All The Stately Homes We See In My Lady Jane

6 months ago

How to visit the historical filming locations

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Now streaming on Prime Video is My Lady Jane, a playful, not-always-accurate historical tale centring on the famed nine day queen, Lady Jane Grey (Emily Bader). As Henry Ashton who plays Stan Dudley exclusively tells C&TH: ‘My Lady Jane is a swashbuckling retelling of history, set in an alt-universe of action, history, fantasy, comedy and steamy romance.

‘The whole show is just so much fun!’ Henry adds. ‘And calls back to those amazing films of the 90s and early 2000s, like The Princess Bride and A Knight’s Tale, in the way that it is unapologetically hilarious, romantic and heart-warming.’

Set in Tudor England, the scenery is very historical, making the most of some of our nation’s very best stately homes. But where exactly was My Lady Jane filmed? We’ve got the details.

Emily Bader as Lady Jane Grey, Robyn Betteridge as Margaret Grey, Isabella Brownson as Katherine Grey and Anna Chancellor as Frances Grey

Where Was My Lady Jane Filmed?

My Lady Jane was filmed in the UK, notably at Hampton Court Palace, with a mixture of real stately homes and sets built from scratch.

‘In the early days of pre-production, I spent a lot of time filtering through properties that matched with the script, finding ways to balance the historical and comedic aspects,’ says Bill Darby, the locations manager for My Lady Jane. ‘Will Hughes-Jones (Production Designer) and I have known each other for some time, both having worked on quite a number of period productions over the years. Between us we had quite a good idea on where to start. Helpfully, we received some fairly detailed scripts from quite early on in the process which really helped to focus our search as we knew what we were looking for. We set out on a road trip quite quickly and spent about two to three weeks scouting locations for our body of work, which spanned as far west as Cornwall and as far north as Derbyshire. We ended up with a great selection of locations across the UK that we felt tied in perfectly with the show and really brought My Lady Jane to life.’

Production Designer Will Hughes-Jones adds: ‘We blur the lines so much that people don’t notice when they’re going from location onto set. After two years of doing Bridgerton, where we threw the rule book away, it was quite easy to do.

‘The humour of the My Lady Jane script bled through to the making of the project,’ Hughes-Jones adds. ‘People who write scripts like that have a sense of humour; they take life very seriously without taking it too seriously. My Lady Jane was a great show to do because we had so much fun on it. There was a lot of time when we looked at a scene, and then we embellished them with some pretty bonkers things, but we also did things that were more historically accurate than you would necessarily think. For example, for the tapestries we made sure all of the colours were really punchy and bright as they would have been at that time. When you look at tapestries now, they’re muted and soft because they’ve faded with time.’

Kate O’Flynn as Princess Mary, Will Keen as Norfolk, Jason Forbes as Scrope, Brandon Grace as William, Henry Ashton as Stan Dudley and Isabella Brownson as Katherine Grey

My Lady Jane Filming Locations

Hampton Court Palace, London

Most of My Lady Jane is set at Hampton Court Palace, a still-standing Tudor marvel where Henry VIII lived, and his son King Edward also ruled from. However, the interiors of the Palace were changed by William and Mary when they came into power, so they don’t look like they would have in Jane’s time. My Lady Jane was filmed in the gardens of Hampton Court Palace (which look much the same), but the interiors were recreated in a studio.

Find It: Hampton Court Way, Molesey, East Molesey KT8 9AU

Ashridge Estate, Hertfordshire

With 190 acres of gardens sprawling around the Grade I listed Ashridge Estate, this Hertfordshire property was also used for filming My Lady Jane. Once a residence to King Henry VIII and Princess Elizabeth I, this is another apt filming location, showcasing the neo-gothic country house steeped in real history.

Find It: Beacon Road, Ringshall HP4 1NE

Herstmonceux Castle, East Sussex

Dating from the 15th century, My Lady Jane was also filmed at Herstmonceaux Castle, one of the nation’s oldest significant brick buildings still standing, despite being tactically turned into a picturesque ruin in the late 1700s to avoid upkeep costs. In the 1950s, it operated under the Royal Observatory thanks to its clearer conditions than those seen in Greenwich with London’s ever-increasing urban sprawl. Today it is a study abroad centre for Canadian university, Queen’s University at Kingston.

Find It: Wartling Road Entrance, Hailsham, East Sussex BN27 1RN

And More…

Broughton Castle (Banbury OX15 5EB)
Chiltern Open Air Museum (Newland Park, Gorelands Lane, Chalfont Saint Peter, Bucks HP8 4AB)
Crossways Farm (Raikes Lane, Abinger Hammer, Dorking RH5 6PZ)
Dorney Court (Dorney Lane, Windsor SL4 6QP)
Dover Castle (Canons Gate Road, Dover, CT16 1QR)
Great Chalfield Manor (Great Chalfield, Atworth, Melksham SN12 8NH)
Hatfield House & Estate (Great North Road, Hatfield AL9 5HX)
Langley Park (George Green Field, Wexham, Bucks SL3 6DU)
The Priory Church of St. Bartholomew the Great (57 W Smithfield, London EC1A 9DS)

Rob Brydon as Lord Dudley and Henry Ashton as Stan Dudley

What Is My Lady Jane About?

My Lady Jane is a comedy reimagining of the historical figure Lady Jane Grey, an English noblewomen who claimed the throne after Henry VIII’s only surviving son, Edward VI, died aged 16. Edward named Protestant first cousin once removed, Lady Jane Grey, as his heir, excluding his half sisters Mary and Elizabeth. Mary, who would later be known as Bloody Mary, was not best pleased, rallying troops in East Anglia and deposing Jane within nine days. Jane was then beheaded at the Tower of London.

In My Lady Jane, however, we are asked right up top to forget everything we know about Jane’s real story. In this fantastical universe, 16-year-old Jane is at the behest of her conniving mother Lady Frances Grey (Anna Chancellor) who marries Jane off to notorious rake Guildford Dudley (Edward Bluemel). But this is the least of her worries: while Jane’s beloved cousin Edward ails, a war is brewing between Verity purebloods (ordinary people) and Ethians, mystical people who transform into animals and who have been banished to the outskirts of society. Edward, guided by his sisters Mary (Kate O’Flynn) and Bess (Abbie Hern), lets attacks against the Ethians go unchecked – but Jane is not so comfortable with that when she finds herself atop the throne.

As showrunner Gemma Burgess summarises: ‘Many people know that Lady Jane Grey was married against her will, made Queen for nine days, then put in the Tower and shortly thereafter beheaded. Our show is about what might have happened if history was different and if she hadn’t died. It’s a silly, fun, smart, swashbuckling, rambunctious alternative history. It’s The Princess Bride meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Blackadder.’

Jordan Peters as King Edward

Emily Bader as Lady Jane Grey and Edward Bluemel as Guildford Dudley

Is My Lady Jane Based On A Book?

Yes, My Lady Jane is based on the first in a series of young adult novels written by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand and Jodi Meadows: My Lady Jane (2016), My Plain Jane (2018) and My Calamity Jane (2020). The first is about Lady Jane Grey, while the second is a retelling of Jane Eyre and the third about, you guessed it, Calamity Jane.