The locations used by the BBC drama series Wolf Hall are seeing a boost in tourist numbers this summer attracting visitors keen to follow the footsteps of Damien Lewis and Claire Foy – and now people can see the costumes they wore at the National Trust Barrington Court.
A display of eight of the costumes from the hit TV programme are the centre pieces of the display in Barrington Court – which doubled as York Place, Whitehall, the home of Cromwell’s mentor and friend Cardinal Wolsey. The display will be at Barrington Court until Sunday 1 November.
The costumes featured include those worn by Damien Lewis as Henry VIII, Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell and Claire Foy as Anne Boleyn.
One of the costumes worn by Claire Foy, who played Anne Boleyn (c) National Trust / Steve Haywood
The popular BBC drama earned a reputation for lavish scenes set in authentic locations and the costumes show the attention to detail used in dressing the actors.
‘The choice of clothing was important in a Tudor court – the garments worn showed status in society,’ said Keri Philips, Visitor Experience Manager for the National Trust at Barrington Court.
‘Thomas Cromwell was always shown wearing black but during the series his outfits changed to highlight his growing status and power. The King’s clothes made from luxurious fabrics are, of course, the height of power – emphasising wide shoulders tapering to the narrow waist and the obligatory codpiece.’
‘The costumes worn by Claire Foy and the actors playing the ladies of the court show the wonderful attention to detail. They were all hand made using original methods from the Tudor period which took a lot of research and care but ensured the costumes were as authentic as the settings chosen such as Barrington Court.’
The National Trust provided around 40% of the locations used in Wolf Hall with the location fees providing much needed income – all the income from Wolf Hall will be spent looking after the properties featured in the drama.
Harvey Edgington Head of Filming and Locations at the National Trust said: ‘It’s also a very good way of getting people interested in a property. Sometimes we know people are only turning up because they have seen it in a film, while some are also interested in the story of the place. The increase in visitors is great news for these historic places as the additional revenue will help secure their future for generations to come.’
Lawrence Roots, Visitor Experience Consultant with one of the costumes of Cardinal Wolsey (c) National Trust /Steve Haywood
Barrington Court is an empty house but the lack of furniture did not deter the film crews who were attracted to the Tudor interior restored in the 1920s. They used the rooms at Barrington for many scenes featuring Jonathan Pryce as Cardinal Wolsey, the King’s trusted advisor and mentor to Thomas Cromwell. Wolsey fell from favour after failing to fulfil the King’s wishes.
The National Trust places in the South West that feature in Wolf Hall are Barrington Court and Montacute House in Somerset, and Lacock Abbey and Great Chalfield Manor and Garden in Wiltshire.
- Montacute House, Somerset – in Wolf Hall the Elizabethan mansion represents Greenwich Palace, Henry VIII’s main London seat and the scene of Anne Boleyn’s arrest. Montacute’s extensive grounds provided a spectacular backdrop to an archery contest and jousting.
- Barrington Court, Somerset – was dressed to represent the chambers of York Palace (later known as Whitehall). Its long gallery, great hall, library and bedchambers played host to star turns from Jonathan Pryce (Cardinal Wolsey) and Claire Foy (Anne Boleyn), amongst others.
- Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire – In Wolf Hall the exteriors represent Wolf Hall, the Seymour family seat. Lacock is a prime site for film and television productions including Cranford, Harry Potter and The Other Boleyn Girl.
- Great Chalfield Manor and Garden, Wiltshire – For Wolf Hall the interiors stood in for Austin Friars, Thomas Cromwell’s home, a happy place teeming with in-laws and wards, nieces and nephews and abandoned wives. A very popular location for filming, it has also been seen in Lark Rise to Candleford, The Other Boleyn Girl and Tess of the D’Urbervilles.
These feature on a location trail map produced by the National Trust which also includes other locations used during the filming, including privately-owned houses supported by the Historic Houses Association and places cared for by Cadw and English Heritage
More information about the filming and a copy of the map can be downloaded from www.nationaltrust.org.uk/wolfhall
