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from Visit Britain (New York)
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ABOVE: The maze at Hampton Court Palace on the outskirts of London, where Vanity Fair scenes were shot.

New movie, Vanity Fair, showcases Georgian and Regency Britain

Stately homes, landscape gardens and architecturally-rich cities in England, Scotland and Wales often serve as a backdrop for feature films and television shows. The new movie Vanity Fair (which teams one of America’s most popular stars, Reese Witherspoon, with one of the world’s most acclaimed directors, Mira Nair) is set in and around the cities of London, Bath and Cheltenham Spa, and serves as an ideal route for American travelers planning a trip to the south of England.

Many scenes from the movie, to be released nationwide by Focus Features on September 1st, have been filmed in Bath, 120 miles west of London. The city’s grandest street, Great Pulteney Street, has been transported back to the early 19th century re-creating the bustle of Regency-era London. The location choice was an easy one, as Bath’s beautifully preserved architecture allowed scenes to be shot in full 360 degrees. The Holburne Museum, a grand 18th century mansion, became the house of the Marquess of Steyne (played by Gabriel Byrne), whilst Aunt Matilda Crawley’s (Dame Eileen Atkins) townhouse residence is in the Sydney Buildings.

Visitors to Bath can stroll down Great Pulteney Street like the characters on-screen, seeing the famous Roman Baths and Pump Room, 15th century abbey and stunning Royal Crescent. They also see the Bath of today, a cosmopolitan city that cultivates specialist craft and antique shops and offers galleries and stylish bars and restaurants. The Romans named the city ‘Aquae Sulis’ after the hot mineral springs, and visitors can enjoy anew the natural thermal waters at the Thermae Bath Spa complex, opening early next year. From Bath, visitors can head northeast through the Gloucestershire Cotswolds to Cheltenham Spa.

Cheltenham Spa became a popular resort in 1716 after the discovery of three mineral springs. Since then it has been a fashionable spa city with green lawns, tree-lined streets and Georgian-era buildings strong in character. Visitors can enjoy boutique shopping on The Promenade, an avenue of trees and formal gardens leading down to Montpellier, in the heart of Georgian Cheltenham. The shops on Montpellier Walk are distinguished by their use of statues - the Caryatids - in place of supporting pillars. More ‘retail therapy’ is available on High Street and in the Regent Arcade mall, but therapy of an even more soothing kind can be found at Chapel Spa, which offers a range of Elemis treatments - perfect for those wanting to relax after a hard day’s shopping.

Cheltenham is also an ideal touring base for The Cotswolds, with country roads winding through villages of honey-colored stone. The village of Stanway clusters around its impressive manor - Stanway House - where the Crawley family scenes for Vanity Fair were filmed. The Elizabethan house is open from July through September on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the grounds showcase the world’s highest gravity fountain, reaching 165 feet.

Visitors can then continue on through The Cotswolds before heading south into the county of Hampshire, where William Makepeace Thackeray set part of his novel, Vanity Fair. Becky Sharp (portrayed by Ms. Witherspoon), after attending boarding school with her friend Amelia Sedley (Romola Garai), stays at the Sedley house in rural Hampshire, close to Winchester. England’s ancient capital and former seat of King Alfred the Great, Winchester boasts an impressive cathedral dating back to the 11th century and its medieval streets have been featured in many productions over the years. It is likely that the popular market made the city a meeting place for trade in the early 19th century, and two centuries later it still is, with local farmers selling fresh produce at regular Farmers’ Markets.

American travelers can follow in Becky’s footsteps by traveling north to London; Becky, born into the lower class, can rely only on her wit, guile, and sexuality to climb the ranks of London society. Walking across some of the capital’s prestigious squares - such as Grosvenor Square and Berkeley Square, surrounded by Georgian and Regency-era buildings - is like stepping onto a movie set. Many great stately homes were built in and around London at the time the film and novel are set. Somerset House - nestled in the center of London and the home to the Courtauld Institute of Art, the Gilbert Collection and the Hermitage Rooms - is a must-see for visitors, especially from the end of November through January, when an ice-rink is set against the torch-lit backdrop of the 18th century courtyard.

Today, visitors can see properties such as Syon House, Osterley Park and Kenwood House, from the Georgian and Regency period which are all within easy reach of central London. Some scenes for Vanity Fair were also shot at Hampton Court Palace (one of Britain’s most-recognized royal palaces), which features 60 acres of riverside gardens, including the famous hedge maze, set around Henry VIII’s magnificent State Apartments.

For more information on these and other destinations of choice in Britain, VisitBritain has produced a new ‘Destination Guide’ section on www.visitbritain.com/usa. There is a page for every destination, giving highlights of events for every month and ‘must see and do’ attractions. For more information about planning a trip to Britain, please contact VisitBritain by calling toll free (877) 899-839 or by e-mailing travelinfo@visitbritain.org.

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