Enola Holmes Filming Locations: Where Was the Movie Filmed?

I've recently seen Enola Holmes 1 (2020) and loved it! Two sequels have since followed, and a good deal of Enola Holmes 3 was filmed in Malta itself. I haven't seen it yet, but I'm sure it's packed with interesting filming locations.

Legendary 2020

The first two films of the series were filmed in the UK. Some of these places have been touched up with the help of CGI to capture the setting more accurately. Others will look untouched, as if they have come straight out of the film. Nonetheless, these are all places you can visit to see for yourself. 

In this blog post I will be exploring filming locations used to shoot Enola Holmes 1. Some of these places, particularly the family estates, were also used for Enola Holmes 2. 

Train Stations and Railway Lines

One of the earlier scenes in the film shows Enola at Ferndell railway station (Arley railway station). She is there to meet her brothers, who return home after their mother unexpectedly disappears. The station bears the same name as the Holmes family’s estate, Ferndell Hall. Other railway scenes that follow include Kidderminster Town station and Victoria Bridge.

Interior of Kidderminster Town Station and Arley Railway Station

Main Location  - Benthall Hall and West Horsley Place as Ferndell Hall

Two separate locations were used to create the Holmes family's home. Benthall Hall was used for the exterior. This property, with a grand courtyard entrance, is owned by the National Trust and is located in Shropshire. 

Benthall Hall

The exterior of the house and gardens were carefully transformed to look as if it had been let to grow wild and overgrown. This is a stark comparison to how the national trust property appears normally. 

Benthall Hall as Fernell Hall

Enola's brothers, particularly her eldest  brother Mycroft, are appalled at the state of the house when they return. As production designer Michael Carlin explains, 

"In the story we have the brothers, Sherlock and Mycroft, arriving home for the first time and Mycroft expressing dismay at the state of their home. He’s been sending his mother money for upkeep but she has more important things to do with the money," 

On the other hand, West Horsley Place in East Sussex was used for the interior of Ferndall. This included their mother (Eudoria's) bedroom, the library where Enola had spend countless hours growing up reading books, and the kitchen. 

Enola's Journey to London

Her older brothers quickly take charge of the situation and plan to send their sister off to boarding school. Enola rebels, and takes off on her own. She heads to London!

Enola does not, however, arrive in the capital without first getting tangled up with a missing marquis. This is, in fact, the title of the original book. The two first meet when Enola discovers that the young Lord Tewkesbury is hiding on the train. He, like herself, is running away from home, but their journey takes an unexpected turn when they are forced to jump from the moving train to escape someone pursuing them. They eventually make their way to London together, before going their separate ways

London 

In London, Greenwich Naval College (also happens to be in London) was used to give an impression of a very busy and bustling 19th Century capital. This made a stark contrast between Enola's quiet life at Ferndall to this London. This location is, again, like other filming locations, frequently used for other productions.  

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After finding herself a decent outfit and a lodging, Enola settles in London and decides to help with the Tewksbury case. Following a failed attempt to be put on the job by his own family, she roams the extensive grounds of his house and comes across his treehouse. The woodland scenes were filmed at Ashridge Woods in Hertfordshire. The location has also featured in other much-loved films, including Harry Potter and Les Misérables.

A tree house was temporarily built in Ashridge Woods

An interesting detail is that fact that the treehouse was actually built on location for the film. Great care was taken to protect the surrounding trees, with equipment carried in by hand to avoid damaging the old pathways lined with tree roots.

Basilweather Hall 

The Tewksbury estate itself is Hatfield House (this is where the Dowager resides) and had both its interior and exterior used in the film. The property had been used for previous Holmes-related films, such as Mr Holmes (2015). 

Hatfield house as Basilweather Hall

A spanner in the works

Despite doing quite well on her own, Enola is eventually caught by a Scotland Yard detective and friend of the brothers and gets sent off to her dreaded boarding school. In the film this is Mrs Harrison's finishing school for young ladies. In the real life, this is Minley Manor. 

Drum court

All this while, Enola has been waiting anxiously for a reply to a ciphered message she had placed in several newspapers, hoping it will lead her back to her mother. Near the end of the story, a response finally appears. Enola quickly realises, however, that it is actually from her brother Sherlock, who is pretending to be their mother. The scene was filmed at Drum Court in the Treasury Building.

Sherlock and Mycroft hoping to see their sister

Other Filming Locations

Finally, there are some other locations worth mentioning. These include Maughan Library where Enola sees Tewksbury for the last time before he leaves to cast his -- vote, and Luton Hoo, which was used to recreate the London East End. 

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There are ample articles about the filming locations online. I found this one particularly interesting to read and very informative, particularly regarding the details of each location and how these real locations were transformed for the film.