This Northamptonshire manor was where much of Saltburn was filmed (Picture: Tom Maddick SWNS)
Bathwater drinking and graveside sex scenes aside, one of the most attention-grabbing elements of Saltburn was its setting.
The bulk of the movie takes place in a sprawling estate in the English countryside, with the Saltburn mansion playing host to debauched parties, secret nighttime dalliances, and plenty of jibes over the dinner table.
From spooky winding corridors to an imposing hedge maze, it’s an impressive location – one that fans of the Emerald Fennell hit are keen to get a glimpse of.
Drayton House in Northamptonshire was used as a filming location for Saltburn, and since its release in November 2023, it’s been a popular destination for tourists.
Located near the town of Lowick, the stately home is owned by the Sackville family and is not generally open to the public. It has also not been used for filming before, chosen by the director because it would be unfamiliar to the majority of viewers.
This air of mystery hasn’t stopped people flocking there, though.
Fans have swarmed the grounds of Drayton Manor (Picture: Tom Maddick SWNS)
Lucky local Maddie was one of 30 people chosen to tour the house after filming finished (Picture: Tom Maddick SWNS)
Maddie Bowness, 21, went to visit the ‘Saltburn mansion’ after watching the film, having previously met its cast and crew while working at the nearby Snooty Fox pub.
The art student, from Lowick, Northamptonshire, said: ‘I grew up in the village and it is amazing how much traffic the film has brought to the area…
‘Everyone in the village had positive things to say about it.’
Drayton House is set on 200 acres of parkland (Picture: Tom Maddick SWNS)
Drayton House
This Grade I listed medieval mansion was described as ‘one of the best-kept secrets of the English country house world’ by architectural historian Gervase Jackson-Stops, and it’s easy to see why.
Though to have been built as far back as the 13th century, it has been passed only by inheritance since it was last sold in 1361. A number of alterations and additions have taken place since, with the Baroque facade we see today part of a large refurbishment in the 1700s.
Some of the Sackville family’s furniture was used to film Saltburn – including the iconic dining table – while other rooms were transformed specifically for the movie. The bathtub where we see Barry Keoghan’s character Oliver drink bathwater, for example, was a bespoke model designed to fit Jacob Elordi’s six-foot-five frame.
Drayton House sits on a 200-acre park where visitors are permitted on foot. But good luck finding the Saltburn mansion’s maze – it’s actually a CGI creation.
She was one of 30 locals who got the chance to tour Drayton house when filming finished, saying: ‘It was so cool to see.
‘We didn’t see the bedrooms or the bathroom where that scene happened. But we got to see the big stately rooms with all the paintings. It was very grand and historically it is a beautiful building.’
Another local, Jasmine Murray, 24, took a walk around the estate after watching the film twice, with the senior dispenser at Specsavers, from Raunds, Northamptonshire, saying: ‘It was a lovely walk – really scenic. It is a really nice escape from being in built-up areas.
‘I would definitely go back.’
Mum Sally-Anne Harrison didn’t enjoy the film, but brought her daughters to visit its set (Picture: Tom Maddick SWNS)
The mansion itself is closed to visitors (Picture: Tom Maddick SWNS)
Neighbouring Lowick has been busier than usual since the film’s release (Picture: Tom Maddick SWNS)
Although Sally-Anne Harrison, 46, wasn’t a fan of Saltburn, she took her daughters, who did enjoy it, to Drayton House, finding it packed with tourists.
Sally, a project manager, from Oundle, Northamptonshire, said: ‘We only live around five miles from the estate and the girls were very excited to go to visit.
‘It was a lot busier than we thought but the weather was nice and you can see the mansion as you walk through the grounds.’
Given the owner of Drayton House made Saltburn’s creators sign contracts urging them not to disclose the location within the film, its likely it won’t become a tourist trap any time soon.
In the meantime, however, it’s giving the neighboring villages – and the businesses operating there – a big boost.
What to do nearby
While you can’t visit Drayton House itself, a trip to Northamptonshire can make for an idyllic countryside getaway.
Fans of stately homes and historic buildings can tour nearby Boughton House, Rockingham Castle, Kirby Hall, Lyveden Manor or Deene Park for a hit of fancy architecture.
Natural beauty’s in no short supply either, with spots from Barnwell and Fermyn Woods Country Parks to Stanwick and Kinewell Lakes where you can roam to your heart’s content.
If you’re with the kids, Wicksteed Park in Kettering has rides, shows and farmyard animals to keep them entertained, or couples can hole up in one of the many cosy country pubs in Lowick and the surrounding area.
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Despite the fact the English estate is closed to the public.