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Where was Rivals filmed? The rural England county behind the rowdy Disney+ series

Simon Calder’s Travel

Rivals, an outrageous, raunchy adaptation of the Jilly Cooper novel, dives headfirst into the lives of the upper-class elite – and viewers have been captivated by the countryside ever since the debauchery debuted on Disney+ in October.

Set in the charming fictional county of Rutshire in 1986 and centred on the cutthroat television world of Corinium TV, the steamy eight-part series is backdropped by the best of South West England’s scenery.

Based across Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Warwickshire – England’s largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – crews sent cameras rolling in the Cotswolds during spring 2023 to capture the countryside romp.

With boozy garden parties, naked tennis and hunting on the itineraries for excessively wealthy characters, these old-world landscapes of rural England are far more than sleepy.

From country estates to five-star Spanish hotels, here are the lavish locations behind the hit “bonkbuster”.

Rivals shot in the Gloucestershire countryside

Rivals shot in the Gloucestershire countryside (Robert Viglasky)

Read more: Why East Anglia has become a surprise holiday destination in 2025

England

Tetbury doubles as the fictional village of Cotchester

Tetbury doubles as the fictional village of Cotchester (Sanne Gault)

Tetbury, Gloucestershire

Tetbury set the scene for the fictional village of 1980s Cotchester with its replaced signage and reimagined storefronts for a quintessentially English back-in-time backdrop that included banners welcoming of-the-era PM Margaret Thatcher. The Cotswolds civil parish is not far from Highgrove House – previously the family residence of King Charles and Queen Camilla.

Chavenage House, Tetbury

Chavenage House has previously been seen on screen in Poldark

Chavenage House has previously been seen on screen in Poldark (Robert Viglasky)

Journalist Declan O’Hara moves wife Maud and daughters Taggie and Caitlin into their new home of classic Cotswolds stone – Chavenage House. The Elizabethan estate, built in 1576, has previously been seen on screen in Poldark and is open for visitors via reservation for £12 per person.

Berkeley House, Tetbury

Cameron Cook’s house ‘Hamilton Terrace’ was filmed at Grade II-listed luxury holiday rental Berkeley House, 16 the Chipping, in Tetbury. The three-storey Georgian townhouse boasts a frequently featured large front drawing room, cellar and landscaped gardens.

Neston Park, Wiltshire

Neston Park is the home of Lord Tony Baddingham

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