The real stars of the screen - 10 of the best English heritage film and TV locations

Scores of sumptuous English Heritage sites provide authentic backdrops for films, photoshoots and TV shows. Everything from Bridgerton to The Crown to Robin Hood has been shot at real-life locations protected by the conservation charity - providing funds and attracting visitors who want to see where their favourite movies or TV dramas were made.

"I think using a real film location gives a sense of place and an atmosphere that a studio simply cannot provide," explains Christina Pascoe who looks after filming for English Heritage. "When I picture some of our sites, such as Whitby Abbey in North Yorkshire, I just don't think that the intensity and drama of that site could be recreated using CGI or a set. I truly believe filming in heritage locations is so important, not only to the heritage industry but to the productions themselves and their story telling."

English Heritage has enjoyed a huge increase in screen tourism over recent years as a result of its sites being used as filming locations. "Appearing in feature films such as Avengers and Transformers over the years have also supported us in continuing to build our relationships with overseas visitors," Christina continues. "We still get visitors coming to Kenwood in Hampstead, one of our London sites, to sit on the bench shown in Notting Hill in 1999 which I think really shows the power of screen tourism."

Income from filming goes directly back into the charity and the conservation of that location. Filming can provide three times the income the location would typically make in a normal week - and it all goes towards painting, cleaning and restoration, replacement carpets, external stonework repairs, window frame repairs and so on.

Christina adds: "Filming has quickly become a vital source of income for the charity over recent years. Not only does it support us by providing vital funds, it also engages new audiences with our sites due to screen tourism and visitors coming to us to see locations used in film."

Several parts of Wrest Park, Beds, featured in Armando Iannucci's satire about the scramble for power following the death of Joseph Stalin. The drawing room doubles as the Hall of Columns, while the garage hosts a trial in The Death of Stalin (2017). But English Heritage's biggest project to date also took place at the 19th century mansion when the makers of Citadel, starring Richard Madden, used the estate to film the as-yet-unseen season two of the US spy series. "The production company literally blew the doors off the front of the Mansion House - stunt doors of course, but still our biggest challenge to date," says Christina.

Locals in south-east London know when filming is taking place at Ranger's House, Greenwich, for hit Netflix series Bridgerton - because the front of the elegant Georgian villa is covered in stunning purple wisteria! Built in 1723 for a sea captain, and later the home of the Rangers of Greenwich Park, which it abuts, it served aristocrats and royals until 1902 and now stands in for the home of the titular Bridgerton family in the Regency romance based on Julia Quinn's bestselling books and created by US TV titan Shonda Rhimes.

When the Bridgertons aren't in residence, visitors can marvel at a unique collection of art gathered by diamond magnate Julius Wernher around 1900 - an extraordinary wealth of medieval, Renaissance and early modern works, including masterpieces of international importance. Outside, a small but stunning garden provides access to Greenwich Park's incredible rose garden. Take a picnic and enjoy a brisk walk or a quiet amble. While Ranger's House stands in for exteriors, Halton House, Bucks, owned by the RAF, is used for the interior scenes of the Bridgerton home, such as the grand hall, stairs, and hallways.

Old Wardour Castle, near Salisbury, Wilts, a unique hexagonal 14th century tower house, became Locksley Castle for the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, starring Kevin Costner as the man in green. Built in the 1390s, it came into the ownership of the Arundell Family in the 16th century, and was partially destroyed during the English Civil War. Today the Grade I-listed building offers a glimpse into times past that will delight young and old. Climb the atmospheric stone steps of the east tower and enjoy stunning panoramic views, then picnic in the landscaped grounds surrounded by age-old trees as young adventurers use up some of their energy. Try English Heritage's new family game, Can you Keep Your Castle?, to help young visitors learn more about Old Wardour's history.

Set high on the cliffs overlooking the sea, the ruins of Whitby Abbey in North Yorkshire provide one of the UK's most dramatic heritage sites and a boon to filmmakers. For more than 3,000 years, it has been a holy place. Buried beneath the soaring arches are the remains of an earlier Anglo-Saxon monastery, whose tales of saints, poets and miracles still survive. The abbey helped inspire Bram Stoker's groundbreaking 1897 gothic horror novel, Dracula, when the author visited Whitby. In the book, Count Dracula comes ashore and runs up the 199 steps to the abbey graveyard in the form of a black dog after his ship is wrecked off the coast.

The BBC's 2020 three-part adaptation of the story, co-written and developed by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss and starring Claes Bang as the titular count, used the beloved landmark and its seaside town as the backdrop for key scenes. Today, visitors can climb the 199 Grade I-listed steps to the graveyard in Stoker's (and Dracula's) footsteps. Roam the wide-open spaces of the abbey grounds, enjoy a relaxing picnic and play hide and seek among the ruins. Family activities and regular special events take place during the school holidays, including Easter quests and Dracula performances. Music fans can see where Coldplay recorded their special lockdown performance of Higher Power in May 2021 for BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend.

Stretching 73 miles from coast to coast across Northumberland, Cumbria, and Tyne and Wear, Hadrian's Wall was built to guard the north-west frontier of the Roman Empire against the barbaric Pictish tribes.

Fans of films like Gladiator can discover the remains of the wall, forts, and towns, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, that once kept a relentless guard over the Wall. See rare Roman artefacts and take in spectacular views of the rugged landscape. There are dozens of sites to enjoy, including Housesteads Roman Fort in Northumberland National Park with its Temple of Mithras; Corbridge Roman Town, where a rare Roman knife handle cast in copper alloy in the shape of a gladiator was discovered last year; and Chesters Roman Fort, a cavalry fort known to the Romans as Cilurnum, built in about AD124 and occupied until the Romans left Britain in the 5th century, among many others.

You might not expect a troupe of A-list Hollywood stars to descend on Dover but in 2014 that's exactly what happened for the filming of Marvel blockbuster Avengers: Age of Ultron. The production crew took over areas of Dover Castle, Kent, and temporarily dressed them for several scenes in the film. You can spot the Secret Wartime Tunnels in the opening action sequence, as the cast of superheroes raid an outpost commanded by a malevolent scientist.

Victoria & Abdul, the acclaimed 2017 historical drama starring Dame Judi Dench as Queen Victoria, was the film to feature the interiors of Osborne House, Isle of Wight, Queen Victoria's holiday home which appears in a significant portion of the movie. Eleven years after becoming Empress of India, Victoria decided to employ Indian servants. It was the start of a growing fascination with India. At Osborne you can discover the lavishly decorated Durbar room, designed in a contemporary Indian style, paintings of Indian people and landscapes, including several of Abdul Karim. Played on-screen in the film by Ali Fazal, Abdul was the first of the Queen's Indian servants and the pair enjoyed an unlikely friendship.

For something more sci-fi, Rievaulx Abbey in North Yorkshire, was used to provide backdrops for Transformers: The Last Knight. Cast and crew filmed all over the world for the 2017 film starring Mark Wahlberg, Anthony Hopkins and Laura Haddock.But the most stunning scenes took place amid the ruins of 12th century Rievaulx Abbey.

James Norton's star-studded eight-part 1066 BBC drama series, King and Conqueror, might not have been filmed at Battle Abbey in East Sussex - in fact, it was made 1,200 miles away in Iceland! - but visitors can soak up the history of the once blood-drenched battlefield and walk in the footsteps of rivals to the throne Harold Godwinson and William, Duke of Normandy.

The Abbey was founded by William on the site of the Battle of Hastings, reputedly on the exact spot where King Harold died. You can discover their story with interactive displays in the visitor centre before, accompanied by an audio tour, see where the Normans advanced against the English and walk (or run across) the battlefield amid dramatic wooden statues representing the combatants. Explore the ruins and climb to the gatehouse rooftop for panoramic views. See the gothic-style ice house, stroll in the walled garden and young visitors can enjoy the playground while mum and dad stop for refreshments. Never has history been brought to life so brilliantly.

The roof literally came off the grand Georgian mansion at Sutton Scarsdale, Derbyshire, in 1919 when its interiors were dismantled and some exported to America, but there's still plenty to see in the ruins and across the majestic estate. Set amid grassland, with stunning views and a ha-ha that once kept animals off the manicured lawns without spoiling the outlook, the ruined mansion was used as a backdrop for rundown Wayne Manor in 2016's Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, starring Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill as the rival heroes. Enjoy the grounds and see what inspired filmmakers.

• Visit english-heritage.org.uk to check individual opening times and dates