Rivals fever has taken over as season 2 of the racy, star-studded drama is out now on Disney+. Alongside Dame Jilly Cooper’s compelling characters and shocking storylines, the filming locations for Rivals are also scene-stealers. Set in the Cotswolds and largely filmed in Bristol, this is a guide of how to visit Rivals filming locations and follow in the footsteps of Rupert Campbell-Black and Taggie O’Hara. Hold onto your shoulder pads, this is a filming locations guide like no other!
Berkeley Castle
Head to the historic Berkeley Castle on the south side of the Cotswolds, where the Rutshire Cup polo match was filmed, in episode 1 of season 2 of Rivals. Built in 1153, the stunning castle remains the home of the Berkeley family today, over 24 generations later. Once you’ve spotted it in Rivals, go visit the castle yourself from spring-autumn and take a guided tour, stop off at the Kitchen Garden café and gift shop, or visit the LEGO Brick History exhibition on now until 10 June.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/listing/berkeley-castle/2411101/
Just 30 miles south of Berkeley Castle, Bristol is the South West’s largest city, known for its historic architecture, green spaces and thriving film industry. Home to The Bottle Yard Studios and recognised as a UNESCO City of Film, Bristol is a key filming location for Rivals, with production taking place at the award-winning TBY2 facility and across the West of England with Film Office support.
Aerospace Bristol
South of Berkeley Castle, is Aerospace Bristol – home to Concorde Alpha Foxtrot, the last Concorde to fly which was also part-built in north Bristol. Not only did this Concorde provide the backdrop for that raunchy opening scene of season 1 Rivals, it is also reported to appear in season 2. Aerospace Bristol is open year-round to visitors, where you can step on board the Concorde and discover aerospace engineering history up close. Visit once and your ticket is valid for a whole year.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/listing/aerospace-bristol/210588301/
Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel
The 150-year-old Grade II listed Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel provides a striking backdrop to Rivals season 2 episode 1 where characters Declan and Maud O’Hara stay and has welcomed famous guests over the years, from Winston Churchill to Cary Grant, as well as the Rivals cast itself. Following an extensive refurbishment in 2019, Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel is a perfect place for a royally good stay in the city, close to the bustling harbourside, historic Bristol Cathedral and the cheeky Well-Hung Lover mural by Banksy, just opposite.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/listing/bristol-marriott-royal-hotel/82101/
Bristol Harbourside
Bristol Harbourside is one of the city’s most recognisable landmarks and also appears in season 2 of Rivals with Canon’s Wharf as a filming location. You can visit the Harbourside and its many attractions such as Brunel’s SS Great Britain, We the Curious, M Shed museum, art centres and galleries such as Spike Island and Arnolfini, Bristol Aquarium, Underfall Yard and Wapping Wharf, a collection of shipping containers housing independent shops, cafes, bars and restaurants. Take a ride on the Bristol Ferry, try a guided tour from Bristol Packet Boat Trips to see the Harbourside from the water itself, or come to one of buzzing festivals on the Harbourside this summer including Bristol Sounds, SIREN Bristol and Bristol Craft Beer Festival.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/discover/areas/harbourside/
Bristol Hippodrome and Denmark Street
Tucked away in Bristol city centre is Denmark Street – a part cobblestoned, historic street with a plethora of small independent venues, quirky restaurants and the Bristol Hippodrome Theatre which you can spot in season 2 of Rivals episodes 1 and 3. Uncover the stories of this remarkable street and theatre on the Bristol TV and Film tour bookable via Yuup, which also visits many Rivals filming locations.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/event/bristol-tv-%26-film-locations-tour/374641301/
https://visitbristol.co.uk/listing/the-bristol-hippodrome/2430101/
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Harbour Hotel Bristol
We all know part of the appeal of a second series of your favourite show is re-watching the first! Many Bristol locations are used in Rivals season 1, including Harbour Hotel Bristol, which was where the British Television Awards were filmed. The opulent Sansovino Hall inside this 19th century converted bank provided the backdrop, and you can stay overnight at this boutique hotel for your ultimate Rivals-inspired trip to Bristol. Sip sumptuous cocktails in The Gold Bar, or soak up the tranquil space in the secret subterranean spa, the old bank’s vaults.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/listing/harbour-hotel-bristol/210988301/
Cosy Club Bristol
As Rivals is based on the late Dame Jilly Cooper’s Rutshire Chronicles, the author made her own cameo in season 1, appearing alongside writer Lizzie Vereker, played by Katherine Parkinson, in the lavish setting of Cosy Club Bristol. Visit this opulent restaurant for a spot of steak and chips, some sumptuous prawns and a classy cocktail and see nearby St Nicholas Market and Corn Street which also appear in season 1, where the red carpet scenes of the British Television Awards are filmed. Queen Square is a short stroll away, where Freddie Jones (played by Danny Dyer) famously drove a battery-powered Sinclair C5 in season 1, too.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/listing/cosy-club-bristol/358550301/
Tap into 80s nostalgia
After visiting Rivals filming locations, why not tap into some 80s nostalgia and go for a vintage styling session at SPARKS for the perfect outfit whether your style is lycra, shoulder pads, sequins or oversized belts. Then keep the retro feeling going with darts and cocktails at Flight Club, dance the night away at Club Tropicana – the UK’s biggest 80s night – at The Fleece, or enjoy a country garden lunch and lawn games at De Vere Tortworth Court. Go on a guided, chauffeur driven tour of the surrounding areas with Rabbie’s Tours and see the Cotswolds, and other locations such as Corsham in Wiltshire, which also features in Rivals.
Tetbury
Tetbury, one of the Cotswolds' most handsome market towns and home to Highgrove, the residence of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, took on a starring role in the Disney+ hit Rivals as the fictional village of Cotchester. The production crew spent weeks transforming Long Street's independent shops with 1980s-style frontages, replacing road signs with Cotchester ones and even hanging banners to welcome Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The town's elegant Georgian church, St Mary's, doubled as the parish church of Cotchester for a key wedding scene, while the Grade II listed Berkeley House on the Chipping stood in as the home of American TV producer Cameron Cook. Beyond its screen credentials, visitors to Tetbury can expect antique dealers, gastropubs and the famously eccentric Woolsack Races each May.
Chavenage
Chavenage House, a Grade I listed Elizabethan manor just outside Tetbury, has become one of the Cotswolds' most celebrated screen destinations. The honey-stoned 16th-century property served as The Priory in the hit Disney+ series Rivals, home to TV presenter Declan O'Hara as played by Aidan Turner. Rivals has drawn a new wave of visitors eager to explore its remarkable interiors, including fine 17th century tapestries. Group visits can be arranged by reservation, making it a must for any fan of the series or lover of living history.
www.cotswolds.com/listing/chavenage-house
Polo Country
No visit to Rivals' Cotswolds would be complete without polo. The sport is woven through Jilly Cooper's novels and the region is one of England's great heartlands for the game. Cirencester Park Polo Club, set within the magnificent Bathurst Estate, is one of the oldest and most prestigious clubs in the country. The Beaufort Polo Club — one of the most famous in the world and reportedly a filming location for Series 2 offers lessons and courses through its polo school for those wanting to give it a try. The Cotswold Polo Academy and Long Dole Polo also offer lessons and discovery days for all levels.
Dressed for Rutshire
No brand captures the spirit of Rivals quite like Holland Cooper, the luxury British lifestyle label founded by Jade Holland Cooper and rooted in the Cotswolds since its very beginnings. Famous for its tailored tweed, sleek outerwear and quintessentially English country elegance, Holland Cooper's aesthetic feels tailor-made for the world of Jilly Cooper's Rutshire set. Fans of the show will feel right at home browsing the flagship boutique at Dunkertons Park, just outside Cheltenham, where the brand sits alongside the award-winning Dunkertons Organic Cider taproom, a farm shop and a buzzing line-up of street food vendors. Whether you opt for wood-fired pizza, Indian street food or a fresh-baked sourdough from the bakery, lunch here is an event in itself, paired with a glass of something organic and local. It makes for a perfect afternoon combining screen-inspired style with the very best of Cotswolds food and drink culture.
From grand country estates to lively city scenes, Bristol and the Cotswolds are the perfect place to step into the world of Rivals, where sweet dreams are made of this!
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