Lyme Park to celebrate 30 years since BBC’s Pride and Prejudice was filmed there

It’s time to venture into the world of Jane Austen, as National Trust Lyme will be celebrating 30 years since Pride and Prejudice was filmed there.

Lyme is reprising its role as ‘Pemberley’ three decades on from the BBC adaptation series.

The National Trust, which cares for Lyme Park, is inviting visitors to step into the pages of Jane Austen’s beloved novel with a series of events to commemorate the occasion.

Made famous as the backdrop to the iconic scene where Colin Firth’s Mr Darcy emerges from a lake in the 1995 BBC adaptation, Lyme will be celebrating all things Jane Austen for the next couple of weeks, as prompted by quotes from the book and series, visitors can recreate some of the famous moments between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy as they explore the stunning house and garden.

Just some of the activities visitors can get involved with, both inside the house and outside in the grounds, include needlework classes, themed spaces, and a quiet place in the library where you can relax with a classic novel – Pride and Prejudice itself, perhaps.

You can even take things one step further by visiting the Regency dressing room inside the house and then explore the autumnal garden dressed up as an Austen-era character.

Oh and don’t forget to look out for the original portrait of Colin Firth as Darcy from the series, on display in the State Bedroom. 

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The festivities continue with an after-hours concert in Lyme’s historic Saloon on Thursday 25 September, as surrounded by flickering candlelight, themed compositions performed by Artaria Quartet will resonate through the centuries-old walls. 

Not only is it 30 years since the BBC series, but 2025 also marks the 250th birthday of Jane Austen herself.

To celebrate this, Lyme will host Serenity Booksellers for a day of all things Regency on Sunday 28 September, and literature enthusiasts can expect author talks, traditional dance performances, and Austen-themed quizzes.

Read more:

• You can stay overnight in the National Trust house used to film BBC’s Pride & Prejudice
• Huge vintage home show to take over historic Manchester building next month
• Loads of the UK’s best culture and heritage sites will be open to visit for FREE this autumn

Fancy it then? Lyme will celebrate 30 years of BBC’s Pride and Prejudice right through until Wednesday 22 October, and entry to the park is free for National Trust members, while admission fees apply for non-members.

Some events, however, will be ticketed.

Tickets to the candlelit concert and the Serenity Booksellers event can be bought in advance by visiting nationaltrust.org.uk/lyme.

Featured Image – Supplied