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Last week, I visited the film locations for Pride and Prejudice (2005).

I’m participating in Jane Austen January, hosted by Erin at Cracker Crumb Life and Lisa at Boondock Ramblings. They welcome all posts related to Jane Austen but are particularly promoting four movies to watch.

This week’s film is Emma (1996). I have two confessions to make about Emma:

1. Emma is my least favorite Jane Austen story.
2. I like this movie better than the book.

Emma’s behavior is excruciating to witness in both forms. The difference, for me, is that I found Mr. Knightley unforgivably condescending in the book. Jeremy Northam manages to play Knightley with a great deal more kindness than I imagined when I was reading. So, that solved one of the two problems that I have with this story.

None of that put me off from the amazing scenery and settings, so let’s take a look at the film locations. Almost Ginger hasn’t covered Emma (yet), so I looked for another source. The first barrier was to remember that there was another version of Emma in 2020, so most of the internet articles are about that. Fortunately, Worldwide Movie Locations covered the correct version.

Here are the filming locations from Emma (1996) that we can visit in 2024.

Came House, Dorset. Hatfield House is the home of Emma and her father. This location was filmed at the 18th-century country house called Came. This house is now open as a wedding venue, which can accommodate the happy couple and thirty of their guests for overnight stays. The photos on the website are exceptionally stunning — especially if you enjoy wedding photography.

Some of the interiors of Hatfield House were filmed in other locations.

• The dinner party was filmed in the dining room of Stratfield Saye House, Hampshire. The home of the Dukes of Wellington offers guided tours.
• The booklined gallery where Emma and Frank Churchill almost have a heart-to-heart is the Long Gallery at Syon House which is open to the public in warmer months. They’re currently looking for summer staff!

Mapperton, Dorset. Emma’s governess married Mr. Weston and leaves Hatfield to move in with him at Randalls, which was filmed at Mapperton. I know about Mapperton, the seat of the Earl of Sandwich — it’s the home of the American Viscountess and the setting for Mapperton Live: This (un)Aristocratic Manor Life, two excellent YouTube channels.

Claydon House, Buckinghamshire. This National Trust property is where you can visit the North Hall where the dance was held — the one where Harriet was snubbed for the final time by Mr. Elton. The interiors of Claydon House are considered “among the most ambitious and lavish ever created in the eighteenth century.”

Florence Nightingale’s sister married Sir Henry Verney and Miss Nightingale was given a suite of rooms for her own use at Claydon House.

I’m enjoying the final film for Jane Austen January, Miss Austen Regrets, but it looks like I’ll have to work a little harder to come up with film locations. I think I can find something for us to enjoy a final fantasy trip in January next week.