Bath’s Influence on Literature and Film
Bath’s beautiful countryside is a sight to behold for anyone visiting the city, and this beauty has inspired writers and filmmakers alike. Bath’s surviving Georgian architecture is part of its romantic atmosphere, and it’s like stepping back in time to a society where upper-class movements were the subject of scrutiny and dinners were social minefields. It’s no surprise then that the exciting and dramatic worlds of film and literature often choose Bath as a set or film location. Here is a list of just some of the TV programmes, film productions, and literary works associated with the city of Bath.
The Duchess (2008 film)
This is certainly one of the most talked-about films shot in Bath in recent years. Many of Bath’s most iconic locations were used, including the Assembly Rooms, Royal Crescent, and Holburne Museum. All in all, the perfect setting for a historical drama about the scandalous life of the Duchess of Devonshire. Some major movie stars were filmed on location in Bath, including screen siren Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes.
Jane Austen’s Persuasion (1818) (1994) (2006)
Written in the early 1800s, the storey was Austen’s last novel, a posthumous publication. The storey depicts the romantic journey of Anne Elliot, an upper-class woman who would have been “over her prime” by 19th-century social norms. There have been several TV adaptations of the novel between 1994 and 2006, the former for the BBC and the latter for ITV. They both used locations around Bath to film, including Sydney Place, Abbey Church Yard, Abbey Green, the Pump Room, Assembly Rooms, Royal Victoria Park, and the Royal Crescent.
Jane Austen’s (1817) Northanger Abbey
This is Austen’s first novel that is ready for publication; it was published in the same year as Persuasion.Catherine Morland, the hoofdpersoon, visits Bath for the first time with her family and meets new friends who will change her life.Bath’s beautiful architecture was used to create a romantic, Gothic atmosphere, aided by the Assembly Rooms and the Royal Crescent.
(2004) Vanity Fair
Despite the fact that the film takes place in London, it was the beautiful architecture of Bath that inspired the film’s producers to use the city as a location.In place of Bath’s most iconic structures, lesser-known areas such as Beauford Square and Great Pulteney Street are used. William Makepeace Thackeray, the film is about a woman who tries to climb the social ladder and beklimmen in de Londense samenleving of the beginning of the 20th century. The film featured an ensemble of recognisable faces, among them Reese Witherspoon, Jim Broadbent, and Bob Hoskins.
Morse, Inspector (1997)
An episode of the hit television series was filmed at Bath’s Royal Crescent. The episode was titled “Death Is Now My Neighbor,” the episode where Morse’s first name, Endeavour, is revealed. It starred the late John Thaw in the lead role and was based on British author Colin Dexter’s very popular detective novels, which ended up lasting 33 episodes over 13 years.
This article was written by Thom Sanders on behalf of the Royal Hotel Bath, the ideal accommodation for those looking for hotels in Bath or spas in Bath.