Where Was Hamnet Filmed? Locations From the Oscar-Winning Drama

Why the Production Didn't Film in Stratford-upon-Avon

The obvious question is why a film set in Stratford didn't actually shoot there. The short answer is that recreating Elizabethan England in one of the most visited towns in Britain, surrounded by modern infrastructure and tourist crowds, is a logistical nightmare.

Stratford-upon-Avon is Shakespeare country in every sense, and that means it's also full of signage, tour buses, and heritage buildings that have been carefully preserved for exactly the kind of tourists who would complicate a film shoot.

The production team, including Oscar-nominated production designer Fiona Crombie, turned instead to Herefordshire, about 60 miles west of Stratford, where the villages are quieter, the buildings are older in feel, and the landscape looks convincingly like somewhere Shakespeare might actually have walked. The result is a film that captures something true about the period even when the specific locations are stand-ins.

That said, the real Stratford is absolutely worth visiting alongside the filming locations. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust runs five historic family homes, and walking the same streets Shakespeare knew is a different experience from any film set.

Weobley, Herefordshire: The Village That Became Stratford

The small village of Weobley, population just over a thousand, closed its main thoroughfare for weeks in summer 2024 so the production could lay straw across the streets and wheel in period carts. It plays Stratford-upon-Avon in most of the film's English scenes, and it's not hard to see why the crew chose it.

Weobley is one of the best-preserved Tudor villages in England, lined with timber-framed black-and-white buildings from the late 15th and early 16th century. The Industrial Revolution mostly passed it by, which means the bones of the place look genuinely old. It also has an unexpected connection to Shakespeare: like his father, the village was historically known for its wool and glove-making trade.

Visitors can now follow a dedicated Hamnet walking trail that starts in Weobley and winds through filming locations, across fields and country lanes, ending in the nearby village of Pembridge, another well-preserved black-and-white settlement about two hours' walk away. There's also an exhibition about the filming process in the village's library and museum.

Cwmmau Farmhouse: Agnes's Childhood Home on the Welsh Border

Agnes Hathaway, better known to history as Anne Hathaway, grew up at Hewlands Farm on the fringes of Stratford. Today that building is Anne Hathaway's Cottage, a heritage site open to tourists year-round.

The production needed somewhere that looked the part but was available for filming, so they found Cwmmau Farmhouse in Whitney-on-Wye, Herefordshire, a medieval National Trust property right on the English-Welsh border.

Cwmmau Farmhouse in Whitney-on-Wye, Herefordshire, a medieval farmhouse preserved by the National Trust. Photo credit: National Trust, Mike Henton.

The location manager only found it by accident. She was heading to another property, no one answered the door, and she kept driving until Cwmmau came into view. It had never been used for filming before. The exterior was perfect, though the interior had been renovated for holiday lets, so the crew temporarily reversed those modernizations before cameras rolled.

The good news for visitors is that Cwmmau is available as a holiday rental through the National Trust, and it reopened for bookings in late 2025 after conservation work funded in part by the film's fees. The nearby Cwmmau Moors is a Site of Special Scientific Interest with ancient deciduous woodland. Given that Agnes is portrayed in the film as a herbalist with a deep connection to the natural world, it's a fittingly atmospheric place to stay.

Charterhouse, London: Where Shakespeare Went to Make It

The film's London sequences were shot at Charterhouse, a remarkable heritage site in the City of London with more than 600 years of history behind it. Over the centuries it's been a monastery, a Tudor mansion, a school, and a hospital. Today it functions as an almshouse, providing charitable housing for older people, and it's open to visitors for tours and seasonal events including candlelit walks and Christmas carols.

It stands in for the busy, ambitious London that draws William away from his family, and it's the kind of place that does that job convincingly without any obvious effort. The medieval courtyards and stone corridors don't need much dressing to read as 16th century.

There's one exception among the London scenes: a dusk sequence where William sits on the bank of the Thames. That was shot at Durham Wharf, between Greenwich and the Thames Barrier, on a single night timed around a full moon and a spring tide that exposed the riverbed. Not somewhere you'd stumble across on a casual visit, but it's there if you're looking for it.

The Globe at Elstree: Why the Film's Theatre Looks Different

If you watch Hamnet expecting to recognize Shakespeare's Globe, you might be briefly confused. The theatre in the film looks rougher, more rustic, and less polished than the one on the South Bank of the Thames today. That's intentional, and it's historically accurate.

The Globe was built at Elstree Studios as a full replica of the original 1599 theatre, not the version that stands in London now. The original burned down in 1614 and was reconstructed the following year before being demolished in 1644. The Globe tourists visit today is a reconstruction of that second, more refined version. What Crombie built for the film is the scrappier first one, constructed from reclaimed timbers and, according to research the team conducted, some stolen materials.

The real Globe on the South Bank is worth visiting regardless. It runs performances of Shakespeare and other playwrights year-round, and the guided tours give access to all areas of the theatre. It won't look exactly like what you saw in the film, but it's a more accurate window into Shakespeare's world than almost anywhere else in London.

Hamnet is already drawing visitors to places that rarely showed up on travel itineraries before, and Herefordshire in particular isn't complaining. The walking trail, the farmhouse rental, the Tudor villages that closed their streets for Hollywood and then reopened them to tourists: there's a real trip here if you want it. Stratford is still waiting for you too, same streets as ever. And with Buckley's Oscar win putting Hamnet back in the cultural conversation, there's never been a better time to make the trip.

Frequently Asked Questions: Hamnet Filming Locations

Where was Hamnet filmed?

Most of Hamnet was filmed in Herefordshire, England, primarily in the village of Weobley and at Cwmmau Farmhouse near Whitney-on-Wye. London scenes were shot at Charterhouse in the City of London and at Durham Wharf near Greenwich. The Globe Theatre was recreated as a full set at Elstree Studios outside London.

Why didn't Hamnet film in Stratford-upon-Avon?

Recreating 16th-century Stratford-upon-Avon in the real town, which is a major heritage tourism destination, would have been logistically difficult. The production team chose Herefordshire instead for its well-preserved Tudor architecture and quieter, more controllable locations.

Can you visit the Hamnet filming locations?

Yes. Weobley has a dedicated Hamnet walking trail and an exhibition about the filming in its library and museum. Cwmmau Farmhouse is available as a holiday let through the National Trust. Charterhouse in London is open for tours. Anne Hathaway's Cottage in Stratford is open year-round through the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

Is Cwmmau Farmhouse open to visitors?

Cwmmau Farmhouse, the medieval National Trust property used for Agnes's childhood home in the film, is available for holiday rentals rather than day visits. It reopened for bookings in late 2025 after conservation work partly funded by the film production.

What is the Hamnet walking trail in Weobley?

The Hamnet trail starts in Weobley and follows a route through filming locations, across fields and country lanes, ending in Pembridge, another historic black-and-white village about two hours' walk away. Weobley's library and museum also has an exhibition about the making of the film.

Was the Globe Theatre in the film the real one?

No. The Globe in Hamnet was built from scratch at Elstree Studios. It's a replica of the original 1599 Globe, which burned down in 1614, rather than the reconstructed version that stands on the South Bank today. The real Shakespeare's Globe in London is open year-round for performances and tours.

Is Stratford-upon-Avon worth visiting alongside the filming locations?

Absolutely. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust operates five historic family homes in and around Stratford, including Anne Hathaway's Cottage, Shakespeare's birthplace, and the house where he died. Stratford is about 60 miles east of Weobley and makes a natural pairing with a Herefordshire filming location trip.

How do I get to Weobley, Herefordshire?

Weobley is in rural Herefordshire, about 10 miles northwest of Hereford city. It's most easily reached by car. The nearest train station is Hereford, with connections from London Paddington, Birmingham, and Cardiff. From Hereford, Weobley is roughly a 20-minute drive.