It is a long time since I read The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro, but I still remember how impressed I was by the authenticity of the dialogue of the period in which it was set, all the more so given the Japanese origins of the writer. The focus of the story is Darlington Hall, where the butler James Stevens (Anthony Hopkins) and housekeeper Miss Kenton (Emma Thompson) develop a slow-burning relationship against the backdrop of the pre-war years (Lord Darlington is a Nazi sympathiser, a fact which Stevens turns a blind eye to).
As is so often the case in films, the scenes involving Darlington Hall were shot in a number of different properties, scattered between Gloucestershire, Devon and Wiltshire. The scenes showing the driveway and exterior of the mansion were shot at the National Trust property Dyrham Park in Gloucestershire. Also in Gloucestershire, nearby Badminton House was used for the scenes involving the servants’ quarters. Some of the outside scenes were also filmed here, such as the scene where Stevens’ father (Peter Vaughan) suffers a fall and where Reginald Cardinal (Hugh Grant) is found having a sneaky cigarette.
At Dyrham Park 2018 020. Photo by Mike Peel, via Wikimedia Commons
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Powderham Castle, east side-geograph-4066229-by-Stephen-Craven, via Wikimedia Commons
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Powderham Castle, just off the west bank of the mouth of the River Exe, is open from March to the beginning of November. There are a number of special events held during the year, such as a Food Festival and the Two Moors Festival of classical music. The original structure was built in the late 14th century by the 2nd Earl of Devon, but much of the present-day building dates from the 18th century. Corsham Court is open daily during summer but at weekends only in winter, closing in December. It is a handsome country house built in the typical honey-coloured stone of the area, and the parkland surrounding it was designed by the prolific landscape designer Capability Brown. The history of the estate dates back to Saxon times, when it was reputedly the seat of Ethelred the Unready.
Corsham Court. Photo by Hugh McKechnie, via Wikimedia Commons
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Map of Badminton Estate
Map of Powderham Castle
Map of Corsham Court
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