby, Derbyshire
Explore the ruins of Ashby Castle
Sir Walter Scott’s classic novel of 1819, Ivanhoe featured Ashby Castle as the backdrop to the famous jousting scenes.
Location: Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire
Ride the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway
This exciting heritage steam railway runs through the picturesque Yorkshire countryside where the classic movie The Railway Children was filmed.
Location: Keighley, West Yorkshire
Walk in the footsteps of the famous Brontë sisters
Visit the Bronte Parsonage Museum and explore the beautiful home and surroundings that inspired classic Brontë novels.
Location: Haworth, West Yorkshire
Discover Charles Dickens’ Broadstairs
Go to the quaint part of Kent that was inspiration to novelist Charles Dickens and drew him to return time and time again.
Location: Broadstairs, Kent
Go to the movies 1930s style at Tyneside Cinema
Live the glamour of 1930s cinema-going at this restored movie theatre, with free newsreel screenings, guided tours, a stylish bar and recent releases.
Location: NewcastleGateshead, Tyne and Wear
How did the leopard get his spots? Visit Rudyard Kipling’s home
Explore Bateman's, the 17th century home of the Jungle Book and The Just So Stories author, nestled in the leafy Sussex Weald.
Location: Burwash, East Sussex
Visit Shrewsbury Abbey, fictional home of Brother Cadfael
Visit Shrewsbury Abbey and follow in the footsteps of Cadfael, the monastic sleuth, where the books and TV series were set.
Location: Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Step back in time and live like Wordsworth in Cumbria
A visit to Wordsworth House and Garden is a unique opportunity to experience late 18th-century life at first hand.
Location: Cockermouth, Cumbria
Visit the "most popular filming location in the world" in Greenwich, London
Explore the magnificent buildings of the Old Royal Naval College - a film set for major blockbusters including Les Misérables and Cinderella.
Location: Greenwich, London
Investigate the origins of Sherlock Holmes at Portsmouth Museum
Discover more about the creator of the iconic detective Sherlock Holmes at Portsmouth Museum.
Location: Portsmouth, Hampshire
Explore Hawkstone Park Follies fantasy land
Spend the day exploring an historic woodland fantasy with cliffs, crags, caves, deep woods and towers built hundreds of years ago.
Location: Weston under Redcastle, Shropshire
Visit the real Wayne Manor in Nottingham
Wollaton Hall took on a very special role in when it appeared as ‘Wayne Manor’ in The Dark Knight Trilogy.
Location: Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
Spot Poldark at Chavenage House
Come and see 'Trenwith', the Poldark family home, actually 'played' by Chavenage House in Tetbury and you may spot Aiden Turner as Ross Poldark!
Location: Tetbury, Gloucestershire
Alice in Wonderland at Antony House
Just over the Tamar, Antony House was the location for the hit 'Alice in Wonderland' 2010. Here you can explore its formal gardens, sculptures and the National Collection of Daylilies.
Location: Torpoint, Cornwall
Discover the real Downton Abbey
Re-enact your favourite scenes from the much-loved period drama at Highclere Castle before retiring to London Lodge, a Georgian Grade II-listed gatehouse on-site.
Location: Highclere, Hampshire
Find romance in the depths of Thomas Hardy Country
Enjoy woodland walks and cosy inns, and immerse yourself in the romantic landscape that this renowned writer called home.
Location: Dorset
Sit in Harry Potter's classroom at Durham Cathedral
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry came to life via a number of locations across the UK, one of which was the awe-inspiring Durham Cathedral.
Location: Durham City, Durham
Have yourself a Famous Five adventure
Follow in the footsteps of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five with some castle capers and a seaside adventure by steam railway.
Location: Corfe Castle, Dorset