Hulu’s Great Expectations: Where Was the Series Filmed?

of Hulu’s Great Expectations: Where Was the Series Filmed? Naman Shrestha
March 25, 2023

Based on Charles Dickens’ eponymous novel, Hulu’s ‘Great Expectations’ is a historical coming-of-age drama series developed by Steven Knight that revolves around an orphan named Pip who has ambitions to achieve great things in life and spends most of his childhood as an apprentice of a blacksmith. However, his entire world gets turned upside down when Miss Havisham leads him to another world full of possibilities. With all the expectations weighing heavy on his shoulders, Pip must find his way in this new world and find out if it would leave him satisfied with his highly ambitious self.

The period show features stellar onscreen performances from a talented ensemble comprising Fionn Whitehead, Olivia Colman, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Ashley Thomas, and Johnny Harris. The series is set in the early to mid-19th century, mainly in Kent and London, as Pip travels to the capital city to enter high society. The flawless portrayal of the city during the 19th century is bound to leave the audience wondering about the actual filming locations of ‘Great Expectations.’ If you are one such curious soul, you might be interested in what we have to share!

Great Expectations Filming Locations

‘Great Expectations’ is filmed in England, especially in Shropshire, Hampshire, London, Kent, Surrey, Wiltshire, and Buckinghamshire. As per reports, principal photography for the debut season of the drama show commenced in February 2022 and wrapped up in late July of the same year. Now, without much ado, let’s follow Pip on his journey and get a detailed account of all the specific locations that feature in the Hulu series!

Shropshire, England

A significant portion of ‘Great Expectations’ is lensed in Shropshire as the production team mainly sets up camp in the county town of Shrewsbury, which doubled for Victorian London. They add props to different streets of the town, along with horses and carriages, to portray the period aptly. In May 2022, the historic town center and the surrounding areas were transformed into Dickensian London for the show.

Moreover, the filming unit sets up camp in St John’s Hill in Shrewsbury and turns it into an 18th-century London street with appropriate signs, carriages, and a new road surface. A few scenes for the debut season were also recorded in the stretch between Cross Hill and Murivance and in St. Mary’s Water Lane in the town.

Hampshire, England

The cast and crew also head to the ceremonial and non-metropolitan Hampshire to tape several key sequences of ‘Great Expectations.’ In particular, the hamlet of Buckler’s Hard and the city of Portsmouth serves as a couple of important production locations. Furthermore, the villages of Beaulieu on the southeastern edge of the New Forest national park and Selborne within the northern boundary of the South Downs National Park also feature in the show. Reportedly, the production team utilized the premise of St. Leonard’s Church in the hamlet of Hartley Mauditt to shoot some scenes for season 1.

London, England

Since most of the show is based in 19th century London, as mentioned above, it is only fitting that the filming unit lenses a few scenes, mainly exteriors, on location. From what we can gather, they seemingly travel across London to shoot different exterior scenes unique to the capital against suitable backdrops.

Other Locations in England

For shooting purposes, the cast and crew members of ‘Great Expectations’ also traveled to several other locations across England, including Great George Street, Godalming in Surrey. As for the scenes involving Miss Havisham’s home called Satis House, they were seemingly taped in Restoration House in Rochester, Kent.

In March 2022, the production team was spotted by locals and passersby, shooting significant portions for season 1 in and around Salisbury Cathedral in Salisbury. In addition, Marlow Bridge, a road traffic and footbridge over the River Thames, stands in for Hammersmith Bridge in the series.

Read More: Best Historical Shows on Netflix

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