Tamal Kundu
Based on a series of short stories and novels of the same name by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, ‘The Witcher’ is an action–adventure dark fantasy show. The story is set in a world where fantastical races and creatures exist alongside humanity, and there is an elite group of mutated warriors that hunt down monsters in exchange for money. The protagonist, Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill), is one such warrior or a Witcher. Towards the end of the first season, Geralt meets Cirilla “Ciri,” the princess of Cintra, whose destiny is intricately connected to that of Geralt.
In the second season, Geralt takes Ciri to his home, the Witcher headquarters in Kaer Morhen, to keep her safe. Meanwhile, new threats loom over the horizon. ‘The Witcher’ is an ambitious series, and the production for both the first and second seasons of the show can give any mainstream fantasy project a run for their money. Almost every scene is beautiful, complex, and expressive. If you are wondering where the creators of ‘The Witcher’ shot the second season of the show so it might continue to have its signature style and looks, we got you covered.
The Witcher Season 2 Filming Locations
Series creator Lauren Schmidt Hissrich and the rest of the crew and cast shot ‘The Witcher’ season 2 in different locations in the United Kingdom. The first season was filmed in several European countries, including Hungary, Poland, and Spain, and the producers reportedly had plans to shoot season 2 in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Scotland. But then, the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc, and the sophomore season was shot exclusively in the UK for safety reasons.
Principal photography started in February 2020 and concluded in early April 2021. In the intermediate period, the production was temporarily shut down at least twice after several cast members and crew members, including actor Kristofer Hivju, tested positive for COVID-19. Here’s a behind-the-scenes video from the production wrap of the second season!
According to Hissrich, they shot for 158 days in 15 different locations with 89 cast members and 1,200 crew members, all the while adhering to safety guidelines. Filming took place in and around Berkshire, West Sussex, Cumbria, Surrey, County Durham, and North Yorkshire. Now let’s look at specific locations in detail.
Berkshire, England
The world-famous Arborfield Studios, located at Langley Common Road, Barkham, Wokingham RG40 4TS, Berkshire, served as the home base for the production unit of ‘The Witcher’ season 2. The set for the exterior of Kaer Morhen and several villages were built on Arborfield’s backlot.
West Sussex, England
Location shooting first started in Coldharbour Wood in Chichester, West Sussex. The art department set up a quaint elf village in the forest that plays an important role in the narrative.
Cumbria, England
Several scenes of season 2 of ‘The Witcher’ were shot in Lake District, Cumbria, in locations such as Blea Tarn valley; Rydal Cave, situated at Ambleside LA22 9SD; and the caves of Hodge Close Quarry, situated at Hodge Close Cottage, Coniston LA21 8DJ.
Surrey, England
Filming also took place at Bourne Wood in Farnham, Surrey. Projects like ‘Captain America: The First Avenger,’ ‘Wonder Woman’ (2017), and Robin Hood’ (2010) were also shot at the well-known filming destination. The production unit shot several Kaer Morhen-related scenes at MOD Deepcut Surrey, which is a British Army training base. Moreover, some scenes were shot at Frensham Little Pond, Frensham Great Pond, and Frensham Ponds.
County Durham, England
The Low Force Waterfall in Teesdale, located in the historic county of County Durham in North East England, was used by the production team as a background for several scenes in the second season of ‘The Witcher.’
North Yorkshire, England
The rest of the scenes of the second season were shot in North Yorkshire. The production crew visited Gordale Scar, a limestone ravine located near Malham, Skipton BD23 4DL.
The crew filmed several scenes at Plumpton Rocks, a park encompassing an artificial lake, woodland, and rock formations, located at Plumpton Rocks, Wetherby Road, Harrogate.
The cast and crew spent their final week in North Yorkshire at Fountains Abbey, the ruins of a Cistercian monastery, located at Fountains, Ripon HG4 3DY,
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