By now, you’ve probably made your way through Netflix’s Persuasion. You no doubt have some thoughts (at least the internet certainly seems to), and perhaps even a few questions. Namely, where was the Jane Austin adaptation actually filmed?
As it turns out, the movie was shot in a place with a very special meaning and connection to the famous book. The beautiful green scenery, old architecture and sunlit meadows exist in a real life place, and Dakota Johnson, who plays the iconic character Anne Elliot, embodied the author solely by being there for production.
Below, find out where Persuasion was filmed, and why it’s so meaningful.
Where was Persuasion filmed?
Persuasion was predominantly filmed in Bath, which is where the story is set. Interestingly, Bath is where Jane Austin herself lived for several years in the early 1800s, so it holds a special connection to the author.
Dakota Johnson, Henry Golding, Cosmo Jarvis and the entire cast and crew based themselves in Bath during filming, which would no doubt have been a special way to connect with the story. Austin move away from Bath in 1805, just over 10 years before she wrote Persuasion—it clearly left a lasting impression on her.
Specifically, the Elliot family’s home was filmed in Bath’s Royal Crescent (which was also used as a backdrop in Bridgerton). Madame Lefroy’s dress shop was also filmed in a local Primark on Bath Street.
Outside of Bath, the cast and crew headed to Osterley Park in Isleworth, London to film the Somerset City scenes.
As for the Assembly Rooms, Ammerdown House in Kilmersdon was used as a backdrop. The Elliot family’s ancestral home, Kellynch Hall, was filmed at Trafalgar Park in Salisbury, which Yeovil’s Brympton House transformed into the Musgrave family’s home.
Moving to the coast, Dorset’s tranquil landscape was utilised with scenes filmed in the town of Lyme Regis and in Burton Bradstock.
All in all, the film’s backdrop is quintessentially British, as any Jane Austin adaptation should be. It offers a stunning look at some of the UK’s preserved architecture—to think that 200 or so years ago some of the buildings looked exactly the same as they do now is impressive. Props to Persuasion for reminding us of that, and for quenching our period drama thirst.
