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Stately setting for filming of a classic
Chatsworth House plays host to Jane Austen
Tessa Humphrys
These are the first pictures of the new film production of Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice, partly shot at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire.
Staff at Chatsworth were delighted when movie company Working Title Film suggested using the stately home for a week of filming last September.
Chatsworth marketing manager Simon Seligman said: "The filming was very simply done and the crew were very easy to worth with. The Chatsworth staff all loved it. It was great fun."
The latest film version of the novel stars Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet. This is the first time Chatsworth has been used in any film or TV version of the book. The BBC's famous TV production was filmed at Lyme Park in Cheshire and Sudbury Hall in Derbyshire.
The exterior of Chatsworth and two important rooms inside, the Painted Hall and the Sculpture Gallery, were used to depict Pemberley, the great Derbyshire mansion belonging to the film's hero, Mr Darcy.
The production team gave Chatsworth a marble bust of Mr Darcy, played by Matthew Macfayden, which was made especially for the film. It is now on display at the house along with a first edition of Jane Austen's book from the Chatsworth library.
Chatsworth has a long association with the book, which was published in 1813. Many readers and scholars believe that Jane Austen's description of Pemberley House is based on Chatsworth as it was in the early 19th century.
The writer is known to have visited Derbyshire, but there is no evidence to confirm that she saw or visited Chatsworth.
Although the initial filming was kept a secret to avoid large crowds disrupting proceedings, Chatsworth hopes to benefit from increased publicity once the film has been released globally. "We hope that we'll get more visitors when the film opens," said Mr Seligman.
Many of the outdoor scenes were filmed on the dramatic clifftops near Stanage in the Peak District National Park.
Derbyshire currently receives 28 million visitors each year. The county council is hoping to use the success of the film to offer weekend packages, where fans will be able to visit locations associated with the film.
The tourism officer for Derbyshire County Council, Kate Richardson, said: "The idea is to use the film to encourage people to stay in Derbyshire for a couple of days and see a little more of the area."
Although dramatised for TV several times, Jane Austen's classic novel has been made into a feature film only once before, in 1940, directed by Robert Z. Leonard and starring Laurence Olivier and Greer Garson.
The new film also stars Judi Dench, Penelope Wilton and Donald Sutherland and is directed by Joe Wright. Pride and Prejudice has its British premiere on September 5 and will be released in Britain on September 16.
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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