The filming locations for the new drama Rivals include a picturesque market town, a stunning house and estate, and a vibrant city centre.
Rivals, based on Jilly Cooper’s novel, covers the cut-throat world of independent television during the late 1980s. The series follows the intense rivalry between ex-Olympic rider and Conservative MP Rupert Campbell-Black and TV station controller Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant) in fictional Rutshire.
With Corinium Television’s future hanging in the balance, the two are at odds, each determined to emerge victorious. The new Disney+ series based on Dame Jilly Cooper’s best-selling book is finally out, with all eight episodes available to binge-watch.
The new Disney+ series was filmed across Gloucestershire and the wider South West in 2023, but where are the filming locations and how can you visit them?
Where was new Disney+ series Rivals filmed?
Gloucestershire
(Image: Mike / SplashNews.com)
Rivals was predominantly filmed in Gloucestershire and the surrounding Cotswolds, with the owner of Chavenage House in Tetbury opening the estate for filming. The estate was also used for Poldark, starring Adrian Turner.
Chavenage House near Tetbury is a traditional Cotswold stone Elizabethan Grade I listed house and has everything you want for a filming location.
Owner Caroline Lowsley-Williams, who loves Dame Jilly Cooper, assisted the production and provided advice on which homes would perfectly fit the bill for filming locations. Chavenage House will make viewers yearn for a dream home in the village.
Indeed, Dame Cooper herself, a Gloucestershire local of over four decades famously exclaimed, “Gloucestershire is so welcoming and the Cotswolds are so heartbreakingly beautiful, so home is definitely here.”
Wiltshire
(Image: Clare Green/ Western Daily Press)
Just across the county line lies the inviting market town of Corsham, Wiltshire. Its picturesque streets and breathtaking surrounding countryside were utilised for additional Rutshire vistas, featuring the abode of one of the principal characters.
Reportedly, Neston Park also played host to the camera crews, however, details of which character will be associated with this location remain uncertain.
Wales
(Image: Fine & Country Cardiff)
Production moved via the M5 and M4 to film unspecified scenes in Monmouthshire. Local reports say the large country house and estate Woodbank House was one of the locations used for filming in the area.
Bristol
(Image: Bristol Live)
Rivals became the first production to use TBY2, a new state-of-the-art facility at The Bottle Yard Studios in Hengrove. It’s no wonder therefore that Bristol and its surrounding area was used to film the new series.
Bristol’s historic Old City was transformed into a glamorous red-carpet television awards ceremony for a scene, with the Harbour Hotel acting as the venue. Stars such as Aidan Turner, David Tennant, Katherine Parkinson, Alex Hassell, and Emily Atack were seen in black-tie attire, alongside a 1980s-era BBC camera car and luxury vehicles.
The Cosy Club on Corn Street also served as a filming location.
Queen Square was partially converted into a London street, complete with fake road signs and newspaper stands. Danny Dyer was captured driving a Sinclair C5 around the area.
Concorde Alpha Foxtrot at Aerospace Bristol was used to film scenes set aboard the iconic supersonic airliner.
Somerset
(Image: Fleurets)
In North Somerset, Aidan Turner revealed via a Facebook post that Battleaxes pub in Wraxall was used for unspecified scenes. The pub, which closed in 2020, was revamped into a typical 1980s pub for the series.
Reports suggest that additional filming took place in Clevedon.
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