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The Rings of Power is officially back on our screens with its second season — and naturally, we're already in full Middle-earth mode.
The epic Lord of the Rings prequel centres around the Second Age in Middle-earth — around 5,000 years before the events of the original trilogy. The series follows a young Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) around the time when the infamous ‘Rings of Power’ were first made. In the second season, Galadriel, joined by Gil-Galad, sets off on a mission to track down Elrond, who has run off with three of the rings. Meanwhile, The Stranger (who is looking more and more like Gandalf) is still journeying with his Harfoot friends and Sauron – and the orcs are wreaking havoc on the land. There's a lot going on.
Much like the original Lord of the Rings, there are plenty of reasons to tune into The Rings of Power: the epic lore, the melodic sounds of the elven language, and, of course, the utterly stunning scenery.
While we are all focusing on the elven action this season, we also can't help but be a little distracted by the frankly breathtaking backdrops. Honestly, Middle-earth looks… pretty gorgeous — especially the parts not taken over by the orcs.
So, where was the new series filmed? And, more importantly, can we go? Well, while the first season was shot primarily in New Zealand, much of this season was actually filmed right here in the UK, while a few locations were shot in Tenerife. Here's everything we know about every The Rings Of Power filming location...
Windsor Great Park
This location in England is right around the corner from Windsor Castle and served as the setting for one of the this season's most epic battles.
“What's so beautiful about this show is that the sets are built to scale,” said director Sanaa Hamri from the location to GQ in 2023. “In this orc encampment, I have the freedom of looking 360 degrees. I don’t have to worry about using lensing or camera angles to compensate for something else”.
Virginia Water
This man-made water wall in Windsor Great Park also featured this season. “It was still open to the public at the time, but we were given permission to section ourselves off while maintaining access for the public," explained locations manager Finlay Bradbury to Time Out. “We filmed for a day and then it was back to normal the next morning.”
High Rocks and Harrison Rocks, Kent
The cast and crew were spotted filming at this location near Tunbridge Wells in Kent.
Frensham Common, Surrey
This National Trust location was used for moments of miscellaneous journeying through Middle-earth, or, as Bradbury put it, “interim beats between realms.”
He added: “It’s a National Trust common land which is beautiful and again very different. It’s a fantastic space and you would never imagine these sites are within 30 miles of London, they look so entirely different.”
Teide National Park, Tenerife
This location on the island of Tenerife in Spain served as the backdrop for scenes set in Rhûn, where the Stranger and his Harfoot friends find themselves this season.
Denize Bluffs
You may have spotted the Denize Bluffs in New Zealand in the first season. The locations, which also appeared in Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, served as the Harfoot territory in the prequel.
