Do I need a permit to film at Brocket Hall?

Yes — filming on or around Brocket Hall typically requires a permit. Allow roughly 5–10 working days lead time for most UK councils. Interior shoots on private property may also need owner consent.

Is parking available at Brocket Hall?

On-site parking is available at Brocket Hall. Capacity varies — confirm crew-vehicle numbers with the venue before the day.

How much does it cost to film at Brocket Hall?

Brocket Hall sits in the £££ band. Typical UK film-location day rates range from under £200 for simple interior shoots to well over £1,000 for period properties and landmark venues. Confirm with the venue directly.

What crew size is suitable for Brocket Hall?

Brocket Hall can accommodate a large crew of 15+ including feature-film unit requirements, trucks, and extras.

Has anything been filmed at Brocket Hall before?

Brocket Hall appears on Filmshoot's UK location index because it has a documented track record or strong characteristics for film and photography. Specific production credits aren't displayed unless publicly confirmed by the venue — ask the venue directly or check ScreenSkills and IMDb Locations for verified credits.

Brocket Hall — film location in Welwyn Garden City

Summary

A Grade I listed neo-classical country house in Hertfordshire, designed by Sir James Paine around 1760 for Sir Matthew Lamb and set within a landscaped park with a dammed broadwater lake and Palladian bridge; associated with Prime Ministers Lord Melbourne and Lord Palmerston; now a hotel and golf resort while retaining its principal rooms and parkland; used as a filming location for Night of the Demon (1957), Willow (1988), Pride and Prejudice (BBC/A&E, 1995), The Queen (2006), Inspector Morse, Agatha Christie’s Poirot, and Victoria (ITV).

About this location

Brocket Hall stands at the northern edge of Hatfield in Hertfordshire, near the A1(M) motorway and Welwyn Garden City. The estate occupies the site of an earlier medieval manor recorded from the 13th century. The present house was commissioned around 1760 by Sir Matthew Lamb, 1st Baronet, from the architect Sir James Paine, who also designed the Palladian bridge that carries the principal approach drive across the River Lea where it is dammed to form an ornamental broadwater. The house is built in the Palladian manner with a seven-bay central block, wings, and a pedimented north façade faced in brick. The principal rooms include a saloon and drawing rooms decorated in the neoclassical style. The park, landscaped in the 1770s using the River Lea, is listed at Grade II in the Historic England Register of Parks and Gardens; a garden temple by Paine survives in the .

The house has strong associations with two Prime Ministers. William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, Queen Victoria’s first Prime Minister, owned Brocket Hall during the period 1829 to 1848; Victoria visited frequently during the early years of her reign. Melbourne’s wife, the famous Lady Caroline Lamb, who had the celebrated affair with Lord Byron, also lived at Brocket. Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, another Prime Minister, died at Brocket Hall in 1865, the last British Prime Minister to die in office.

The estate has been used extensively as a film and television location. Night of the Demon (Columbia, 1957, directed by Jacques Tourneur, starring Dana Andrews) used the hall and its . Willow (Lucasfilm/MGM, 1988, directed by Ron Howard, starring Val Kilmer and Warwick Davis) filmed at Brocket Hall. Pride and Prejudice (BBC/A&E, 1995, produced by Sue Birtwistle, directed by Simon Langton, starring Colin Firth as Mr Darcy and Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet) used the hall for its Netherfield and other scenes. The Queen (Pathé, 2006, directed by Stephen Frears, starring Helen Mirren as Elizabeth II) filmed at the house. Inspector Morse (Central Television/ITV, 1987–2000, starring John Thaw) used the hall in the episode Who Killed Harry Field? (1991). Agatha Christie’s Poirot (ITV, 1989–2013, starring David Suchet) filmed The Labours of Hercules (2013) at the hall. Victoria (ITV, 2016–2019, produced by Mammoth Screen, starring Jenna Coleman) filmed at Brocket Hall.