It’s the north of England, 1832, and gutsy Yorkshire heiress Anne Lister returns to her family home after years of travel, intent on marrying a woman to enhance her fortunes. The TV series Gentleman Jack is based on Lister’s real diaries, tracing the life of a remarkable industrialist, landowner, and one of the first modern lesbians. Some of the gorgeous filming locations featured on screen even have strong connections to the real Anne Lister, including her actual home; follow in her footsteps with our guide to these northern delights.
Anne Lister’s Shibden Hall
Two miles northeast of the town centre, accessible by local bus, is Shibden Hall, the estate that Anne Lister (played by Suranne Jones) returns to and one of the main bases for filming. Dating back to 1420, it is surrounded by parklands with walking trails, a miniature railway, and a boating lake. The hall itself presents a hodgepodge of architectural styles, with an attractive timber-framed frontage, a 17th-century outhouse showcasing traditional crafts, and a recreated brewhouse.
The social-climbing landowner, who became financially independent by inheriting Shibden Hall from her uncle, was a prolific diarist. Her remarkable diaries total more than four million words, with portions detailing her lesbian affairs written in code for her own protection. This explosive content remained hidden for over a hundred years until a local historian unearthed it in the 1980s.
Although the hall was closed to the public for several months during filming, it has since reopened. Inside, the real Anne Lister’s portrait hangs on the wall, and visitors can watch a 25-minute video about her life. A touchscreen display is available for guests to explore some of her diary entries.
Bradford on Screen
From Shibden Hall, it’s just a short hop to Bradford (on the same bus route), where some essential street scenes for Gentleman Jack were filmed in an area called Little Germany. This part of central Bradford is named after the German merchants that erected grand townhouses here in the 1850s during the city’s heyday as the wool manufacturing capital of the world; today, 55 of these houses are heritage listed. Halifax and Huddersfield town centres also featured in various street scenes.
North Yorkshire Filming Locations
Several other Gentleman Jack filming locations can be found in North Yorkshire, which is renowned for being an area rich in stately homes. The estate of Ann Walker, the neighboring heiress whom Anne Lister woos (played by Peaky Blinders’ Sophie Rundle), no longer exists, so the TV crew utilized Sutton Park instead. This early Georgian estate, located eight miles from York, is open to the public and still serving as the home of Sir Reginald Sheffield and his wife Lady Sheffield. The family has strong historical ties, as they once lived at Buckingham Palace, where much of their art collection originated. Moreover, if you visit on a Saturday, you can check out the eco-pioneering craft distillery that is situated just a mile down the road.
Moreover, several sites in York, England’s medieval northern capital, also make appearances in Gentleman Jack. Fairfax House, a fashionable 18th-century townhouse and now a museum, was utilized for interior shots of Vere Cameron’s house. Additionally, Treasurer’s House, a historic house museum that conducts regular ghost tours, featured as the public bar in a lodging house. Notably, York’s time-warped Church of the Holy Trinity will also make an appearance in a upcoming episode.
Furthermore, other filming locations included Newby Hall near Ripon, where a 2007 adaptation of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park was filmed, Broughton Hall in the Yorkshire Dales, Harewood House near Leeds, and Leeds’ Elizabethan manor house Oakwell Hall, where Charlotte Bronte once stayed.
Gentleman Jack began airing on HBO from 22 April in the US and BBC One on 19 May in the UK and has recently been commissioned for a second series. It was penned by BAFTA-winning writer Sally Wainwright, produced for the BBC by Lookout Point, and co-produced with HBO.
