If you haven’t binge-watched Rivals on Disney+ yet, the festive break may be the perfect time to dive into this dramatic and sexy drama series. Based on the books of romance author Jilly Cooper, this steamy 80s-style show has had rave reviews and quickly became a must-watch.
Rivals is from Jilly Cooper’s Rutshire Chronicles series of books, but while it is set in the Cotswolds, Rutshire is a fictional county but does try to capture a very British slice of life. So where did they film the series to capture this quintessentially British way of life?
The majority of the show starring David Tennent as Lord Tony Baddingham, Alex Hassell as Rupert Campbell-Black and Aidan Turner as Declan O’Hara, was filmed in Tetbury, which becomes the fictional village of Cotchester. Tetbury is the second largest town in the Cotswolds and has some very famous residents.
The area of outstanding beauty with rolling hills and countryside is also the home of King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort. Historically, it was an important town for the Cotswold wool and yarn trade, and today, it boasts a number of independent shops, but is a perfect place for anyone looking to find that antique they have been searching for.
Tetbury is well known for its antique and brick-a-brack shops, providing hours of browsing for keen bargain hunters. It has four main high streets, Long Street, Church Street, Market Place and Chipping Street, that are packed full of boutique stores from designer clothes and jewellery to home interiors and gifts.
According to Homes & Antiques magazine in 2018, Long Street is one of the UK’s best shopping destinations. The street is also home to the Highgrove Shop, which is inspired by Highgrove Gardens and King Charles’s personal interests.
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It is filled with a variety of gifts and artisan products and a unique blend of tea and champagne. It also has a number of gardening tools and soft furniture and has sweet and savoury treats.
And if a long day of shopping makes you hungry, Tetbury has a number of dining options from gastropubs like The Cat and Custard Pot Inn or Italian, such as Casa La Cucina, to Spanish like Lola and Co Tapas and best of British flavours at The Priort Inn.
If you fancy a bit of history, you could visit the Tetbury Police Museum, which is open Wednesdays and Fridays 11am till 3pm and is free to enter. Or there is a number of gardens to visit all year round including those at Highgrove, the personal residence of the King and Queen.
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After King Charles arrived in Highgrove in 1980, he began transforming the gardens, and you can see them for yourself between April and October every year. But there is also the Westinbirt House and Gardens, Newark Park and Rodmarton Manor to explore.
One of the other locations in Rivals is the new O’Hara home which is actually Chavenage House also in Tetbury. IT was also the backdrop for scenes in BBC drama Poldark, so actor Aidan Turner will be very familiar with its stunning medieval heritage and elaborate decor and furnishings.
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Members of the public wishing to visit Chavenage House can book tickets throughout the year when there is availability. And if you would like to stay in the home of Cameron Cook, played by Nafessa Williams, from the hit series, you can rent out Berkeley House in Tetbury as a holiday home and use it as a base to immerse yourself in the very British town.
Other parts of the Disney+ series were also filmed on locations in Wiltshire, Somerset, Bristol and Salisbury. You can watch Rivals on Disney+ now.
This post was originally published on here
