Film location tours from Birmingham work best as a private day with one car and one driver. Several of Britain’s best-known screen locations sit within about two hours of the city. The Black Country has Peaky Blinders, Bath and Blenheim Palace have Bridgerton, and Bampton and Highclere Castle have Downton Abbey. Oxford has Harry Potter. A chauffeur on full-day hire links the stops without parking, coaches or train changes.
This guide shows which locations suit each series, how far they are and what to book in advance. It also explains what a chauffeur does on a day like this, and what they don’t.
Film and TV locations near Birmingham at a glance
| Series | Main stops | From Birmingham | Plan ahead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peaky Blinders | Digbeth, Small Heath, Black Country Living Museum | Museum about 35 minutes | Museum tickets; see our full guide |
| Bridgerton | Bath (Royal Crescent, Holburne Museum); Blenheim Palace | Bath about 99 miles, 2 hours; Blenheim about 78 miles, 1 hour 30 | Check each site’s opening hours |
| Downton Abbey | Bampton; Highclere Castle | Highclere about 2 hours; Bampton about 35 miles from Highclere | Highclere opens on limited dates |
| Harry Potter | Christ Church and the Bodleian, Oxford | About 82 miles, 1 hour 33 | Timed entry at some sites |
Our own route pages give the Bath and Oxford figures. The museum’s directions page gives its time, and the palace’s own guide gives Blenheim’s. Highclere’s time is an estimate from route planners, so confirm it in your quote.
What a chauffeur does on a film location day
The car and driver stay with you
You hire the car for the day, and the same driver and vehicle wait between stops, according to our hourly and full-day chauffeur page. Most hourly bookings run on a three or four hour minimum. A full day suits a route with several locations.
What we don’t provide
Your chauffeur drives and plans the route, but isn’t a tour guide. There’s no commentary, and we don’t buy tickets or enter the sites for you. Book your admissions yourself, and tell us your timed slots, so we can build the day around them.
Why this suits location hunting
Film locations are spread across several counties, and some, such as Bampton, are awkward to reach by public transport. A private car lets you stop where you like and pause for lunch. Many places on this list charge for car parks or run timed entry, so a drop-off at the entrance saves time.
Peaky Blinders from Birmingham
Fans can see real history and filming sites in one day. Digbeth gives the film-set streets, Small Heath gives the real history, and the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley has the actual filming locations. Our dedicated Peaky Blinders tour guide covers the route, the timings and what’s real in detail, so this hub doesn’t repeat it.
Bridgerton from Birmingham
Bath
Bath’s Royal Crescent and the Circus stand in for Bridgerton’s Mayfair streets, according to several guides. No. 1 Royal Crescent is a museum furnished as a Georgian home, and the Holburne Museum doubles as Lady Danbury’s house. The National Trust says Bath’s Assembly Rooms closed in early 2025 and will stay closed until 2027, so don’t plan to go inside.
Our Birmingham to Bath transfer page says the drive is about 99 miles and takes around two hours, so it’s a long day.
Blenheim Palace
The Oxfordshire palace stood in for Queen Charlotte’s Buckingham House, according to London Walks. Blenheim’s getting here page says Birmingham is around one and a half hours by car. That makes it a shorter alternative to Bath for a day trip.
More locations
Some Bridgerton interiors were filmed at houses that are further away or open less often. One guide says Wilton House’s interior is closed for renovation throughout 2026. Another says Hatfield House closed for the season in September. Check each estate’s own website before you build a day around it.
Downton Abbey from Birmingham
Highclere Castle
This Hampshire house plays Downton Abbey, and it’s the country seat of the Earl of Carnarvon. It opens on limited dates, with timed tickets, so it needs the most advance planning. Tourist England says Highclere announces its dates five or six months ahead. It lists Christmas tours in late November and a Charles Dickens evening on 17 to 19 December.
The same site lists openings from January 2027, with main spring dates from 27 March and summer dates from 11 July, excluding Fridays and Saturdays. Confirm every date on Highclere’s own website.
Bampton
This Oxfordshire village is Downton’s village, according to several guides, and its church, green and library building appear on screen. It’s a public village, so it’s free and walkable, and about an hour is enough. Highclere is about 35 miles from Bampton, according to route planners, so the two combine in one day.
Planning the day
A Downton day is a long one, with roughly two hours each way from Birmingham plus the hop between the sites. Book your Highclere slot first, then build the route around it. Check opening dates carefully, because Highclere isn’t open daily.
Harry Potter in Oxford
Oxford’s Harry Potter sites are close together, so they suit a shorter day. Christ Church’s Bodley Staircase and cloisters appear on screen, and its dining hall inspired the Great Hall without being filmed there, according to Oxford Magic Tours. The Bodleian Library’s Divinity School was the hospital wing. Christ Church charges for entry and runs its own hours, which shift around term dates and services.
Our Birmingham to Oxford transfer page gives the drive as about 82 miles and around an hour and a half. Oxford is also close to Blenheim Palace, so you can pair Harry Potter with Bridgerton in one day.
A sample Downton day
This timeline is an illustration for two people, and it isn’t a timetable.
- 7.30am: Pickup in Birmingham.
- 9.45am: Arrive in Bampton, and walk the village for about an hour.
- 11.30am: Drive towards Highclere, about 35 miles away.
- 1.00pm: Lunch near the castle.
- 2.00pm: Your timed Highclere entry slot.
- 4.30pm: Start the drive back.
Adjust the times for your ticket slot and your pace.
A sample Oxford and Blenheim day
Oxford and Blenheim suit a shorter day, because they sit about 20 minutes apart, according to Blenheim’s guide. Start at Christ Church when it opens, walk to the Bodleian, then drive to Blenheim for the afternoon. Book timed entry where required, and tell us your slots, so we can plan the pickups.
Which day suits you?
One series, one day
Choose Peaky Blinders for the shortest drives, or Oxford and Blenheim for a day with little time in the car. Bath and Downton suit passengers who don’t mind a long day, or an overnight stay.
Combining series
Oxford and Blenheim combine well, because they sit close together in Oxfordshire. Bampton and Highclere combine for Downton fans. Don’t try to cover too many sites, because each one needs time to enjoy.
Seasons and daylight
Winter days are short, with darkness falling in the afternoon. Many houses and gardens open on a seasonal schedule, so the best months for a film location day are usually spring to autumn. Check each site’s dates before you commit to a day.
Making it an overnight trip
Bath and Highclere are long days from Birmingham, so some passengers stay overnight. A night in Bath lets you see the locations at a relaxed pace, and a hotel near Newbury suits a Highclere morning. Give us the hotel address and your ticket times, and we’ll plan the drive between the stops and your return.
Comfort in the car
Our hourly and full-day page says the Mercedes cars have Wi-Fi, charging points and climate control. That helps on a long day with several drives. Keep a charger in your bag, and tell us if you’d like quiet drives or a stop for coffee.
Booking tickets and timing
Book admissions first
Timed tickets set your day. Book Highclere, Christ Church or any house you want to enter, then give us your slots. Tell us the order and the opening times, and we’ll work back to a pickup time.
Allow time between stops
Add a margin for traffic, parking drop-off and queues. A day with three stops and a lunch break works better than one with six. Ask us for a sensible number of stops for your route.
Check the ticket terms
Timed tickets often have set cancellation terms, so read them before you pay. If your plans might change, ask us how we’d move your pickup. Tell us early if a site changes its opening times or closes for an event, so we can rebuild your route.
Meeting your driver
Your pickup is agreed in advance, and you receive your driver’s details before the journey, according to our Bath page. For a multi-stop day, tell us your first pickup, your stops and where you’ll finish.
Hourly hire or a fixed transfer?
A fixed point-to-point transfer suits a single destination, with a fixed price. Hourly or full-day hire suits a route with several stops. Tell us your plan, and we’ll advise on the better option. Ask for a quote, because the price depends on the vehicle, the hours and the route.
Groups, couples and overseas visitors
Couples travel well in an E-Class or S-Class. For a family or a group of friends, the Mercedes-Benz V-Class carries up to seven passengers. Overseas visitors can start from Birmingham Airport or a city-centre hotel, and we’ll plan the route around their flight.
Respecting the places you visit
Bampton and the streets around Bath’s Royal Crescent are lived-in places, not film sets. Keep noise down, stay off private property and follow signs. Many historic houses restrict photography inside, so check the rules at each one before you take your camera out.
Weather and a back-up plan
British weather changes quickly, and several of these sites are outdoors. Pack for rain, and choose a site with indoor displays for a wet afternoon. If the forecast is poor, tell us, and we can adjust your order of stops.
Accessibility and walking
Film locations include cobbled streets, historic houses and long garden walks. Tell us about any mobility needs when you book, so your driver can plan the closest sensible drop-off at each stop. Check each site’s accessibility information before you go.
What to bring
Pack comfortable shoes, a waterproof coat and a charged phone with your tickets saved. Bring a camera battery, because you’ll take more photos than you expect. Keep tickets, ID and any membership cards in one place.
Booking early for popular dates
Weekends, school holidays and the summer opening dates at houses such as Highclere are the busiest. Choose your date and book your admissions first. Then confirm your chauffeur, so your car is booked for the right day. Early booking gives you more choice of pickup times, and it fixes your price in advance.
Your film location day checklist
- Choose your series and your sites.
- Check each site’s opening dates and hours.
- Book timed tickets first.
- Send us your slots, stops and pickup address.
- Allow a margin for traffic between stops.
- Save your driver’s number on your phone.
Book your film location day
National Executive Transfers provides fixed-price and hourly chauffeur hire from Birmingham, using Mercedes-Benz E-Class, S-Class and V-Class vehicles. Tell us your series, your stops, your group size and your date, and we’ll confirm a price. Get a quote and book online.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Peaky Blinders in Digbeth and the Black Country, Bridgerton in Bath and at Blenheim Palace, Downton Abbey at Bampton and Highclere Castle, and Harry Potter in Oxford.
No. Your chauffeur drives and plans the route, but doesn’t give a guided commentary or buy tickets. Book your admissions yourself, and tell us your slots.
No. It opens on limited dates with timed tickets, and announces dates five or six months ahead, according to Tourist England. Check Highclere’s own website before you plan.
About 99 miles, and the drive takes around two hours, according to our Bath page.
About 82 miles, and the drive takes around an hour and a half, according to our Oxford page.
Choose hourly or full-day hire for a route with several stops, and a fixed transfer for one destination.
