Netflix hit series The Gentlemen has returned for its second season, bringing Gloucestershire’s stunning landscapes back into the spotlight. At the centre of the show’s visual appeal is Gloucestershire’s Badminton House, a magnificent 52,000-acre estate that once again represents the fictional Halstead Manor. Known for its appearances in other acclaimed productions such as Bridgerton and its spin-off Queen Charlotte, Badminton House serves as the imposing family home of Eddie Horniman, portrayed by Theo James.
Season two continues the story a year after Eddie’s initial dive into the underworld of organised crime. Now the Duke of Halstead, having inherited his father’s estate and aristocratic title, Eddie uncovers a hidden financial bond with notorious drug kingpin Bobby Glass, played by Ray Winstone. With Susie Glass, brought to life by Kaya Scodelario, by his side, Eddie’s ambitions have grown dramatically, extending far beyond the pastoral beauty of the English countryside.
For viewers in Gloucestershire, Badminton House remains the series' most recognisable landmark, its grandeur and sweeping grounds perfectly embodying Halstead Manor’s character. The estate is the seat of the Duke of Beaufort and stands as one of the most stunning historic properties in the county.
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The production also utilized several other English locations. Loseley Park, a private estate near Guildford in Surrey, provided many of the manor’s interior scenes, while Guy Ritchie’s Ashcombe Estate in Wiltshire and its private airfield were also used as filming sites. Additional English settings featured in the series include Salisbury Cathedral, Bullock’s Farmhouse, the Greenwich Peninsula, and Swakeleys House in Ickenham.
While Gloucestershire and the wider English countryside remain pivotal to the show’s aesthetic, season two ambitiously shifts much of its action to northern Italy. At the series' press conference, creator Guy Ritchie explained this change of scenery: “We didn’t want to just stay in the UK, it felt like there needed to be some evolution to the environment so enter the mafia. And if you’re going to choose a substructure of various villains, Italy is the place you want to choose them.”
A highlight of the Italian locations is the Villa Rusconi-Clerici in Verbania, a late 19th-century palazzo nestled on the Piedmont shoreline of Lake Maggiore. This villa depicts the home of the character Bella, played by Benedetta Porcaroli. The production team even constructed a temporary jetty to facilitate filming the numerous memorable Riva motorboat scenes.
Nearby, the Grand Hotel Majestic in Pallanza served both as the backdrop for an opulent wedding scene and the base for the production’s activities during the Italian shoot. Other notable locations in Pallanza include the Chiesa San Leonardo and the Dock Statua Di S.Dazio.
Kaya Scodelario praised the experience of filming in Italy, sharing, “It’s gorgeous, the energy there, the beauty of it. We took our families out, got to spend time with our kids out there and I saw Guy Ritchie riding a bike every morning - that was a lovely image to witness. It was magical, he looked happy.”
Season two of The Gentlemen is now available to stream on Netflix.