For the houses in the BBC 1995 Pride and Prejudice series click here. For those used in the 2005 movie, click here.
In our third feature on the properties used in Pride and Prejudice adaptations, we cover the houses of ITV’s spin-off series, Lost in Austen. The breathtaking houses and locations used in the show only heighten Miss Amanda’s fish-out-of-water status, as she is transported from her cramped London flat to a completely different social world. Shocked by the splendor of Netherfield, with a front lawn large enough to ‘park a bloody jumbo,’ Amanda is then greeted with the intimidating Rosings and stunning Pemberley, each playing their part to perfection. It’s wonderful that there are so many beautifully kept stately homes in the UK to keep film-makers’ options open. Each property has only been used once so far, but surely we must be running out…
Allerton Castle (Rosings)
Allerton Castle, near the town of Knaresborough in north Yorkshire, plays Lady Catherine’s lair in Lost in Austen, complete with the ‘clasping buttresses’ so admired by Mr Collins. Set in 200 acres of parkland and formal gardens, not to mention the stunning north Yorkshire countryside, the present house was built between 1848 and 1854. The building is available for almost every occasion: weddings, private parties, corporate events, and also of course the filming of irreverent Pride and Prejudice spin-off TV series.
Allerton Castle is the ancestral home of Lord Mowbray, Segrave and Stourton. (I had to re-read this several times to establish that this is only one person!) The ceiling of the Great Hall, which is the entrance to Allerton Castle, is over 80ft high, making it one of the grandest rooms in England.
According to the website, the bedrooms in the house are said to be ‘perfect for your wedding night,’ a statement which they follow with a mischievous three dots…
Harewood House (Pemberley)
Harewood House, also in north Yorkshire, is the home of the Earl and Countess of Harewood (two people!) In 2009, the house won Enjoy England’s Large Visitor Attraction of the Year, so expect plenty to do if you have the good fortune to be able to visit the property. The building was constructed in the middle of the 18th Century, from the ill-gotten proceeds of the West Indian sugar trade, and sits in a landscape garden designed by ‘Capability’ Brown.
You can tour the house for its interiors, galleries and tearooms, and also visit the kitchen and servants’ quarters under the stairs. Outside, there is a bird garden, containing over 100 species including penguins, and an obligatory adventure playground for kids.
There is also an impressive array of events, from drive-in movies to a visit from the Moscow State Circus, and regular exhibitions. Weddings are also possible for the financially more generously endowed. The standard entry price for adults is eleven pounds.
Bramham Biggin (Longbourn)
Bramham Biggin, a house on the grand Bramham Park estate, plays Longbourn in Lost in Austen. The site had been used since medieval times as a monestry and has housed various families, including that of MP Charles Allenson. In the 19th Century the house was used as a college, and then returned to its former use as a residence. At the time of the filming of Lost in Austen, the house was completely stripped bare, given the filmmakers maximum freedom to use the interiors as they wished.
For details of the estate, see the website link under Netherfield (Bramham Park.)
Bramham Park (Netherfield)
Bramham Park is another house laid open to visitors and boasting a range of attractions and events. The West Yorkshire house was built in 1698 and its landscape was laid over the following 30 years by the appropriately entitled 1st Lord Bingley, Robert Benson. The focus of the property is the garden. ‘Bramham Park is a grand and unusual house,” wrote historian Nikolaus Pevsner, cited on the house’s website, ‘but its gardens are grander and even more unusual.’
It was designed as a summer residence only, which explains its relatively modest size in relation to the spectacular grounds. The pond at Bramham Park is also used for the Pemberley lake scene with Amanda and Mr Darcy.
To visit, you’ll need to make an appointment but it’s only four pounds for adults and two pounds for concession tickets.
Here is Bramham Park’s website.
Your stately friend,
Lizzy
