Joe Goldberg is back! And this time around, he’s made his way into an exclusive group of London rich kids — with Penn Badgley once again playing the outsider among the rich, a role eerily similar to the actor’s most famous role: that of Dan Humphrey in Gossip Girl.
Season 4 of You, much like the ones that came before it, brings along new intrigue and a glamorous new location.
While the first season introduced us to Joe’s low-key life working at a bookstore in New York City, season 2 took us on a trip to the City of Angels, Los Angeles, with the third season introducing the charming fictional suburb of Madre Linda, also in California.
In the new season, we see Joe roaming the streets of London, settling in at his new apartment (with soaring floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that will make any book lover jealous), casually spying on his new neighbors, and teaching literature at the fictional Darcy College.
And while all of his endeavors have caught our eyes, Joe Goldberg’s trip to Lady Phoebe’s country house left us wanting to learn more about the spectacular estate — and see where we might find it in real life.
Hampsbridge, Lady Phoebe’s country house in You, Season 4
Midway through season 4, Joe Goldberg receives an invitation to join his newly-found, ridiculously rich friends on a trip to Lady Phoebe’s family estate, Hampsbridge House.
A palatial estate reminiscent of the real-life Bridgerton houses if not the actual Downton Abbey castle, the massive country home has a cute nickname (Hampsie) that fails to do it justice, downplaying its grandeur and opulence.
“So this is what the Blaxworths mean by ‘little country house’,” Joe quips as he arrives at the sprawling country estate. “Seems more to me like Downton Abbey vampire castle’.
And while there are no members of the Crawley family living here, nor are there any vampires roaming around, the real house that played the role of Hampsbridge in the hit Netflix series has quite the history.
Hampsbridge is actually the Knebworth House, in Hertfordshire
Set in the parish of Knebworth in Hertfordshire, England, the historic estate known as Knebworth House was once the seat of the Earl of Lytton and traces its history all the way back to the 15th century.
Nowadays, it’s home to the family of the Baron Cobbold of Knebworth, but it’s more famous for the music festivals that take place here rather than for the aristocratic family that calls it home.
The Knebworth House hosts the Knebworth Festival, a series of open-air rock and pop concerts that have been taking place on the grounds of the estate since 1974. The festival has attracted some of the biggest names in music, with bands like The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, The Beach Boys, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and Queen all taking center stage over the years.
SEE ALSO: All the ‘Bridgerton’ houses & palaces and where to find them in real life
But it’s also served as a filming location and events venue for many other productions, as we’re about to learn.
Other movies filmed at the Knebworth House
The Knebworth House has been a popular filming location for over 50 years. Its first major role was back in 1956 when it served as the empress’ palace in Anatole Litvak’s Anastasia. After that, not a decade has gone by without a motion picture being filmed here.
Early films that featured the imposing estate included Decline and Fall… of a Birdwatcher (1968), Horror Hospital (1973), Keep It Up Downstairs (1976), The Big Sleep (1978), The Great Muppet Caper (1981), The Shooting Party (1985), Haunted Honeymoon (1986), or The Lair of the White Worm (1988).
The Knebworth House may be more familiar to movie-goers thanks to its appearance as the Wayne Manor in Tim Burton’s Batman (1989), or its role as Thornfield Hall in Jane Eyre (1997).
But it also made appearances in popular films like The King’s Speech (2010), Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020), and TV shows like Agatha Christie’s Marple (2010), and Joss Whedon’s The Nevers (2021).
While it’s unclear whether the You crew filmed scenes both inside and outside the house, from what we’ve seen so far it looks like interior shots were also filmed on location.
And the truth is, we couldn’t imagine a more suitable setting than the Knebworth House for a game of whodunit reminiscent of Knives Out: Glass Onion. Or a more opulent estate to serve as the country house of the Blaxworths on You.
Looking forward to what the next season will bring in terms of filming locations.
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