These Yorkshire locations will appear in the new Downton Abbey film

Period drama Downton Abbey is set in a fictional Yorkshire stately home - but the original ITV series was never filmed in the county.
The Marble Saloon at Wentworth Woodhouse appears in Downton Abbey - in 1912 the ballroom really did host King George V and Queen MaryThe Marble Saloon at Wentworth Woodhouse appears in Downton Abbey - in 1912 the ballroom really did host King George V and Queen Mary
The Marble Saloon at Wentworth Woodhouse appears in Downton Abbey - in 1912 the ballroom really did host King George V and Queen Mary

Yet producers of the new spin-off feature film, which hits cinemas in September, have used several locations in Yorkshire to stand in for grand country houses and other sets.

The movie is set in 1927 and follows the Crawley family as they prepare for a visit by King George V and Queen Mary to Downton.

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Most of the original cast will return, joined by several newcomers including Tuppence Middleton.

Harewood HouseHarewood House
Harewood House

Downton Abbey is a fictional North Yorkshire estate and towns such as Easingwold, Thirsk and Ripon were referenced throughout the six series of the show, which ended in 2015.

These are the Yorkshire locations that appear in the Downton Abbey movie:-

Harewood House

Harewood, between Leeds and Harrogate, is already well-known for its appearances as Buckingham Palace in ITV period drama Victoria. Last November, stars including Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern, who play Lord and Lady Grantham, were spotted in evening dress during a shoot at the country house, which is the ancestral seat of the Lascelles family, Earls of Harewood. The house is believed to have been used for the filming of a party scene, and cars from the period were also seen in the grounds. Laura Carmichael and Penelope Wilton, who play Lady Edith and Isobel Crawley, were also pictured on the set.

Pickering StationPickering Station
Pickering Station
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In the movie trailer, Harewood's terrace can be seen in a shot where a couple are dancing.

In real life, Harewood had close connections to the Royal Family during the period when the film is set. King George V's daughter, Princess Mary, became Countess of Harewood when she married the sixth Earl of Harewood in 1922, and her parents were regular visitors to both the couple's first marital home, Goldsborough Hall near Harrogate, and later Harewood House.

Harewood House is open to the public and run by a charitable trust. Members of the Royal Family still stay there on occasion during visits to Yorkshire.

The Little Germany district of BradfordThe Little Germany district of Bradford
The Little Germany district of Bradford

Wentworth Woodhouse

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This grand stately home near Rotherham is currently undergoing major restoration after several decades in private ownership. It's the ancestral home of the Fitzwilliam family, Earls of Fitzwilliam, and was one of the most prominent seats of power of its age.

Wentworth's ballroom - called the Marble Saloon - was used for the filming of a ball scene. Around 150 extras crammed into the room alongside the cast and a band played.

Wentworth could have inspired the plot of the Downton Abbey film - in 1912, King George V and Queen Mary visited the house as part of a huge entourage which also included the Earl and Countess of Harewood. Famous ballerina Anna Pavlova danced for the King in the Marble Saloon.

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A volunteer at Wentworth Woodhouse described the filming as 'like stepping back in time' and the Marble Saloon scenes appear in the movie trailer.

Cast and crew stayed at nearby Tankersley Manor Hotel during filming.

The house has also appeared in Victoria, Gentleman Jack and The Darkest Hour.

Wentworth Woodhouse is open to the public, but tours must be pre-booked.

Pickering Station

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Pickering Station, which lies on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway heritage line, was used for the filming of scenes set at London King's Cross Station.

The stations and steam engines owned by the NYMR are regularly used by TV and film productions. Pickering has appeared in Heartbeat and Dad's Army, and stood in for Doncaster Station in the BBC's recent Agatha Christie adaptation The ABC Murders.

The station has been preserved to reflect the 1930s and visitors can catch steam services to Goathland, Grosmont and Whitby. You can even get married on Pickering's platforms.

Bradford

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Bradford's Victorian architecture has made it hugely popular with film crews in recent years - period productions Victoria, The ABC Murders, Gentleman Jack and Peaky Blinders have all been shot in the city centre.

Little Germany, a district founded by German Jewish merchants in the 19th century and known for its neoclassical warehouses, appears in the Downton Abbey film, and it's likely to have been used as a backdrop for street scenes. Filming took place last autumn and vintage cars were seen parked in closed-off areas.

Further north

The cast and crew also ventured to County Durham to film scenes at Beamish Museum - which is home to fantastically-preserved streets from the Edwardian period - and nearby Beamish Hall.

Downton Abbey itself is actually Highclere Castle, in Hampshire. Alnwick Castle in Northumberland has also appeared as the home of family friends of the Crawleys.