Lacock on screen

The cauldron in the Warming Room at Lacock Abbey in Wiltshire

Appropriate for the birthplace of modern photography, Lacock is no stranger to the screen. Both the abbey and village are instantly recognisable from a variety of film and television productions, including Harry Potter, Wolf Hall, Cranford, Downton Abbey, Pride and Prejudice and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.


Harry Potter

In the past Lacock Abbey has stood in as Hogwarts for two of the Harry Potter films and more recently was used in the filming of Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald in 2017.

Watch Lacock in the trailer for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald below...

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Downton Abbey

Lacock village has starred not once, but twice in Downton Abbey.

In February 2015 the Downton Abbey crew transformed Church Street into a 1920s livestock market. Sheep, pigs and a 1-tonne long-horned bull joined the cast, as well as many ‘extras’, creating a bustling market scene attended by Lord Grantham, his family and many of the staff.

The cast of Downton Abbey pose in front of the houses at Lacock

Lacock stars in Downton Abbey 

For the final series of Downton Abbey, the crew transformed Church Street in the Wiltshire village of Lacock into a 1920s livestock market. Find out more about what it was like being part of the filming of Downton Abbey.

In September 2018 the crew were back to shoot scenes for the much-anticipated Downton Abbey movie.

The film focused on a visit by the King and Queen to the Downton estate. Lacock's streets set the scene for a spectacular royal parade through the village, which featured 350 extras including real-life Lacock villagers in period-accurate costumes and 80 soldiers on horseback, plus a royal carriage.

The cast of the Downton Abbey movie

Downton Abbey comes to Lacock 

Find out how the picturesque streets of Lacock in Wiltshire were transformed for the Downton Abbey movie, standing in for the village of Downton as it celebrates a royal visit.

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The Hollow Crown

In November 2014, BBC Two returned to Lacock for the filming of the concluding part of their award-winning series, 'The Hollow Crown', based on Shakespeare's history plays. This final season comprises Henry VI Part I and II and Richard III.

This was actually the second time 'The Hollow Crown' had visited Lacock. In January 2012, scenes from the first series (which told the stories of Richard II, Henry IV and Henry V) were also filmed at the abbey.

Cast of The Hollow Crown: The War of the Roses in costume

The Hollow Crown at Lacock 

Lacock Abbey stars in 'The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses' alongside Benedict Cumberbatch and Dame Judi Dench.

In the summer of 2016 an exhibition of Hollow Crown costumes was held in the Great Hall of Lacock Abbey, including those worn by stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Keeley Hawes and Sophie Okonedo.

The costumes were created by Sands Films, based in London, whose many credits include 'Les Miserables', ' Poldark', 'Marie Antoinette', 'Sweeney Todd' and 'Anna Karenina'.

The detail of the costumes, created by Sands Films, is often missed on screen. This dress was worn by Mariah Gale who played Lady Bona, sister-in-law of Louis XI of France.
A close up of an embroidered dress, worn in the BBC Two production of 'The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses'
The detail of the costumes, created by Sands Films, is often missed on screen. This dress was worn by Mariah Gale who played Lady Bona, sister-in-law of Louis XI of France.

Wolf Hall

Lacock Abbey stood in for Wolf Hall, the seat of the Seymour family, in the BBC's adaptation of Hilary Mantel's Booker prize winning novels 'Wolf Hall' and 'Bring Up The Bodies'.

The Wolf Hall team also filmed down the road from Lacock at Great Chalfield Manor and Garden, which starred as Austen Friars, the home of Thomas Cromwell, the central character of the series.

The abbey cloister in the 2015 BBC production of Wolf Hall
Filming in the cloister at Lacock Abbey
The abbey cloister in the 2015 BBC production of Wolf Hall

 

What else has Lacock appeared in?

You might also spot Lacock in some of these productions...

  • Pride and Prejudice (BBC TV series 1995)
  • Cranford (BBC TV series 2007-2010)
  • The Other Boleyn Girl (2008 film)
  • Galavant (ABC TV series 2015-2016)
  • Dr Thorne (ITV series 2016)
  • His Dark Materials (BBC series 2019)

...plus many more!

The cast of Downton Abbey pose in front of the houses at Lacock

For film and TV lovers 

Find out which of our historic mansions and magnificent landscapes can be seen on-screen. You can look out for them in popular TV dramas such as Game of Thrones, and in brand new films.

Find out more about what has been filmed where