New blockbuster alert. The “Wuthering Heights” remake starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi crushed it at the cinema box office on opening weekend. Raking in over $82 million over Valentine’s Day, “Wuthering Heights” inspires tourism to Yorkshire, England. The Gothic romance novel virtually transports moviegoers to windswept Brontë country in Yorkshire’s moody, misty dales and moors.
Britain’s Set-Jetting Trend
Screen tourism is gripping Britain in a big way. Most recently, VisitBritain is using “Starring Great Britain” as a major campaign. The intention is to capitalize on the UK’s global appeal as a backdrop for iconic films and TV shows. Visitors are keen to experience real life locations from hits like “Harry Potter,” “Bridgerton,” “Downton Abbey,” and “The Crown.” They want to step foot in evocative castles, cathedrals, medieval halls, and manor houses seen on the screen.
‘Wuthering Heights’ Inspires Tourism to Yorkshire
Nonetheless, “Wuthering Heights” is different. No lords and ladies nor dreamy spires here. Rather than putting Britain’s grand period architecture in the spotlight, we see old stone cottages and craggy rock outcrops in the pelting rain. Two centuries later, these weather-worn Yorkshire landscapes appear nearly unchanged since author Emily Brontë and her sisters lived here.
During the mid-winter months in Yorkshire Dales National Park, gloomy days provided “Wuthering Heights” film crews with mood-setting scenes. Stimulating tourism in a way that no movie studio can, we see handpicked locations like Haworth, Swaledale, and Arkengarthdale. “Wuthering Heights” inspires screen tourism to rural Yorkshire for the appreciation of such authentic places.
On Location in the Yorkshire Dales
In the film’s opening, a horse-drawn carriage passes by Old Gang Smelt Mill. The ruins of a former mine stand in for the family’s Wuthering Heights estate. Nearby, the traditional cottages of Low Row, a local village, serve as the 19th century homestead.
Deep in the dales, a moorland track leads from Surrender Bridge to the mill ruins, underscoring the mood for scenes mirroring the story’s bleak beauty. With a collective sigh, we witness a light flirtation between Heathcliff and Cathy when he lifts her onto a tree branch at Booze Moor in Arkengarthdale.
Later, there’s a heavier dramatic moment. Vast, desolate fields around Bouldershaw Lane become the backdrop for striking scenes of Margot Robbie as Catherine in her waist-cinching white wedding dress and veil.
‘Wuthering Heights’ Love Story
As the fifth of six Brontë siblings, Emily was born in West Yorkshire in 1818 and died there at age 30. She drew upon ramblings throughout countryside moors, hills, and valleys as a backdrop for her only novel. Written in 1847, the tragic “Wuthering Heights” love story was published under a male pseudonym, a reflection of the times.
Brontëmania finds its outlet at Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth where visitors can dive deep into family members’ lives and times. Sisters Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë are credited with writing some of the most extraordinary novels in the history of English literature.
Alluring Yorkshire scenery and family legacy aside, what else accounts for the “Wuthering Heights” sky-high box office receipts? It may be more about the on-screen chemistry between actors Elordie and Robbie. The Heathcliff and Catherine R-rated romance was a particular hit with women,. They bought three of every four tickets sold on opening weekend, according to Warner Bros. Pictures.
Yorkshire’s Wuthering Sights
Some of Britain’s best-known screen exports for film and TV have used memorable locations in this region of England. Here are notable ones filmed in Yorkshire:
In “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” we see Limestone Pavement at the top of Yorkshire Dales’ Malham Cove. A significant moment, this is where Harry and Hermione begin their final battle with Voldemort. Harry Potter fans will also recognize North York Moors Railway station in Goathland that stands in for Hogsmeade. And in another train scene, Harrison Ford filmed in 2023 at the North York Moors Railway station in the small village of Grosmont for “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.”
Fifteen miles north of York in Henderskelfe, stately Castle Howard is highly recognizable in “Brideshead Revisited,” and “Bridgerton.” The castle is also seen in “Downton Abbey” starring Maggie Smith, Michelle Dockery, and Jim Carter. In West Yorkshire, the magnificent Harewood House, once home to King George V’s daughter Princess Mary, stands in for Buckingham Palace. Near Boroughbridge, Newby Hall is a Sir Christopher Wren-designed 17th-century manor house used in “Mansfield Park,” the classic Jane Austen story starring Billie Piper, Hayley Attwell, and James D’Arcy.
Getting to Yorkshire
Yorkshire’s nearest major airport is Manchester International. However, the closest airport is Leeds Bradford Airport, mainly serving flights in the UK and Europe. Alternatively, travel via rail from London Kings Cross station to York in just under two hours and to Leeds in just over two hours.
Upon arrival, train and bus services connect local towns and villages. However, note that Yorkshire Dales National Park and North York Moors National Park are two distinct places about 25 miles apart.
Yorkshire Dales is a limestone-rich landlocked area characterized by peaks, rivers, and waterfalls. North York Moors is a vast, remote area with 26 miles of coastline adjacent to the North Sea. It has more than 1,400 miles of roads and tracks for hiking and cycling.
Yorkshire’s Wuthering Nights
Stay where the cast and crew of “Wuthering Heights” stayed. Near the town of Hawes, Simonstone Hall is a luxury country hotel and restaurant. Known as a cozy place in the middle of nowhere, it’s formerly a hunting lodge. An old stone manor with 18 rooms and suites, some rooms have four-poster or sleigh beds. Only 20 minutes’ drive to some of the locations for filming “Wuthering Heights,” demand for accommodation at the manor house is soaring.
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FAQs
Q: Did “Wuthering Heights” film on location in Yorkshire, England?
A: Yes, most of the evocative outdoor scenes were filmed in the Yorkshire Dales. Additional sites and studios were used for interiors.
Q: Can I travel to the locations where “Wuthering Heights” was filmed?
A: Yes, find out about the region at Visit North Yorkshire. Plan a visit to the Yorkshire Dales, which is a national park open to the public.
Q: What else is there to see and do in Yorkshire, England?
A: Aside from the famous historic city of York, the region is still somewhat under the radar. Eat fish and chips in Whitby; take traditional English tea at Betty’s in Harrogate; walk the sandy beaches of Scarborough. To plan your stay, go to VisitYork.org.
