Filming at Calke Abbey
This year, Calke Abbey appears on screen in two major productions - the eighth and final season of 'Outlander' and the Netflix feature film 'Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man' - with the estate transformed into dramatically different worlds for film and television.
From 18th-century Savannah to wartime Britain, the house and estate were reimagined far beyond their Derbyshire setting, revealing Calke’s remarkable versatility and cinematic potential.
Both productions shine a light on what makes Calke extraordinary: a country house poised in a moment in time, its faded grandeur and scattered collections telling the powerful story of a place that survived when so many did not. Seeing Calke through the lens of film only deepens that story – revealing new angles, unexpected atmospheres and the drama contained within every room.
These projects have revealed Calke’s cinematic potential while helping us care for this unique place for future generations.
'Outlander' at Calke Abbey
Filming for Outlander brought new life to the stableyards at Calke, transforming the historic buildings into a vibrant 18th-century setting. With cast and crew on site from July to September 2024, this was the first time Calke had been used as a major fictional filming location – an exciting moment for the property and its story.
The production connected seamlessly with Calke's real past, a house long shaped by centuries of change, decline and survival. While filming took place, specialist conservators, the property team and the production company worked together to protect delicate interiors, collections and historic surfaces, ensuring the shoot left no trace.
'Peaky Blinders' at Calke Abbey
Just weeks after Outlander finished, Calke became the set for the highly anticipated Netflix movie, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man. Filming took place in mid-November to early December 2024, with stars Cillian Murphy, Rebecca Ferguson, Packy Lee and Sophie Rundle shooting scenes inside the house, as well as the stableyards and surrounding parkland.
The production chose Calke specifically for its ‘unstately’ character – its peeling paintwork and atmospheric rooms vividly capture a moment in the 20th century when many country houses faced dramatic decline. Few survive in such an authentic state, and Calke’s rare, little-altered interiors provided the perfect backdrop for the film’s wartime storyline.
Transforming the house and grounds
Inside the House, scenes were captured in passageways and corridors, the Kitchen, Schoolroom and Night Nursery, as well as other rooms normally used as collection stores. Filming also took place in the Stableyards, at Middle Lodge, and in the surrounding parkland. Set dressers and the production team transformed spaces to meet the creative vision – including enhancing the abandoned atmosphere of the estate, with a vintage car adding period detail and a cinematic feel.
Calke Abbey’s enduring character made it a compelling location for the film. Many areas of the house and stables remain largely unrestored, vividly portraying a period in the 20th century when numerous country houses fell into decline and did not survive to tell their story. This authentic backdrop allowed the filmmakers to capture the sense of history that is central to the production, while also highlighting the estate’s unique ability to reveal the social and architectural story of a country house in transition.
Behind the scenes magic
Filming at Calke involved hundreds of people, including the principal cast, supporting artists, set designers, lighting and camera crew, hair and make-up teams, and catering. While the cast for Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man was small, filming for Outlander involved over 100 supporting artists and stunt doubles.
The National Trust’s filming and locations team, along with the property staff, worked intensively to prepare the interiors and grounds. Around 1,300 collection items were carefully packed and moved to storage, floors were protected with matting and plywood, and delicate surfaces wrapped, while freelancers and in-house teams helped supervise every stage of the shoot. For the filming of Outlander, specialist countryside filming consultants were on hand to monitor the potential impact on wildlife and natural habitats. This included halting production each evening, to count bats emerging from their roosts in the Stableyards.
Winter filming brought its own surprises. A real snowfall early in the shoot for Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man caused concern for continuity – particularly for scenes shot from the Schoolroom window, where the script demanded a snow-free landscape. However, other scenes shot later did require snow – now long-since faded. Instead, artificial snow and frost were used to create just the right effect, from biodegradable powdered wood pulp to delicate drifting foam ‘flakes’ without harming the historic fabric or natural environment.
Protecting Calke during filming
Every major production involves meticulous behind-the-scenes planning. The Calke Abbey collections team worked with conservators and the crews to protect historic floors, collections and fragile surfaces. Thousands of objects were carefully packed and moved, vulnerable areas were wrapped, covered and padded, and specialist conservators remained on hand throughout the shoot.
Filming also brought opportunities for the team to learn new skills, solve challenges and see familiar rooms transformed through lighting, set dressing and camera work. The location fees have already helped to fund essential conservation projects across the estate - from improved blinds that protect sensitive interiors to path works and repairs that otherwise wouldn't have been possible at this time.
What you'll see when you next visit Calke
To mark the release of both productions, there will be new ways to explore Calke's on-screen transformation. Download a walking route using the link below to take in the key filming locations across the estate and discover how familiar spaces were adapted for the screen. Inside the House, look out for new interpretation inspired by Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, sharing behind-the-scenes stories and images showing how Calke was altered for filming. Additional interpretation in the Stableyards will reveal how the spaces were dressed, disguised and digitally enhanced to create worlds far removed from present-day Derbyshire.
Outlander is airing on MGM+, via Amazon Prime, from 7 March.
Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man was released in cinemas on 6 March, and launches on Netflix on 20 March.
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Exploring the estate at Calke Abbey
Reconnect with nature and make yourself at home in acres of historic parkland on the Calke Abbey estate in Derbyshire.
Things to do in the house at Calke Abbey
Discover the 'un-stately' home at Calke Abbey, where peeling paint and abandoned rooms vividly portray a period when many country houses didn't survive.
Eating and shopping at Calke Abbey
There are plenty of places to refresh and refuel at Calke Abbey, where you'll find a café, shop, second-hand bookshop and seasonal pop-up facilities throughout the year.
