The 2026 adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility reimagines the historic Norland estate by turning to a private Dorset home, Kingston Russell, while revisiting iconic locations like Mothecombe beach from the 1995 film to capture the emotional weight of the Georgian drama.
Eddy Pearce, working with location specialist The Westcountry Set, explained that the holy grail of location-finding is something new, that hasn’t been seen before, and is very special
as production teams prepared for the 2026 adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic Sense and Sensibility. That search led production crews straight to Kingston Russell, a private home tucked away in west Dorset that had never before appeared in a film.
The historic property serves as the fictional Norland estate, the family home that Elinor Dashwood and her sisters must abandon when their half-brother inherits it from their father. Filmmakers gravitated toward the site because its weathered facade provided the exact visual texture demanded by the director.
Kingston Russell Replaces Saltram House as Norland Estate
In the 1995 version directed by Ang Lee, Saltram House at Plympton in Devon portrayed the Norland estate, a choice that generated decades of steady film tourism for the National Trust property.
Property owner Sam Carter and his family moved out entirely to grant the film crew full access to the grounds.
It’s the first time I’ve ever been on a big budget film set.
Carter, Kingston Russell owner
Carter noted that watching the production unfold was amazing to witness. Following the wrap of production, the estate launched special tours tailored specifically for Jane Austen fans.
Ditsworthy Warren House and Mothecombe Beach Return to Screen
Mothecombe beach on the Flete Estate in South Devon portrays Barton Beach for a second time, having previously served the same role in the 1995 adaptation that featured Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Greg Wise, and Hugh Grant.
John Mildmay-White, current owner of the estate, reflected on the enduring cultural footprint left by the earlier project. This was 31 years ago and in terms of the estate, its been a real big driver for tourism here,
he said, noting that visitors continue arriving from across the UK and the United States to stay where Sense and Sensibility was filmed.
On Dartmoor, Ditsworthy Warren House—a derelict farm building previously used by Steven Spielberg for Warhorse—was overhauled to become the Dashwood family’s new home.
Dartmoor Weather Presents Challenges for Production Designer
Production designer Francesca Di Mottola described the moors as a fantastic location to work with
that felt akin to working in a painting.
Crews battled intense meteorological extremes while modifying the roof and interiors of the derelict cottage and garden.
Di Mottola pointed out that construction workers faced severe hurdles when days of extreme heat when our construction team were on the roof so that was a struggle and then there were days when we could only work inside because it was so stormy.
South-West England Landscapes Mirror Financial Shifting
Additional scenes utilized Parnham Park’s lake in Beaminster to trace the growing relationship between Elinor Dashwood and Edward Ferrers. Other regional sites, including Dartmoor, Mothecombe, and an additional country home in West Dorset, rounded out the production schedule.
According to Lee Morgan from the Devon Film Office, the production used an emotional use of landscape.
Morgan noted that big productions provide a vehicle to show the county off to its best,
grounding the Georgian narrative of love and financial decline in raw natural beauty.