Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s murder mystery series, ‘Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials,’ follows Lady Eileen Brent, aka Bundle, on the quest to solve the murder of her friend, Gerry Wade. His body is found the morning after a lavish party is thrown at the Caterham estate, Chimneys. While the official investigation rules it a suicide, Bundle is convinced that foul play was involved in Gerry’s death. The search for the truth leads her to seedy places, like the Seven Dials club, and an exclusive party hosted at Wyvern Abbey. All these locations play an integral part in unraveling the mystery, while also serving as gorgeous backdrops for a compelling tale. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Fictional Chimneys is Brought to Life by a Real Country House
Chimenys is the fictional stately house of the Caterham family, invented by the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, for her 1929 novel, ‘The Seven Dials Mystery.’ The filming for it took place at Badminton House, located in South Gloucestershire, England. Viewers will recognise this historic place from other Netflix productions like ‘Bridgerton,’ ‘Queen Charlotte,’ and ‘The Gentlemen.’ Key scenes of films like ‘28 Days Later,’ ‘Pearl Harbor,’ and ‘The Remains of the Day’ have also been filmed on the estate’s grounds. It is also known for hosting weddings, corporate activities, and sporting events like the Badminton Horse Trials.
‘Seven Dials’ director Chris Sweeney revealed that while scouting locations for Chimneys, they were looking for something “crumbling but beautiful.” He cited British photographer and costume and set designer Cecil Beaton’s residence, Reddish House, as one of the inspirations for Chimneys. Badminton House presented that “romantically crumbly” vibe, while also being “completely lavish and beautiful.” Location manager Dee Gregson revealed that the Duke and Duchess of Beaufort’s country home presented itself as an easy choice early on. She found it to be “a beautiful house but not over-modernised,” making it easy to adapt to the 1920s setting of the story. “The ballroom and hallway were the perfect choice for the big party scene, which kicks off Episode One,” she added.
A School in Gloucestershire Transformed Into Wyvern Abbey
Another fictional but important location in ‘Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials’ is Wyvern Abbey, where another party leads Bundle to stumble upon some shocking revelations. To film the scenes set in George Lomax’s house, the production found Westonbirt School in Tetbury, Gloucestershire. It is a co-ed boarding school that has earned awards like the Co-educational Independent School of the Year at the 2023 Independent School of the Year awards, and has been included in Fortune’s 2023 report on World’s Leading Boarding Schools. The property of Westonbirt House has also been featured in the fourth season of Netflix’s ‘Sex Education’ as Wallace University.
Dee Gregson described the find as “more of a hunt.” She revealed that while producer Joanna Crow’s heart was set on the location, there were some issues they had to work around. The filming took place during the summer holidays, which meant that the students were off campus. However, the school still remains quite busy with other summer activities, and with quite a good portion of the story set at Wyvern Abbey, the production had to make sure that the schedule worked out perfectly. They credited the school as being equally enthusiastic about filming and helped them navigate everything, making the whole process seamless.
The Seven Dials Club is an Amalgam of Several Locations
One of the most important locations in ‘Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials’ is the club where Bundle finds the key to solving the murders of her friends, Gerry and Ronny, and discovers a shocking truth about a secret society. While the Seven Dials remains a fictional club, the filming for it took place inside a real club called Barrelhouse, located at 33 Gordon Road in Clifton, Bristol. Once inside the club, Bundle exclaims that the place is “packed to the rafters,” reflecting the club’s real-life popularity, known for its freshly made cocktails and hand-made Detroit-style pizza, along with live music and other events. The exteriors, particularly the street through which Bundle is brought to the club’s door, were filmed on All Saints Street and Clare Street in Bristol.
For the stairways that Bundle sneaks through to explore parts of the club that are not open to visitors, the production turned to a location in Queens Square, Bristol. It also provided the locations for other scenes in the show, including the scene featuring Jimmy Thesiger’s residence. A critical point in the story arrives when Bundle sneaks into a room inside the club, where she hides in a closet to witness the meeting of six masked people. This scene was filmed at the Bottleyard Studios, located on Whitchurch Lane in Bristol. All these locations were blended to create the mysterious Seven Dials Clubs, which leads Bundle to an unexpected world of mystery and intrigue.
Read More: Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials Ending Explained: Who is the Killer?
