Penshurst Place stars in new Jane Austen adaptation

A medieval manor house in Kent can be seen in the latest cinematic adaptation of the Jane Austen novel Sense and Sensibility.

The Baron's Hall at Penshurst Place, near Tunbridge Wells, features as the location of a country hop dance scene with 150 actors, including Fiona Shaw and Daisy Edgar-Jones, and eight dogs.

Filming, which took place over the August Bank Holiday weekend last year, closed the historic house, Garden Tower and South Lawn to visitors.

Ben Thomas, general manager of the site, said they had enjoyed "two very intense days with a huge cast, huge crew, a lot of activity and a lot of fun and excitement".

The party scenes at Penshurst feature Daisy Edgar-Jones as Elinor Dashwood, Esmé Creed-Miles as her sister Marianne, Caitríona Balfe as Mrs Dashwood, Fiona Shaw as Mrs Jennings, Frank Dillane as John Willoughby and Herbert Nordrum as Colonel Brandon.

"They were very good," added Thomas. "I didn't see any trips or falls, but it was a high energy, high excitement sort of dance."

About 150 members of crew worked on site to capture the action, setting up lighting rigs outside the building and a crane near the visitor entrance, suspending a powerful light high above the estate.

The film, which has been on release in cinemas since late September, features shots of the Baron's Hall corridor, the West Solar steps and entrances to the Inner Courtyard and King's Tower, as well as the Baron's Hall.

The hall was built in 1341 for Sir John de Pulteney, four-time Lord Mayor of London, and retains its 60ft (18.2m) high roof and central hearth.

Penshurst Place has featured in numerous TV and film productions over the years including Mary, Queen of Scots with Saoirse Ronan, Wolf Hall, The Princess Bride and Renegade Nell.

"We've been filming here since the '60s," said Thomas. "The Beverly Hillbillies had an episode filmed here back in the early '60s, Richard Burton filmed here for Anne of the Thousand Days.

"It's always exciting when a location manager chooses us for filming."

Penshurst Place is open to visitors until the end of October when it closes for winter.

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