It’s shaping up to be quite the year for period dramas. After the eagerly anticipated announcement of season four of The Gilded Age, now we’ve got something as raunchy as Wuthering Heights with the power dynamics of Bridgerton season four: meet A Woman of Substance.
Starring TV legend Brenda Blethyn, this eight-part series is adapted from Barbara Taylor Bradford’s novel, widely regarded as one of the best-selling books of all time. It follows Emma Harte, a maid who rises to build a retail empire against all odds. From the picturesque Yorkshire countryside to glamorous 1970s New York, the series serves up some seriously stunning scenery.
Fun fact: none of it was actually filmed in New York, or even outside the UK. So, where was A Woman of Substance really shot?
A Woman Of Substance filming locations
Let’s get straight to the question everyone’s dying to know: where is the real mansion used in A Woman of Substance? Same, we had to find out too.
Known as ‘Fairley Hall’ in the series, the breathtaking mansion is actually Broughton Hall, located near Skipton in Yorkshire.
This historic house is over 400 years old and was also used in Channel 4’s original adaptation of the series back in 1984. A Grade I-listed Georgian manor, it sits on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales and forms part of the 3,000-acre Broughton Sanctuary.
The movie is out on Netflix today.
“We filmed at Broughton Hall, which is beautiful,” explained Lydia Leonard, who plays Olivia Wainwright. “It’s one of my favourite places to shoot, and we used different bits of it this time. It adds so much to the piece because the house becomes almost like another character in its own right. I love the incredible locations you get to work in on period dramas, and we were staying just round the corner, spending the summer in Yorkshire.”
Even better? This 17-bedroom mansion can actually be booked for exclusive use, along with the converted barns and a goat farmhouse. Big birthday bash, anyone?
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For Emma’s early life, the show made full use of the sweeping landscapes around Skipton, filming on the 3,000-acre Broughton Sanctuary during spring and summer.
Lydia Leonard, who plays Adele Fairley, recalled: “It was a glorious summer up in Skipton in the sunny Yorkshire countryside.”
These scenes are designed to contrast with Emma’s later life in New York luxury. On the two locations, series writer Katherine Jakeways explained: “You get all the grit and beauty of the Yorkshire Moors, with young Emma’s striving and passion, but then every episode you get to spend a bit of time in New York in 1975.”
Now, let’s talk about New York… or rather, Liverpool. That’s right, none of the 1975 New York scenes was actually filmed in the US. The cast and crew transformed Liverpool into vintage New York, complete with classic yellow taxis and period cars lining the streets.
Filming took place at the Royal Liver Building, which in the series becomes Emma Harte’s grand department store. This Grade I-listed landmark, built in 1911, sits at Liverpool’s Pier Head and is one of the city’s most iconic structures.
The Three Graces—the Royal Liver Building, the Cunard Building, and the Port of Liverpool Building might not be New York, but they make for a stunning skyline.
And all those shots of the famous Empire State Building visible from Emma’s swanky office? Completely digitally added in post-production!
We'll be seeing more of Liverpool in the Beatles adaptation.
You can actually sleep in Cathy's bedroom.
The home of Barnsley Council, this iconic local landmark dates back to 1933 and is a popular venue for weddings and civil partnerships. Its landscaped fountain area, prominently featured outside, is instantly recognisable from the TV show.
An English Heritage site, this Victorian mansion boasts 15 acres of beautifully restored gardens and offers a window into 19th-century life or, in the case of A Woman of Substance, even earlier! It’s perfect for a stunning day out.
With moors to rival Wuthering Heights, Ilkley Moor forms part of Rombalds Moor, the sweeping stretch of moorland between Ilkley and Keighley in West Yorkshire.
Dubbed the “living museum of the north,” this world-famous open-air museum in County Durham served as a prime location for filming the older scenes.
A Woman of Substance is now streaming on Channel 4 at 9 pm every Wednesday and Thursday.
