September 24, 2026
The Great Austen Revival: Sense and Sensibility on Location in the South West
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It’s been a bumper year for the modern retelling and revival of British literary classics on screen, from Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials, Wuthering Heights, Hamnet and of course a number of the ‘great’ Jane Austen classics brought to life in celebration of a major 250th milestone anniversary year.
From Focus Features and Working Title, Director, Georgia Oakley’s take on Sense and Sensibility is the latest newly released feature film adaptation, unravelling the classic period perils of the time, surrounding romance, fortunes and family obligations. The sensible Elinor Dashwood [Daisy Edgar-Jones] alongside her impulsive sister Marianne Dashwood [Esmé Creed-Miles] form the central story arc of Austen’s infamous 18th century novel.
The Filming in England team spotlight the regional locations inspiring the period feature backdrop.
Perfectly Placed for Period Adaptations
The production shot extensively on location in the English regions from the sweeping landmark of Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire to historic, Penshurst Place in Sevenoaks, Kent with major ‘hero’ locations on Dartmoor National Park in Devon and across rural Dorset.
From heritage coastlines to picturesque rambling cottages, stately homes of grandeur and unspoilt sweeping moorlands, the South West region has always been a natural draw for period dramas and feature productions.
Ditsworthy Warren House, now a Dartmoor landmark made famous by Spielberg’s War Horse (2011) becomes centre stage again as ‘Barton Cottage’ the lowly new home of the Dashwood family. The film-facilitation service operating in the county, Devon Film Office add how rewarding it was to work across the initial scouting for the production:
“It is really rewarding being able to work with the ‘Sense and Sensibility’ production team to convey the emotions of the iconic story in a Devon landscape. The whole experience shows the diversity and drama of the area and underlines the region’s commitment to welcome top-tier storytelling supported by an infrastructure that is excited by and welcomes filming in Dartmoor and throughout Devon. We aim to share our timeless and evocative environment for everyone to enjoy. The heart, heritage and history of Devon and ‘Sense and Sensibility’ are an exciting match. ”
Dorset’s Compelling On Screen Landscapes
To complete the principal on screen South West locations, the hidden gem of Kingston Russell House near Long Bredy in Dorset came to life as ‘Norland Park’ the ancestral estate of the Dashwood’s family. Kerry Carpenter, Marketing & PR Coordinator within Film Dorset at Dorset Council recalls supporting with filming to assist with profiling Dorset as a film-friendly county to productions with amazing locations to offer:
“We were delighted to support the production team behind ‘Sense and Sensibility’, assisting with location suggestions, facilitating highways permissions and sharing local knowledge to help bring the project to Dorset. Seeing Kingston Russell House transformed into Norland Park was particularly exciting. Despite its remarkable history and character, the house had never previously been used as a filming location, demonstrating that Dorset still offers filmmakers unique and undiscovered locations with real screen potential. We look forward to supporting more productions as they discover everything the county has to offer.”
Councillor Richard Biggs, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Economic Growth & Strategic Assets, Dorset Council further adds:
“Sense and Sensibility is a fantastic example of how Dorset’s locations can help create compelling screen stories while delivering real benefits for local communities and businesses. We are proud to support the screen industry and work with productions to access the exceptional locations, services and expertise available across Dorset. From historic estates and unspoilt countryside to dramatic coastlines, Dorset’s distinctive character makes it an outstanding destination for film and television production”
The Behind the Scenes Location Scouting
Regional coordination support from Filming in England was provided in the early scouting stages to Dorset based Location Manager, Eddy Pearce who explains the level of detailed exploration involved in sourcing the locations that brought the production to life:
“Scouting has taken me all round the world and there is such privilege in that, but exploring the location gems which lie closer to my home here in the South West will always feel special. I was involved from the very earliest days of production, and Georgia gave a location brief which was beautifully clear, but certainly not restrictive. This gave both the time and opportunity to dig really deep with scouting, concentrating initially on the two key house locations, Norland and Barton Cottage, both of which ended up being shot in the South West.
Location scouting has changed hugely in recent years and, although online research is part of my process, many of the best locations are still found by poring over maps, getting my car on the road, feet on the ground, and reaching out to both personal and industry contacts. Filming in England is often one of my early calls, particularly for the South West where Charlotte Wood has always been hugely supportive and pro-active – sharing what they have in-house alongside contacts and ideas from within their wider network. Screen Somerset was also, as always, incredibly helpful, and we had plenty of support from Devon Film Office, Dorset Council, and various departments within both those councils in both scouting and prep for the shoot itself.
Our location for Norland ended up being a stunningly characterful historic house which had never been previously shot at. Although less than 10 miles from where I live, in an area that I thought I knew like the back of my hand, I had never seen it before. It was very private and hidden, with almost no photos or reference online, and came to me via a friend of lovely local contact. A real lesson in never underestimating the location gems that can be found in the UK when time and tenacity allow!”
The new film adaptation of Sense and Sensibility (2026) will be released in UK cinemas on Friday, 25th September.
For further information on the supporting filming partners referenced across the region please contact: Buckinghamshire Film Office; Kent Film Office; Devon Film Office and Film Dorset at Dorset Council.
For more information on filming in the South West, please contact Charlotte Wood, our Production Liaison Manager for the South West region: charlotte.wood@creativeengland.co.uk
