The film Atonement, based on the novel of the same name by Ian McEwan, begins in the stately abode of the Tallis family, whose daughter Cecilia is smitten by Robbie, the son of one of the servants whose university education the family has paid for. Robbie is wrongly accused of rape by Cecilia’s younger sister Briony, who has already misinterpreted an encounter between the two by the fountain in the garden as malicious behaviour on Robbie’s part. This combination of misunderstanding and malice has a lasting effect on the lives of Cecilia and Robbie.
During the summer of 2006 the film’s production team headed for Stokesay Court, a privately-owned country house and estate near Onibury in Shropshire. The team had discovered the property in an issue of Country Life magazine and decided it was a perfect candidate for the role of the Tallis house. The crucial fountain scene did not use the actual fountain to be found in the grounds; a sculptor produced a more elaborate one specially for the filming. As well as the grounds of the estate, the film made use of the interiors of the house and a cottage, occupied by the Robbie character. The library which featured in Atonement is actually a billiards room in real life.
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| Stokesay Court - panoramio(1). Photo by PJMarriott, via Wikimedia Commons. |
Stokesay Court was originally built for a wealthy Victorian businessman whose father went into partnership with a Worcester glove maker, with construction starting in 1889. During World War I it was used as a convalescent home for soldiers, and during World War II the property was requisitioned by the Army for training purposes. The property remains in private hands with tours available for individuals or groups on certain set dates, to be booked in advance. The estate acquired by the original owner included the nearby Stokesay Castle, run by English Heritage, which is a fine example of a fortified medieval manor house built in the 13th century by Laurence of Ludlow.
Map of the area.
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