Looking for something to binge-watch on Netflix?
Here's seven series worth seeing on the streaming site that were filmed on location in Hertfordshire.
From steamy period dramas to tear-jerking romances, and serial killer thrillers to royal dramas, Hertfordshire has been home to filming of a number of huge Netflix shows, helped by the county's burgeoning film and TV industry.
Stars such as Gillian Anderson, Olivia Colman, Ricky Gervais and Bridgerton heartthrob Regé-Jean Page have all filmed in the county in recent years for Netflix.
1. One Day
Released to critical acclaimed earlier this year, romantic drama One Day is based on David Nicholls' bestselling novel of the same name.
Starring Potters Bar's Ambika Mod and White Lotus star Leo Woodall in the lead roles, One Day tells the story of Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew who, on 15th July 1988, speak for the very first time at their graduation. It then catches up with them on the same day over the following years.
While there were mixed reviews for the movie version of One Day starring Anne Hathaway as Emma, the 14-part Netflix series has drawn widespread praise, with even Kim Kardashian posting on social media to her millions of followers to watch it after the series had reduced her to tears.
Two episodes of One Day were shot on location in Hertfordshire.
Viewers watching on Netflix will spot Benington Lordship near Stevenage in episode nine of One Day.
Dex (Leo Woodall) visits his new girlfriend 's parents at their family estate. Poldark star Eleanor Tomlinson plays Dex's girlfriend Sylvie, while her parents Lionel Cope and Helen are played by Toby Stephens and Joely Richardson respectively.
Benington Lordship doubles for the Cope family's residence.
Episode ten centres on the wedding of Emma's university friend Tilly, played by Amber Grappy, to Graham.
The wedding scenes were filmed at St Etheldreda's Church in Old Hatfield, with the following reception held nearby at The Old Palace at Hatfield House.
The Hertfordshire stately home's gardens are also used for scenes as Emma and Dexter meet up during the reception for a chat.
SUGGESTED READING
- Behind the scenes of filming One Day in Hertfordshire
- Ambika Mod talks about playing Emma in One Day
2. Bridgerton
As fans of Julia Quinn’s hugely popular raunchy Regency romance novels eagerly await the third series of Bridgerton in May, watch the first two seasons again on Netflix and spot the Hertfordshire locations used.
Season one included scenes filmed at Hatfield House and North Mymms Park.
Hatfield House was used for Lady Trowbridge's lavish society ball in episode four – 'An Affair of Honor' – in which Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page) first kiss in the garden.
Scenes were filmed in the Marble Hall, the Library, the West Garden, the West Terrace and the North Front, with dozens of extras required for the ball.
Season 2 of the Regency-era romp returned to Hertfordshire with scenes at the Bridgerton family's country estate, Aubrey Hall, filmed on location at Wrotham Park near Potters Bar.
The forthcoming third season centres on the relationship between Penelope Featherington, played by Derry Girls and Barbie star Nicola Coughlan, and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) — and viewers can expect to see Herts on screen again, with North Mymms Park once again used as a filming location.
North Mymms Park is used for the interior of White’s, the oldest gentlemen’s club in London.
Episodes 1 to 4 of Bridgerton series 3 will be released exclusively on Netflix on May 16, with the final four episodes dropping on June 13.
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- 25 facts about the making of Netflix series Bridgerton
- Filming locations of season two of Netflix series Bridgerton
- Secrets of Bridgerton's Pall Mall game in season two of hit Netflix series
3. Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story
This Bridgerton-verse prequel centres on Queen Charlotte's rise to prominence and power.
It tells the story of how the young Queen's marriage to King George sparked both a great love story and a societal shift, creating the world of the Ton inherited by the characters in Bridgerton.
Series makers once again turned to Hatfield House for location filming, with the results seen in the opening episode.
Most of the interior wedding scenes in episode one were filmed at Merton College in Oxford. But the scene when Charlotte (India Amarteifio) sneaks a peek before the ceremony and looks down on the crowd from above to try and get a glimpse of George — and is, instead, spotted by Lady Agatha Danbury for the first time — was filmed at Hatfield House. This was shot from the Marble Hall.
The garden at Hatfield House also served as the setting for another key scene before the wedding, when Charlotte and George meet for the first time as she tries to climb over the wall.
4. The Gentlemen
Featuring guns, gangsters and drugs, scenes of Guy Ritchie's first Netflix series were filmed on location in Hertfordshire.
The Hatfield-born director shot scenes of hit series The Gentlemen at Wrotham Park near Potters Bar, at Brocket Hall, and at Knebworth House.
You can see Knebworth House — and the gothic mansion's gargoyles — at the start of episode four.
Viewers will see a tour coach approach the historic home through Knebworth Park, with the Lytton Cobbold family home doubling for Dorset Hall, home of the 8th Lord Bassington.
Brocket Hall's golf course near Welwyn Garden City features in the opening minutes of episode five. The second hole on the Melbourne Course and the Palladian Bridge can be seen on screen as Eddie Horniman (Theo James) plays golf.
Meanwhile, Wrotham Park was used for Uncle Stan’s lavish pile in the series which reunited director Ritchie with Vinnie Jones.
SUGGESTED READING
- Filming locations of Guy Ritchie series The Gentlemen
- Vinnie Jones teams up with Guy Ritchie again for Netflix series
5. YOU
With a fifth and final season of YOU on the way, re-watch season four which was based in England.
The fourth series of the Netflix psychological thriller saw Penn Badgley's character Joe Goldberg relocated to England and masquerading as professor Jonathan Moore.
However, there's a serial killer on the loose — and this time Joe's the hunted!
The production of YOU season four was based at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden with sets built on the backlot.
The Hertfordshire film and TV studios posted on Instagram: "We were thrilled to host ‘You’ at #WBSLeavesden, which filmed on our stages and built London on our backlot."
Location filming also took place in Hertfordshire at Knebworth House in episodes four — 'Hampsie' — and five — 'The Fox and the Hound'.
Knebworth House doubles for Lady Phoebe's country house Hampsbridge House, including Phoebe's sex boudoir.
Nicknamed 'Hampsie', the estate is where socialite Lady Phoebe and her rich kid friends, plus Joe, decamp for a weekend to escape the so-called 'Eat The Rich Killer'.
But murder soon follows them.
SUGGESTED READING
6. The Crown
Left Bank Pictures, makers of The Crown, opted to set up base at Elstree Studios back in 2015, building sets for the exterior of Buckingham Palace and the famous door to 10 Downing Street on the backlot, while also using various sound stages.
Since then, six series of the award-winning royal drama have been made — with Hertfordshire stately homes and locations regularly used for filming locations.
Claire Foy and Matt Smith played Elizabeth and Prince Philip in the opening two series of The Crown, with Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies taking over the royal reins for seasons three and four. Imelda Staunton played Queen Elizabeth II in series five and six.
Filming on location has taken place over the years at Hatfield House, St Albans Cathedral, Wrotham Park near Potters Bar, Brocket Hall, North Mymms Park, Moor Park, and Knebworth House.
The latter doubled for the inside of Balmoral Castle in the fourth season, with Olivia Colman, Helena Bonham Carter and Gillian Anderson all on set playing drinking game Ibble Dibble.
While inspired by historical events, The Crown is a fictional journey following the life and reign of Elizabeth II, from the young Princess becoming Queen to the series four rise and fall of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, played by former The X-Files star Gillian Anderson.
Meetings between the Queen and the Prime Minister of the day were shot at Wrotham Park. Wrotham Park was also used as Gatcombe Park, the country residence of Anne, Princess Royal, in season four.
If you've not seen The Crown yet, there's 60 episodes in total over six seasons to binge-watch.
SUGGESTED READING
- Historic houses used for filming of The Crown
- 8 filming locations of Netflix royal drama The Crown in Hertfordshire
7. After Life
Ricky Gervais' moving and poignant After Life series is set in the small fictitious town of Tambury.
Over three seasons, the black comedy-drama follows Tony (Gervais), a writer for the local newspaper whose life is upended after his wife Lisa (Kerry Godliman) dies from cancer.
Whilst still struggling with immense grief for his wife, Tony starts to realise that making other people feel good is what can give him hope and a reason to live.
Residents of Hemel Hempstead will instantly recognise locations used in After Life, with the Tambury Gazette local newspaper office actually in Hemel's Old Town.
The Tambury Fair in the season 3 closing episode was filmed in Gadebridge Park, Hemel Hempstead.
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