Gentleman Jack Filming Locations: Discover Anne Lister’s Yorkshire

Yorkshire businesswoman Anne Lister gained international recognition due to the BBC drama Gentleman Jack, starring Suranne Jones. But did you know that most of the series was filmed right here in Yorkshire? Here is a list of Gentleman Jack filming locations in Yorkshire you can visit!

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Who was Anne Lister?

Anne Lister was a Yorkshire businesswoman who lived from 1791-1840. Considered muscular and masculine in appearance, today she has been dubbed the ‘first modern lesbian.’

Throughout her lifetime she kept a huge volume of diaries and travel journals. The volumes she kept span to 7,720 pages or around 5 million words. By comparison, the diaries of Samuel Pepys run to just 1.25 million words.

Her diaries share unique insights into life in West Yorkshire during the period. But more importantly, about one fifth of the diaries were written in code. When cracked, these passages reveal her romantic affairs with women.

During a time long before the word ‘lesbian’ existed, Anne Lister, unkindly referred to during her lifetime as “Gentleman Jack” wrote about her secret fantasies which weren’t discovered until centuries later.

Is Gentleman Jack a true story?

Yes! The TV series is an adaptation of the diaries that Anne Lister kept during her lifetime. She was an astute businesswoman and kept meticulous journals about her business and her personal life. Series one of the show explores Anne’s life in the year 1832.

Read Anne Lister’s Diary

If you want to discover Anne’s story first-hand, you can read her diary for yourself. It is available in two volumes. Volume One: I Know My Own Heart and Volume Two: No Priest But Love have been carefully and lovingly transcribed from Anne’s coded accounts by Helena Whitbread so you can learn more about this remarkable woman in her own words.

You can also catch up on series one of Gentleman Jack if you missed it. You can watch it now on DVD or Prime Video.

Where was Gentleman Jack filmed?

Much of Gentleman Jack was filmed in and around Yorkshire. Although some studio sets were used for parts of filming, there are several Gentleman Jack filming locations you can visit in the Yorkshire region.

Anne Lister Sights in Yorkshire

Two of the places that meant the most to Anne in her lifetime still exist today and are open to the public. This meant that filming for the series could take place in the exact locations that meant so much to Anne when she was alive.

Shibden Hall, Halifax, West Yorkshire

Described by Lister as ‘shabby little Shibden,’ her family home of Shibden Hall still stands today. Thanks to significant restoration and expansion since Lister’s lifetime, Shibden Hall isn’t quite so shabby anymore!

Visitors to Shibden Hall can truly walk in Anne Lister’s footsteps as they pass through the rooms in which she once lived. Shibden Hall was also the location where Anne’s diaries were found, hidden behind a panel in the wall.

Shibden Hall was one of the key Gentleman Jack filming locations in Yorkshire. Many of the scenes you see of Shibden were actually filmed there. However, some rooms such as Anne’s bedroom used a set, as the room itself was too small to accommodate the film crew.

Holy Trinity Church, York, North Yorkshire

Holy Trinity Church in York was another site that was key to Anne Lister’s story. It is where Anne Lister and her lover Ann Walker took Holy Communion together in place of a wedding ceremony. Today, a plaque hangs outside the church to commemorate its significance.

The church was used as the filming location for the communion scene in Gentleman Jack.

Other Gentleman Jack Filming Locations

But Shibden Hall and Holy Trinty Church aren’t the only Gentleman Jack filming locations in Yorkshire. Here are some other Yorkshire sights you will spot in the series.

Oakwell Hall, Birstall, West Yorkshire

Oakwell Hall in Birstall is a beautiful Elizabethan manor house set in a 110-acre country park. One of the rooms in the hall was transformed into the office of Parker & Adam, Anne Lister’s Halifax solicitor.

Once filming on series two was complete, visitors had a unique opportunity to visit and view the room still staged for production!

Little Germany, Bradford, West Yorkshire

Little Germany in Bradford is a popular filming location for scouts. These streets can also be seen in the Downton Abbey movie and Peaky Blinders.

The buildings of Little Germany date back to 1855. There are 85 historic buildings in the area in total, and 55 of them are listed. For Gentleman Jack, Little Germany was transformed into a series of 1830s street scenes.

Sutton Park, York, North Yorkshire

Crow Nest, the home of Anne Lister’s lover Ann Walker, was filmed at Sutton Park near York.

Unfortunately, the original home of Ann Walker no longer exists. But the Georgian home of Sutton Park played a wonderful stunt double.

Sutton Park is open to the public, so you can admire the grand home for yourself.

Salt’s Mill, Saltaire, West Yorkshire

For series two of Gentleman Jack, a set was constructed at Salt’s Mill in Saltaire. Part of the Mill was converted into a street scene, believed to house a tailors, chemist, and pub.

The model town of Saltaire is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is a spot well worth a visit. Click here to check out the must-see sights when visiting Saltaire.

Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire

The Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield is usually a venue hosting theatrical productions and live events. However, it can be seen in Gentleman Jack taking on the role of Rawsons Bank.

Bramham Park, Wetherby, West Yorkshire

Bramham Park is a popular location for filming period dramas. The estate is located between Leeds and Tadcaster. Bramham House appears in Gentleman Jack as the exterior of Skelfer House.

Newby Hall, Skelton-on-Ure, North Yorkshire

Another beautiful Georgian house, Newby Hall can be found near Ripon. It was used as the filming location of Lord and Lady Stuart’s home in the Gentleman Jack series.

Wentworth Woodhouse, Rotherham, South Yorkshire

Wentworth Woodhouse is a stunning country home that is currently undergoing a huge restoration program. In series one of Gentleman Jack, (and in the trailer!) you can catch a glimpse of the spectacular Marble Saloon.

Wentworth Woodhouse is currently open to visitors and admissions fees contribute to the mammoth restoration efforts that are currently underway.

Harewood House, Leeds, West Yorkshire

The grand house of Harewood is no stranger to the big and small screens. However, in Gentleman Jack, it is the land of the estate that plays a pivotal role. It was transformed into the set of Southolm Farm.

Queen Street, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire

Queen Street in Huddersfield was the chosen location for the 1830s market scenes in series one of Gentleman Jack.

Broughton Hall, Skipton, North Yorkshire

Broughton Hall is a magnificent historic home in North Yorkshire. In Gentleman Jack it can be seen playing the role of the Black Swan Inn.

Gentleman Jack Filming Locations in York

Much of Gentleman Jack was filmed within York city centre. As well as Holy Trinity Church, here are the Gentleman Jack filming locations in York you can visit.

Fairfax House

Fairfax House is a Georgian townhouse. It is located on Castlegate and was built in the early 1740s for local merchant. Today, you can visit the house to admire its beautiful architecture and collection of furniture, paintings and more.

During series one, the interiors of Fairfax House were transformed into Vere Cameron’s London home. Here, Anne visited her friend and almost lover, after she gave birth to a baby.

Greys Court Hotel and Ogleforth

The tiny street of Ogleforth in York was a hive of activity during the filming of series two of the show. The quaint little street is the perfect setting for period street scenes. It is also rumoured the Greys Court Hotel which is located on the street will also be making an appearance in series two.

College Green and St William’s College

Another York location you’re likely to see in series two of Gentleman Jack is the area around College Green. Film crews descended on the area during filming, and it was spotted that St William’s College was transformed into Miss Wilks’ Milliners for the production.

Treasurer’s House

Treasurer’s House only makes a small appearance in series one of Gentleman Jack, but this beautiful building is still worthy of a mention! It appears as a lodging house in the BBC series.

Two more Anne Lister sites in Yorkshire

Finally, here are two last sites in Yorkshire that may be of interest to Anne Lister fans.

King’s Manor, York, North Yorkshire

Although not believed to be used as a filming location for Gentleman Jack, Anne herself studied at King’s Manor boarding school during her teenage years. To honour her life and her studies, the University of York, who owns King’s Manor, have named their newest college the Anne Lister College.

You can still see the grand buildings that form King’s Manor in York today.

Anne Lister Statue, Halifax, West Yorkshire

To celebrate the incredible life and legacy of Anne Lister, she is commemorated in her hometown of Halifax by an impressive statue. Located inside The Piece Hall, the statue was created by Diane Lawrenson.

Titled Contemplation, this was the first public sculpture of Anne Lister on display. When you visit The Piece Hall, you can find Anne sitting in quiet reflection, despite the hustle and bustle going on around her.

Gentleman Jack Filming Locations in Yorkshire

Have you spotted any of these Yorkshire sites in the Gentleman Jack series? Next time you give it a watch, be sure to keep an eye out and see how many of them you recognise!

Want to discover more filming locations in Yorkshire? Check out this guide to the most popular filming locations in the region!

And if you love Yorkshire as much as I do, sign up for my weekly newsletter for even more Yorkshire adventures and tips!

Until our next adventure,

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