Based on Hilary Mantel’s third book in her Tudor trilogy, the new episodes chronicle the final four years of Cromwell’s life as he attempts to climb to power and wealth under the reign of King Henry VIII.
Of course, there's plenty of drama unfolding in the weekly instalments but it wouldn't quite be Wolf Hall without some spectacular backdrops, manor houses and stunning attention to historical detail.
Regarded by many to be one of the greatest period dramas ever made, it's safe to say that each aspect of Wolf Hall is carefully considered, including its sets and locations. But where was the BBC series filmed?
Read on to find out everything you need to know about the filming locations used in both seasons of Wolf Hall, as well as some fascinating insight from series producer Mark Pybus.
Where was Wolf Hall filmed? A guide to the drama's filming locations
The filming locations are as follows:
Forde Abbey, Dorset
This historic estate, which dates back to the 12th century and was once owned by King Henry the VIII, was used as a filming location in the series.
The cloisters (seen above) were used to film the scenes in which King Henry VIII prepares for his new bride, Jane Seymour.
Elsewhere, The Great Hall was transformed into King Henry’s throne room, and the kitchen garden and the Drawing Room were used to depict Margaret Pole’s house.
Chastleton House, Oxfordshire
Chastleton’s small stone courtyard doubles for Putney, where we see Cromwell as a young man being viciously attacked by his father. The interiors stand in for the Seymour family home, Wolf Hall, where Henry first falls for Jane Seymour. "The Seymours are on the up when we first meet them, before Jane becomes queen," said Pybus. "It’s one of the only properties in the drama that has a shabby feel. We wanted to get across that they’re not as rich as other people in the show." It’s possible to visit this ancient house, first built by a rich wool merchant, and now managed by the National Trust.
Dover Castle, Kent
This medieval castle doubles for the Tower of London, where we see Anne Boleyn being executed. "We were looking for a tower, but the problem with the one in central London is that you can end up looking at so much modern stuff [in the background] and have a lot of tourists watching you as you work," Pybus added, "but Dover has a very similar tower to the White Tower". The English Heritage site was also used for scenes in Meryl Streep’s movie Into the Woods. Visitors can also see the fort that’s guarded Britain's shores from invasion for hundreds of years.
Wells, Somerset
Used for many of the street scenes in Wolf Hall, this atmospheric medieval city is the smallest in England. Pybus and his team were given unparalleled access to the cathedral. "We used the cathedral library, which has never been filmed in before," he said. "It had books in it that were 400-500 years old. People can also explore the high street and enjoy the teashops and the Bishop's Palace next to the cathedral."
Great Chalfield Manor, Wiltshire
Used for the Cromwell’s happy family home in the series, this moated manor was built between 1465 and 1480 by a wealthy clothing trader. It also features in The Other Boleyn Girl and Tess of the D’Urbervilles. "Cromwell is a successful merchant by the time we meet him, and it felt like a house that a merchant in Tudor times might live in." Visitors can walk around the entire house, including the garden, courtyard, bedrooms upstairs and Cromwell’s study in the series.
Montacute House, Somerset
"It one of the jewels in the National Trust’s portfolio, Montacute House represents Greenwich Palace in the series," explained Pybus, "we were looking for stairs and a sense of scale that you don’t often get in period dramas. It felt like the kind of palaces that Henry would have had. Henry the VII was the last king that wasn’t London-based, he would travel around the country. The civil war had ended and Henry VIII actively started building these much grander palaces, with large windows and designs to impress, getting that scale was something we spent a lot of time looking for and we found it a Montacute".
Penshurst Place, Kent
Once owned by King Henry VIII, the structure of this beautiful fortified house has almost remained the same for 600 years. "There were these huge long rooms that characters could walk through," explained Pybus, who used the Long Gallery to film shoot the Whitehall scenes. When the weather was abhorrent, Henry would have used the Long Gallery to take exercise, while today, family portraits and furniture from the period are displayed in the room.
Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire and Broughton Castle in Oxfordshire
Both of these magnificent castles were used on screen and have had the same families living in them for hundreds of years. "The people currently running these locations are doing a wonderful job of it and they are carrying on a family tradition," said Pybus, "It feels really nice, as opposed to other locations that may have been bought by an American 20 years ago, and that sense of history has been lost slightly." Open to the public on certain dates, visitors can wander the estates and experience what it was like living hundreds of years ago.
Hampton Court Palace, London
For the first time, the cast and crew also pitched up at Hampton Court Palace.
"Many of the locations where Henry and his Court lived their lives no longer exist," said Kosminsky.
"The challenge for us was to create spaces in buildings that were authentic in look and feel, that could help us evoke the sense of what life must have been like. We did have one big advantage this time – the wonderful reception of the historians and curators at Hampton Court Palace who welcomed us for the first time.
"The highlight for me, without a doubt, was the fact that we were permitted to film in the Great Hall at Hampton Court. As far as I know, we are the first drama ever to be allowed to film in that room.
"Just to be able to walk our cast across that space which we knew Henry, Jane Seymour, and Thomas Cromwell had walked through in their time 500 years before was an extraordinary experience. The tapestries on the walls are said to be, after the Crown Jewels, the most valuable thing that England owns."
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Barrington Court, Somerset
The spacious interiors of Barrington Court provided the perfect backdrop to some of Wolf Hall's interior scenes. A Tudor manor house that was rescued by Colonel Arthur Lyle in the 1920s, the house was filled with rescued panelling, fireplaces and staircases that were collected by Lyle.
In Wolf Hall, Barrington Court features as York Place, Whitehall, the home of Cromwell’s mentor and friend Cardinal Wolsey.
Today, the Court House is currently closed for the Barrington Court Revival project but the ground floor of Strode House is open, with the Court's garden rooms, avenues, and orchards all ready to explore for visitors.
Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire
This Wiltshire abbey, which is located in the heart of the village and boasts sprawling woodland grounds, actually doubles up in the BBC drama as the titular location of Wolf Hall itself.
The exterior of Lacock Abbey is used to represent the Seymour family seat with the abbey having also been used in Harry Potter, Pride and Prejudice, Downton Abbey and The Other Boleyn Girl.
Founded officially in 1232 by Ela, Countess of Salisbury – one of the most powerful women of the Middle Ages – the abbey is now open to the public all year round.
Horton Court, Gloucestershire
This Grade I-listed manor house was previously used in Wolf Hall season 1 as Thomas Cromwell's study and the exterior was used as Austin Friars, Cromwell’s adult home.
Now, Horton Court is once again being used in The Mirror and the Light as Cromwell's study. With a history going back to 1185, the picturesque manor house has also been used in Poldark. Today, it is available to rent as a holiday cottage.
Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light is available on BBC iPlayer, with episodes continuing to air every Sunday at 9pm on BBC One.
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