The Other Boleyn Girl - Itinerary
Lacock Abbey – Great Chalfield Manor – St Bartholomew’s Church – Penshurst Place – Knole House – Dover Castle
Overview
The Other Boleyn Girl showcases some of the best of Britain’s countryside. This 1-day itinerary takes you to some of the beautiful south-east England locations used in the film.
Destinations
Lacock Abbey – Great Chalfield Manor: 6 miles (10 km)
Chalfield Manor – St Bartholomew’s Church: 110 miles (178km)
St Bartholomew’s Church – Penshurst Place: 43 miles (69 km)
Penhurst Place – Knole House: 11 miles (18 km)
Knole – Dover Castle: 58 miles (94km)
Totals for Day: 228 miles (367km)
Lacock Abbey
Start your trip around the world of The Other Boleyn Girl in Lacock Abbey in Wiltshire. Lacock was used as the gardens, cloisters and rooms of Whitehall Palace, where Queen Katherine confronts the Boleyn sisters and Anne plays with young Henry to remind him of his desire for a son and heir. Following King Henry's split from the Church, Lacock Abbey, like many other religious houses, was sold to a wealthy landowner; it has remained in the same family since the 16th century.
Great Chalfield Manor
A few miles from Lacock Abbey, you’ll find Great Chalfield Manor. In the film, the manor was used as the country home of the Boleyns. You’ll recognise Chalfield from 2 key scenes: Mary’s wedding to William Carey and the King’s visit to go hunting with Anne and George. The 15th century house and it’s grounds were donated to the National Trust in 1905, and the manor is a great example of Medieval architecture.
St Bartholomew’s Church
After exploring Great Chalfield Manor, make the trip to London to see St Bartholomew’s Church. The church in the Smithfield area of the city was the setting for the scene of both the trial of Queen Katherine and the wedding of pregnant Anne Boleyn and King Henry. The church was built in 1123 when Henry I, son of William the Conqueror, was king of England. It survived the Great Fire of London in 1666 and the bombs dropped during both World Wars.
Penshurst Place
Penshurst Place in
Kent is your next destination. Penhurst is one of England’s oldest family homes, with over 650 years of history. In the film, Penhurst became the gardens and grand dining hall of Whitehall Palace. Henry's son, Edward VI, granted the estate to Sir William Sidney in 1552, and the family have been in occupation ever since.
Knole House
In the film, you’ll recognise Knole House in Kent as the exterior of Whitehall Palace. The house rooftops are also featured as the spires of London by night, as Mary Boleyn flees from court to return to William Stafford in the country. Knole House was owned by Henry VIII after he took it from the Archbishop of Canterbury; he used it as a hunting lodge. It’s known as a calendar house because of its 365 rooms.
Dover Castle
The executions of Anne and George actually happened at the Tower of London, but the scenes were filmed in Dover Castle for The Other Boleyn Girl. Built high on the cliffs of the southeast coast of England, overlooking the shortest sea crossing between France and England, there has been a fortress in this strategic location since Roman Times. Dover Castle is one of the biggest castles in England, and today you can tour the Secret Wartime Tunnels beneath the castle that were first dug during Napoleonic Wars and were used during King Henry’s reign.