Groups can step into the shoes of their favourite movie stars in some of the many Peak District screen locations, which form the backdrop for Hollywood blockbusters and memorable TV moments.
1. Chatsworth: Author Jane Austen used Chatsworth as the inspiration for brooding romantic hero Mr Darcy’s house, Pemberley, and it was subsequently used as the backcloth for the film version of Pride & Prejudice in 2005, and the BBC TV series in 1995. Home of the Dukes of Devonshire, it has also appeared in The Duchess (2008) and The Wolfman (2009).
2. Haddon Hall: The fairytale setting of Haddon Hall has played host to several film and TV versions of Jane Eyre, plus Cory Fukunaga’s acclaimed 2011 cult movie The Princess Bride (1987), Elizabeth (1998) and The Other Boleyn Girl (2008).
3. Dovedale, Lindale and Ilam Hall: The natural landscapes of Dovedale, Lindale and Ilam Hall have featured in the 2010 version of Robin Hood starring Russell Crowe, Jane Eyre (BBC TV series, 2006) and The Other Boleyn Girl, (2008) just like Haddon Hall.
4. Stanage Edge: Large gritstone edges that overlook Hathersage in Derbyshire, Stanage Edge found fame as the scenic spot where Elizabeth Bennet, played by Keira Knightley, daydreamed of dashing Mr Darcy, played by Matthew Macfadyen, in the 2005 blockbuster Pride & Prejudice.
5. Hardwick Hall: The formidable Bess of Hardwick created the impressive Elizabethan masterpiece that is Hardwick Hall, described as ‘more glass than wall’, which provided the inspiration for Malfoy Manor in Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows (2010)
6. Kedleston Hall: An 18th-century mansion with Adam interiors and parkland, which was once the home of the influential Curzon family, Kedleston Hall was also the setting for The Duchess (2008) and Jane Eyre (BBC TV series, 2006)
7. Lyme Park: Dating back from Tudor times, Lyme Park was later transformed into an Italianate palace, though some Elizabethan interiors survive. Visitors still flock to its lake to see where actor Colin Firth emerged, dripping wet in white shirt and breeches, as Mr Darcy in the BBC TV version of Pride & Prejudice (1995).
8. Derwent Valley: The scenic training ground for pilots who later deployed Barnes Wallis’s famous ‘bouncing bomb,’ designed to breach German dams in World War Two, Derwent Valley featured in the post-war film The Dam Busters (1955), starring the late Michael Redgrave and Richard Todd.
9. Longnor: Located south of Buxton, the sleepy Staffordshire Moorlands village of Longnor starred in ITV’s medical drama Peak Practice in the 1990s, and more recently in psychological thriller The Holding (2011), starring Vincent Regan and David Bradley.
10. Matlock Bath: A village built along the river Derwent, Matlock Bath was the location for Derbyshire director Nick Whitfield’s award-winning debut film, Skeletons (2010), a quirky cult movie that was acclaimed as Best New British Film at the Edinburgh Film Festival.
11. Tatton Park: One of the UK’s most complete historic estates, with a Tudor Old Hall, neo-classical mansion, 50 acres of gardens and 1,000 acres of parkland, Tatton Park played host to the popular ITV drama Brideshead Revisited (1981), starring Jeremy Irons, Anthony Andrews, Claire Bloom and Sir John Gielgud.
12. Hadfield: The unassuming village of Hadfield near Glossop in the High Peak doubled as Royston Vasey in darkly satiric comedy The League of Gentlemen BBC TV series (1999 – 2002) and film (2005).
For further group travel information contact:
Visit Peak District & Derbyshire:
07792-924839
janette.sykes@visitpeakdistrict.com
www.visitpeakdistrict.com
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