The Personal History of David Copperfield: Where Was the Movie Filmed?

of The Personal History of David Copperfield: Where Was the Movie Filmed? Diksha Sundriyal
Updated August 6, 2022

Charles Dickens is one of the most influential literary figures in the world, and one of his most famous stories is that of David Copperfield. The 19th-century novel traces David’s adventurous journey from birth to the moment he finally achieves his dreams. The story is given a fresh twist in Armando Iannucci’s ‘The Personal History of David Copperfield.’ Starring Dev Patel in the titular role, the film provides us with beautiful backdrops of 19th-century England. If you want to know where the movie has been filmed, here’s the answer.

The Personal History of David Copperfield Filming Locations

The story of David Copperfield is an adventure that takes the audience through many ups and downs in its protagonist’s life. It starts from his birth and shows us different dimensions of his story, the major events in his life that push him towards his ambition. From Yarmouth to Dover to London, there are a number of places that David has to jump back and forth in order to get a complete sense of his journey. For filming such a variety of locations, the production looked around for the locations that would give the audience a perfect sense of that era. London serves as the primary filming location, with the production also employing the neighborhoods of places like Hill, Weybourne, Bury St Edmunds, and King’s Lynn.

London, England

The story of David Copperfield was recreated in London, with a number of other locations in its surroundings and beyond used to film the movie. Some scenes of the movie were filmed on Angel Hill and at The Angel Hotel, which is also the place that Charles Dickens personally visited. Some scenes were also filmed in Athenaeum Lane and Chequers Square. Another location that has hosted Dickens, as well as the film adaptation of his favorite work, is The Bury St Edmunds Hotel.

One of the key locations of the story is David’s aunt Betsey’s house. The filming for these scenes took place at Bedmond House, near Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire. The cobbled streets and the medieval look of Old Town made it an excellent location for filming ‘David Copperfield’, The Maister House, among other places, which are also features in the film. For Pegotty’s boat house, the crew took to Weybourne, Norfolk, where the beach scenes were filmed. Some scenes were also filmed in Great Walsingham. Berry Hall was used as The Rookery, David’s birthplace.

Several locations in Kings Lynn, Norfolk, were also used in the film. The UK Customs House, the market town, the waterfront on the River Great Ouse, and Purfleet’s harbour appear in the movie. In Bury St Edmunds, the production also used UK Churchgate Street and Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds in several scenes of the movie. For David’s boarding school scenes, Dorney Court in Dorney, Buckinghamshire, was used. Similarly, the production also used several places in Hull, with some scenes shot in Ealing Studios in London. ‘David Copperfield’ was also filmed in Bowlalley Lane and The Land of Green Ginger. The bottle factory scenes were filmed at the disused Wapping Hydraulic Power Station in London.

Read More: Best Historical Movies of All Time

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