Where is Rivals filmed? Location guide for Disney Plus drama

The new series, according to its synopsis, "follows Rupert Campbell-Black, a notorious rake and famous showjumper before he quit for a career in politics, as he joins forces with his new neighbour Declan O'Hara to overthrow local unscrupulous television magnate Lord Tony Baddingham by bidding for his Cotswolds-based independent television franchise."

As well as focusing on the scandalous lives of Rutshire's inhabitants, the new eight-part series is home to some pretty mega mansions, manicured gardens and generally great shots of the English countryside.

But where was the Disney Plus show filmed? Read on to find out about the locations used for Rivals.

Is Rutshire a real place?

Rutshire is an entirely fictional place devised by author Jilly Cooper for her series of well-known novels, The Rutshire Chronicles.

Although Rutshire itself isn't a real county in the UK, it is based in the very real Cotswolds, a region of central South West England that is known for its picturesque views and quaint market towns.

As described in Cooper's novels, the world of Rutshire is one of sprawling country estates and quintessentially British landscapes, so viewers are in for a treat when they tune into the Disney Plus series.

Where is Rivals filmed?

As for where the new Disney Plus series was filmed, as it is set in the Cotswolds, Rivals was shot across several locations in Gloucestershire and Somerset.

In a press pack for the series, it's stated that the team behind the new series "required locations as impressive as their characters", with a starting point for producer Eliza Mellor being Caroline Lowsley-Williams, the owner of Chavenage House in Tetbury.

Mellor had previously worked with Lowsley-Williams on Poldark, and found that the Elizabethan Grade I-listed Chavenage was a perfect fit for Declan O’Hara’s (Aidan Turner) house in the series.

Thankfully, Lowsley-Williams also made a list of suitable local houses for other characters. "Caroline introduced us to the owners of our Falconry, Lord Baddingham’s home, and also to those of the house where we shot the tennis," says Mellor.

"They’d never had filming before, so we’d never have got it without her."

Other locations used in the series include Wilton House, Salisbury, an impressive English country house that has been used in The Crown, Bridgerton and Pride & Prejudice.

The market town of Corsham, Wiltshire, was also used for locations in Rivals, a place known for its history, original homes and winding streets. Once again, it was a location previously used for Poldark.

While places like Tetbury served as Cotchester, the town where Corinium is based in Rivals, filming also took place in other parts of the UK, including in Wraxall, Somerset and Bristol.

Working at the Tetbury Visitor Information Centre, Matthew Nichol told i News: "The Rivals cast and crew spent the first week of August here, and our Tetbury signs were replaced with Cotchester ones, while many businesses on Long Street had their fronts changed to look like 1980s displays."

According to Nichol, Tetbury also welcomed some fabulous old cars.

Tetbury locations used in Rivals include Berkeley House, which was used as Cameron Cook’s house, Hamilton Terrace. St Mary's Church also became St Agnes and St Isaac Cotchester for a wedding scene.

In one of the later episodes, where the television awards take place and Tony (David Tennant), Rupert (Alex Hassell) and Declan (Aidan Turner) come face-to-face after their divide, filming took place in Corn Street, Bristol.

The red carpet scene unfolded outside Bristol's Harbour Hotel, while the interior shots were done at Bottle Yard Studios in the city.

Rivals will be released on Disney Plus on 18th October 2024. Sign up to Disney Plus now for £4.99 per month or £79.90 for a full year.

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