When Bridgerton came to Squerryes Court

Back in August 2022, during the quiet days of summer, Squerryes Court was shaken from its warm slumber when the Bridgerton production team rolled through the front gates and set up home for two weeks. Under a shroud of secrecy, the home of the Warde family at the centre of the Squerryes Estate had been booked as a location for filming season three of the Netflix hit series.
‍

As anyone who’s watched Bridgerton can appreciate, the sumptuous houses and decadent interiors are part of what gives the show its visual appeal. Stepping inside these grand estates with the lavish lifestyles of the characters is as much of interest to the viewer as discovering the identity of the salacious Lady Whistledown at the end of the last series, let alone whether Penelope will finally declare her love for Colin Bridgerton.
‍

Squerryes Court is the family home of estate owner, Henry Warde, his wife Claire, their four children and dog, Inca. At the height of the summer holidays, the family were surrounded by the production crew who spent a week transforming the garden into a suitably ostentatious Bridgerton garden party. Parts of the house were used as green rooms for the actors too, so family life was very much under lockdown to keep out of the way of the production team.

By the time the actual filming took place, there were 350 crew members, actors and staff on site. A large security operation was in place to keep prying eyes out and anyone driving past the site would have been aware of the screens and signage around the entrance to Squerryes Court. The only intruder was the family’s inquisitive cocker spaniel, Inca, who escaped during an important filming moment and ran across the set. Take a look to see whether she has a fleeting appearance or not!
‍

As a private residence, Squerryes Court is not open to the general public although it is available for private hire, weddings and corporate events. Once a year in May, the family are opening the garden as part of the National Garden Scheme when visitors are welcome to explore the grounds. The event this year was well attended and successfully raised £4500 for the National Garden Scheme through entry fees and Cancer Research through refreshments.

Henry Warde said

"It was a fascinating experience to watch the Bridgerton team transform the garden into the set and it was great to watch the scenes as a viewer in part one of the new series. We're still looking closely to see if our dog Inca appeared in the final edit!"

Opening the garden to the public the day after episodes one to four were released was fortuitous timing. Th extra publicity certainly drew people to the garden and the weather was a wonderful English summer's day. Derek, the Head Gardener at Squerryes Court, worked really hard to get it looking fantastic, especially the long borders in the formal garden.

The garden will be open to the public again next May as part of the National Garden Scheme open day. Tickets can be booked in advance or paid for on the day. Further details will be shared once the date is fixed.

To find out more about Squerryes wines, restaurant, deli, cellar door and cafe, take a look here - www.squerryes.co.uk/summer-at-squerryes

Please note: Squerryes Court and the garden are a private residence and not open to the general public. Members of Squerryes are invited to ticketed events at the court, from the summer party to intimate dinners and opera evenings. Take a look at this page to find out about membership - www.squerryes.co.uk/membership