– National Trust Properties
and Historic Manors –
by Staff | PBS Masterpiece | March 31, 2025
Step into the world of Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, where stunning real-life locations bring the Tudor drama to vivid life. From majestic National Trust properties to privately-owned historic homes, these sites provide the perfect backdrop for pivotal moments in the series—as described by locations manager, Rebecca Pearson. Whether setting the stage for a royal wedding or an emotional breakdown, this sampling of film locations offers an authentic glimpse into the past, and all are open to visit and explore yourself!
Wells Cathedral (Somerset)
Wells was begun in the 12th century and is England’s first cathedral built entirely in the Gothic style—its scissor arches are showstoppers. Sky-high ceilings, vibrant stained glass, and intricate stone carvings give it the presence to host a key moment in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light. “Wells is just the most glorious place to film,” says Pearson. “It’s used for a few scenes, including standing in for Hampton Court’s Palace Chapel when Henry marries Jane Seymour in Episode 1.
“Locals saw the costumed cast onsite and about town during shoots at Wells. On Damian Lewis’s last day [here], he very sweetly bought all of us cake and tea from a local café. I’ve never seen anybody so happy to have a Tudor king buy all their cake!”
Hampton Court’s Great Hall (Surrey)
The palace was a favorite residence of Henry VIII, who spent considerable time there with all six of his wives. It boasts a magnificent Great Hall, decked out with tapestries so valuable they’re considered among Britain’s most valuable artworks, second only to the Crown Jewels.
“We were very, very lucky to film in the Great Hall,” says Pearson. “We requested it for [Wolf Hall Season 1], but of course they didn’t know who we were back then, so they said no. They say no because the tapestries in there are so delicate, and they don’t always trust crews. But because of the respect and knowledge demonstrated in the first series, they basically opened the doors. …We were very honored to be the first drama to film in there since the 1970s.” (Bridgerton and 2018’s The Favourite famously filmed at Hampton Court, but only outside.)
Gloucester Cathedral (Gloucestershire)
This cathedral site has been a place of worship since 678 AD and is renowned for its medieval cloisters and great expanses of ancient stained glass. When Cromwell visits Cardinal Wolseley’s daughter in Episode 2, “that’s all Gloucester Cathedral,” says Pearson. “They meet in the main part of the cathedral, but later, when Cromwell breaks down in that amazing scene, that’s in the cathedral’s fabulous cloister.”
The 14th-century cloisters were famously used for Hogwart scenes in the Harry Potter films. They are currently undergoing a 10-year renovation to save what is regarded as one of the best and earliest examples of fan vaulting in the world.
Bishop Palace (Somerset)
This medieval gem has been home to the Bishop of Wells for over 800 years. The only working bishop’s palace in England open to the public, it’s also rolled out the red carpet for film crews from PBS favorites like Poldark and Antiques Roadshow. Bishop’s Palace was used for the Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light Episode 2 scene “when Princess Mary is reintroduced to the King. Cromwell is with her, and they walk up the stairs while two enormous doors open to where Henry waits,” Pearson says.
“There’s another fantastic scene [in Episode 3] where we have the Duke of Norfolk [Timothy Spall] arguing with Cromwell in what is supposed to be Norfolk’s estate. It’s actually a beautiful crypted space on the site. Very echoey to record there. Spall’s voice was just, you could just hear it resonate throughout the whole space—absolutely magnificent.”
Great Chalfield Manor and Garden (Wiltshire)
The well-preserved 15th-century manor (currently a private home) doubles as Austin Friars, Thomas Cromwell’s estate, as it did in Wolf Hall Season 1. It’s portrayed as a lively hub, buzzing with extended family and wards, craftsmen, and the occasional visiting dignitary. “The owners close it in winter, so we were lucky to film there again,” says Pearson. “We picked the site because of its atmosphere and because the rooms lead nicely onto each other; you can easily film routes through the whole place. …Inside, we shot scenes with Cromwell in his study and in the home’s Great Hall. The exteriors you see are in their Arts and Crafts gardens, which are stunning.”
MASTERPIECE’s Poldark, its 2008 adaptation of Tess of the d’Urbervilles, and even the film The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) all made use of the charming Great Chalfield Manor. While privately owned, this cinematic jewel is also open to the public via scheduled tours.
Montacute House (Somerset)
The UK National Trust property Montacute House has stayed virtually frozen in time since the Elizabethan era. It’s built in an ‘E’ shape, a popular design of the period. In Wolf Hall Season 1, it was the dramatic backdrop for Anne Boleyn’s arrest. In Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, Montacute doubles as Greenwich Palace. “The scene we shot there that audiences will remember is [in Episode 4] when Henry and Cromwell play chess by the window,” says Pearson. “It’s that moment where their relationship is starting to change.
“Of course, Henry VIII had loads of palaces—plus his hunting lodges. We were told by a curator that basically, [the Tudors] would stay in one palace for a few months until it smelt so much, they’d pack everything up, tapestries, furniture, clothes, and the whole court would move to the next palace. That’s why they had so many palaces.”
Forde Abbey (Dorset)
Today, Forde Abbey is a private home, while back in the 12th century, it was filled with Cistercian monks. When Henry VIII got busy dissolving larger monasteries, the Bishop of Chard decided to surrender Forde Abbey in exchange for a pension. The Kennard family inherited responsibility for the site in 2009 and continue to live and farm there, as the monks did before them.
“Private homes are a lot easier to film in,” says Pearson. “When you have a question, it might only have to go to one or two people before you can get an answer. …We were here for a few of our big crowd scenes because it is just so much easier.” And the Episode 1 scene “when you see Jane and Henry walk through a magnificently lit corridor after their wedding, that’s also Forde Abbey.”
Haddon Hall (Derbyshire)
Haddon is an 11th-century fortified manor perched on a slope that’s strikingly unchanged since Henry VIII visited, gifting a tapestry that still hangs in the banquet hall. “It’s extraordinary,” says Pearson. “The Victorians ransacked many houses, adding to them, changing them. But Haddon Hall was basically put under dust sheets for 200 or 300 years. It feels very authentic. …We filmed a masked ball [in Episode 2] and [an Episode 3] scene where they’re bowling outside, and the Queen lies down before Henry, asking him not to dissolve the monasteries. That’s Haddon Hall—another private estate, but very much open to visitors.”
Haddon’s charm has graced films like Jane Eyre (2010), Princess Bride (1987), and MASTERPIECE’s TV adaptation of Death Comes to Pemberley, among others.
Wolfeton House (Dorset)
Wolfeton is another private residence dating back to the 15th century. It stands in for the banished Princess Mary’s melancholy home and “works atmospherically because the whole place is falling apart. There’s plaster falling off the walls, it’s incredible,” says Pearson. The torn tapestries and broken windows convey the feeling of someone basically imprisoned there. “The owners live at Wolfeton today, and they have lots of enthusiasm. But these houses take so much to maintain, which is the reason they love to have us come film, to help with the maintenance.”
Source: PBS.org