Loseley Park was used as the film location for: Magna Manor („They Seek Him Here“), Morchard Manor („The Noble Art“)

 

Film location for Midsomer Murders

Loseley House, a historic manor in Artington, Surrey, is located about 3 miles south-west of Guildford. The imposing Tudor building, part of the National Heritage List since 18 February 1958, is a rare example of Elizabethan architecture that has been preserved in its original form to this day.

The manor has so far been used as a filming location for two episodes of our beloved series, namely

• Magna Manor (10×07: They Seek Him Here)
• Morchard Manor (13×06: The Noble Art)

Let’s take a look at the history of this manor, which is closely connected to the recently introduced Waverley Abbey. Why? Well this Tudor building was built partly from stones from the then recently dissolved Waverley Abbey.

 

The History

The history of Loseley Park goes way back to a time when the land on which the present estate stands was known by a different name. In the famous Domesday Book, the first detailed land survey of England from 1086, it is listed as “Losele”. At that time it belonged to a certain Turald, who received it as a fief from Roger de Montgomery, one of William the Conqueror’s closest companions. There was already a farmstead here in those early centuries, but the history of Loseley Park as we know it today only begins some 500 years later, when Sir William More decided to build a new estate.

Sir William More, a descendant of the famous statesman and humanist Sir Thomas More, had the present estate built between 1562 and 1568. But even these stone walls tell a story of beginnings and endings: For old masonry from an even older site was used to build Loseley Park – those venerable stone ashlars of Waverley Abbey. This abbey, the first Cistercian foundation on English soil, was dissolved in 1536 in the course of the Reformation (Dissolution of the Monasteries). The stones of the ruins were removed and found a new home here in Loseley Park, where they have carried the splendour and power of that time ever since.

 

Queens & King

The building itself was characterised by a reverence accorded to few. Queen Elizabeth I had announced her visit, and the modest building that had stood in the country until then was simply considered inadequate for the reception of a queen. So the stately manor was built, which was henceforth available to the noble guests of the More family and was specially designed to accommodate monarchs.

The carved woodwork above the fireplace in the library, dated 1570, is still a reminder of one of those royal visits. The two bedchambers, the King’s Room and the Queen’s Room, also tell of a time when King James I and Queen Elizabeth I stayed here. The family‘s connection to the Tudor dynasty is emphasised by another valuable piece of evidence: One of the few surviving portraits of Anne Boleyn, the mother of Elizabeth I, has found its place here. The thought that not just one, but the crown came and went in these halls gives the building an almost tangible aura of royal grandeur and transience.

 

The Loseley House

But the story does not end here. Loseley Park is still in the hands of the family that was once entrusted with its construction: the More-Molyneux family are direct descendants of Sir William More and are the third generation to live on the estate.

The property is open to the public at certain times and impressively demonstrates the structure and layout of a typical manor from this era. Particularly noteworthy is the Great Hall, which was also used as a location for the film They Seek Him Here. Externally, the appearance of the building has hardly changed since it was built, with only the design of the main driveway suggesting a later remodelling inspired by Queen Anne.

The adjoining 17th century tithe barn can now be hired for private events such as weddings.

Loseley House has not only been used as a film location for Midsomer Murders, but for several more – since the 1950s. Perhaps the most famous uses are the film adaptations of Jane Austen’s works “Sense and Sensibility” and “Emma” in the 2000s.

 

The Gardens of Loseley Park

The walled gardens of Loseley Park – an estate with a history dating back to the 16th century – shine with a harmonious interplay of form, colour and historic spirit. Based on a design by Gertrude Jekyll in 1905, the gardens show her unmistakable signature: a graceful interplay of rose beds, herbaceous borders and carefully placed shrubs that exude a quiet elegance and at the same time an ordered opulence.

The bed to the north in particular, along the wall of the vegetable garden, reflects the typical Jekyll design, while a herbaceous border stretches along the moat, framing the gentle arches of the paths with its abundant blooms. A look back at paintings and photographs from the 1880s to 1900 shows Loseley in the style of Miss Jekyll, whose mixed borders and formal paths created a harmonious dialogue between architecture and nature even then. Even the magazine Country Life in 1899 praised the unusual planting of bamboo bushes and hemp palms that lined the property – trees and shrubs that still give the garden its exotic charm today.

The planting along the terrace wall, down the steps to the herb border, to the yuccas and old fruit trees by the moat, still bears the soul of Jekyll’s artistic garden philosophy. Its characteristic climbing roses, lavender and daisies, which welcome the observer with their unagitated beauty, are silent witnesses to a garden that preserves history and yet always comes to life anew.

 

Open to the public

The careful further development of the grounds in 1993 and 1994 brought the garden to its current bloom: an award-winning rose garden with over 1,000 bushes, the extensive herb garden whose fragrance fills the air, a lush flower garden, wisteria, and a garden for cut and organic vegetables that specialises in rare, historical varieties. The “White Garden”, with its rippling fountain and silver-grey foliage, may be the shining centrepiece of the grounds.

It is this diversity that today elevates Loseley Park to a garden of national significance – a living legacy that seems to transcend the boundaries between historic preservation and contemporary evolution, proving itself timeless in the spirit of Miss Jekyll.

Loseley Park was open from May to August 2024 on Sundays and Thursdays – 10.30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The house was open until the end of July, the gardens until the end of August. 

 

 

Read more about Midsomer Murders & History

The Chronology of Midsomer County by Year or by Episodes • Deep Dives into Midsomer & History.

 

I would like to point out that this is an unofficial fan site. I am not connected to Bentley Productions, ITV or the actors.

Film Location for: The Fox & Goose Hotel („Strangler’s Wood“), Bantling Hall („Bantling Boy“), Allenby House („Secrets & Spies“), Pelfe Hall („Not in my Backyard“), manor of Lord Argo (“Drawing Dead”)

 

Film location for Midsomer Murders

Dorney Court really is a historical gem. It’s not as grand as some manor houses that were built later, but I simply adore it. Built on the border of Buckinghamshire and Berkshire and near Eton and Windsor Castle, it has been a Grade 1 listed building on the National Heritage List since 23 September 1955.

The manor has so far been used as a filming location for four episodes of our beloved series, namely

• The Fox & Goose Hotel, Midsomer Worthy (02×02: Strangler’s Wood)
• Bantling Hall, Bantling Village (08×04: Bantling Boy)
• Allenby House, Midsomer Parva (12×03: Secrets & Spies)
• Pelfe Hall, Great Pelfe (13×07: Not in my Backyard)
• manor of Lord Argo (exterior und entry hall) (20×03: Drawing Dead)

And, as always, let’s take a look at the history of the Dorney Court estate and its family, the Palmers. To do this, we have to go back quite far in English history. For there was a building here before Norman times.

 

The History of Dorney Court and its Owners

Dorney Court is intertwined with the history of England. I’m sure Honoria Lyddiard would have loved to have had it as the home of her family, who is woven in to the very warp and woof with the history of England. But I digress…Domesday in Midsomer

Before the present estate was built, back in Saxon times, there was an earlier building here which belonged to a certain Alread, a man of the Earl of Morcar, before 1086. This place was even inhabited in the 2nd millennium BC!

Miles Crispin is named as the owner in the Domesday Book. Over the next 500 years or so it passed through the Cave, Parker, Newnham, Paraunt, Carbonell, Scott, Restwold, Lytton, Bray, Hill families and finally, in 1537, Sir William Garrard, Lord Mayor of London. His daughter married Sir James Palmer of Wingham in Kent. For nearly 500 years the Early Tudor manor house has been the home to the Palmer family.

 

Dorney Court comes into the possession of the Palmer family

When Sir William Garrard died, the house passed to his wife Elizabeth and their son Thomas. However, there was a major family dispute: Thomas married Dorothy, daughter of Sir William Clarke of Hitcham, against her father’s wishes.

This led to a major family dispute, which resulted in Thomas renouncing his wife so that he could continue to live at Dorney Court. This in turn caused Dorothy’s family to despise him. There followed quarrels, lawsuits… the whole lot, I suppose.

Eventually – in 1624 – Thomas sold Dorney Court to his sister Martha, who by then had married James Palmer. More precisely, he sold to Richard Palmer, who was acting as a trustee for his relative.

 

Generations of the Palmer family

James Palmer was knighted five years later. Over the course of his life he also became Gentleman of the Bedchamber to James I and Charles I, Chancellor of the Order of the Garter, Governor of the Royal Tapestry Works, Mortlake, Adviser to the Royal Collection and a personal friend of Charles II.

He was also an artist and miniaturist and painted several portraits of James I, the Earl of Southampton and the Earl of Northampton.

A few decades later, Dorney Court passed from father to son Charles. And so it has been ever since: Dorney Court is passed down through thirteen generations as a family home.

 

The Interior & Exterior of the Historic House

Dorney Court is one of England’s Finest Tudor Manor Houses. Situated in the west of London, it is near the Thames and also close to the church on the west side of the village. It is Grade I listed in the National Heritage List.

What about the architectural? Well, the house appears to be entirely Early Tudor, but part of the exterior is a Victorian reconstruction.

Early Tudor? Victorian reconstruction? But it looks early Tudor now… Everything is correct: the original building was completely out of date in the 18th century. That’s why it was rebuilt according to the tastes of the time. A few decades ago it was conservatively restored to its original state, partly using the original bricks.

The interior has changed very little since 1500. The panelled parlour is the oldest area and contains some fine antique furniture. The Great Hall is also worth a visit.

The 15th century stone fireplace is not in situ and the panelling is said to have come from Faversham Abbey. The original timber construction is visible in many places throughout the house, and many original features such as the fireplace, remain, while other old fittings have been brought from other houses.

Family Portrait after family portrait and their closest associates of the Palmer family can be seen in the rooms of the manor, especially in the Great Hall.

 

England’s First Pineapple and Other Disappointments

Did you know that the first pineapple in England was grown here, at Dorney Court? Roger Palmer, a diplomat and mathematician, managed to bring seeds of this exotic fruit to England and had them planted in his garden. Thanks to an excellent gardener, a pineapple palm actually grew there. Roger Palmer gave the first one to King Charles II in 1661, who was so taken with it that he hired Palmer’s gardener to be his royal gardener.

This was not the only person the King had wooed away from Roger Palmer, for only a year earlier Roger’s wife Barbara Villiers had been unfaithful to him and become a royal mistress. (After Roger and Barbara had only married in 1659).

• 1659 Marries Roger Palmer
• 1660 Mistress of King Charles II (still in exile in the Netherlands)
• 1661 Marriage to King Charles II

And 1662? Well, after Barbara had given birth to the first of her five children with Charles II, she separated from her new husband.

 

Barbara Villiers

Apparently a beautiful woman but with little dowry, Barbara knew how to make herself secure as a mistress. None of her lovers or husbands could be sure that the child was really theirs.

This included the king, for Barbara may no longer have been his wife, but she was once again his mistress.

Her ex-husband Roger was created Earl of Castlemaine and Baron Limerick by Charles II in 1661 to provide for his mistress and her children.

Barbara Villiers herself was created Duchess of Cleveland, Countess of Southampton and Baroness Nonsuch in 1670. At the same time, however, her influence at court began to wane. In the years that followed, the king increasingly turned to other mistresses. Barbara did the same, marrying several more times before dying of heart failure in 1709.

 

Visit Dorney Court

The Catholic family suffered during the Civil War. Their estates were confiscated in 1646. It is no coincidence that the parlour at Dorney Court still contains a priest hole, which is open to visitors.

Talking of tours: The estate is open to the public and tours have been possible at certain times of the year since 1981, as the family continues to live at the manor. In 2024 you could book a guided tour throughout June, for 2025 I am not aware of any times.

Visitors will find one of the most beautiful Tudor mansions in England and beautiful gardens. Afterwards you can then visit the Crocus at Dorney Court garden centre, tea room and shop.

The current visit and guide prices can be seen here.

It is often used as a film location. Most recently and most prominently for the successful series Bridgerton, but also several times for Midsomer Murders.

 

Read more about Midsomer Murders & History

The Chronology of Midsomer County by Year or by Episodes • Deep Dives into Midsomer & History.

 

I would like to point out that this is an unofficial fan site. I am not connected to Bentley Productions, ITV or the actors.

What if… Midsomer County was where it was shot and filmed? What if there was a map of Midsomer County showing the historical events? As if they were one with the film location?

You may already know me: because there was no such map of Midsomer, I made one myself. Ta-daaaa!

Film Location for: St Fidelis in March Magna (“The Silent Land”)

 

Film location for Midsomer Murders

Fair Mile Hospital is set in an abandoned building in Midsomers March Magna. It’s a spooky place, and it’s where the young tuberculosis patient fell to her death on the stairs in the main entrance. She fell out of sheer hopelessness. But unlike her, the nurses at the former hospital appear to be “not dead, but sleepeth“.

The Gothic-style building, which was also a hospital in reality, was used as a filming location for an episode of Midsomer Murders, namely

• St Fidelis, March Magna (13×04: The Silent Land)

 

However, it was not a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients, but a hospital for mental health problems.