Gentleman Jack has only aired one episode but the period drama has already been renewed for a second series. Suranne Jones stars in her steamiest role to date – portraying the true story of fearless Yorkshire landowner Anne Lister, who is frequently described as the world's "first modern lesbian". If you've watched the show, you may be wondering just how they recreated such an authentic Victorian setting. Keep reading to find out…
Where is Gentleman Jack filmed?
© Photo: BBCGentleman Jack was filmed on location
Gentleman Jack was mostly filmed on location in Halifax and in and around West Yorkshire. The streets of Halifax that viewers see in the show were filmed in a redressed version of the town. Newby Hall in North Yorkshire, Fairfax House in York and Sutton Park, also in North Yorkshire were also used as filming locations. However, some parts of Halifax Town Centre in the drama were actually filmed in Bradford, specifically, an area of the city called Little Germany which doubled as Anne’s home town.
Where are Anne's home scenes filmed?
© Photo: BBCThe real-life Shibden Hall
The house used to portray Anne's Grade II listed home is the real-life Shibden Hall. The property is over 600 years old and remains open for tourists to visit. It was closed to the public for several months during filming as the production team turned the home into a TV set. The exterior shots of Shibden were also filmed outside the actual house.
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Suranne previously said that filming in Anne's actual home was a surreal experience, she told the BBC: "It still blows my mind when I say that we filmed at Shibden. When I’m walking in Anne Lister’s footsteps, I am literally walking into her house, up her stairs, eating in her dining room, doing business deals where she did business deals, surveying the same land, and walking where she walked."
Some scenes set in Shidben, like Anne's bedroom, were actually filmed in a studio instead of the real home. "It was because the actual bedroom and study within Shibden Hall itself were just far too small for the film crew," said locations manager Luc Webster. "With so many scenes playing out in the bedroom and her study it was deemed much better to do it as studio set built. Just to give more room to play with for the camera."
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Where are Anne Walker's house scenes filmed?
© Photo: BBCSuranne and Sophie play lovers Anne and Ann
The home of Anne's lover Ann Walker, portrayed by Sophie Rundle, is also featured in the show, but this was filmed in a York estate called Sutton Park because the original building no longer exists.
Gentleman Jack airs Sundays at 9pm on BBC One
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