Going Behind the Scenes of Hamnet in Herefordshire

It’s one of the year’s best films. It has already left countless audience members a gooey mess. It will almost certainly be a major player at the Oscars this March. I’m talking about Hamnet, the film adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s phenomenon novel, which explores the idea that one of history’s greatest works of art – Hamlet – was inspired by the real-life grief experienced by William Shakespeare after the loss of his son.

The film, helmed by Oscar-winning director Chloe Zhao, is a feat of emotional filmmaking. Beautiful and tragic in equal measure, carrying the kind of heavy duty drama synonymous with the Bard himself. It is raw and real, and a remarkable exploration of parental grief.

But where did this prestigious Hollywood production turn its tale from page to screen? Not Shakespeare’s hometown, Stratford-upon-Avon, but the humble Midland county of Herefordshire.

With good reason, too. Unbeknownst to many, Herefordshire is one of the best places in the country to see authentic black and white Tudor buildings, with many towns and villages boasting delightfully well preserved timber-framed structures, the kind you picture immediately alongside the words ‘William Shakespeare’.

These quaint rural communities are charming beyond belief, and will leave you fantasising about moving to the country to sip on cider beside an open fire, reading old books and chatting to locals in a centuries-old pub that looks every bit its age, in the best possible way.

Having spent some time in the area, it makes total sense to me that Herefordshire topped the location scout’s list, and that director Chloe Zhao was destined to fall in love with the place. It is like a portal into ye olde England. The perfect place to transport audiences to Shakespearean times.

One of the most important locations in Hamnet is the childhood home of Agnes, Shakespeare's wife, played by the extraordinary Jessie Buckley. This is where much of the first half takes place. It’s where Agnes first meets William, played by the fantastic Paul Mescal, and it’s where we see them fall deeply in love.

Visit Cwmmau Farmhouse in the flesh and you’ll realise how little the production had to change this beautifully preserved farmhouse, which dates back to the early 1600s, when the real Shakespeare was alive.

Its setting, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, feels a world away from modern life. The building itself is immensely evocative. There’s that iconic black and white pattern on the facade, an ancient-but-grand entrance, large oak beams everywhere and a beautifully preserved old kitchen, not to mention an abundance of surrounding greenery, where Buckley’s Agnes feels most at home.

Thanks in no small part to the money generated from the shoot, Cwmmau Farmhouse has now been renovated to preserve its historic beauty and open the doors to visitors, who can now book an actual stay at the farmhouse. So you can cook dinner where Agnes makes her herbal medicines, or glance out the window in hope of seeing Paul Mescal stroll by…

The film’s stand-in for Stratford was one of Herefordshire's most gorgeous black and white villages, Weobley. This old market town with barely a thousand residents was taken over in the summer of 2024 and transformed into 16th-century England. Not that much had to be done to achieve that effect. Tarmac roads and pavements were covered in earthy tracks, while the few modern facades in the village were tweaked using master carpentry and a dash of blue screen.

Most of the filming took place on the high street, and the corner at the bottom of the hill, where you’ll find The Wobbly Badger cafe. It’s here that we see William and Agnes embrace with their children, and Agnes strolls through Stratford with her brother, Bartholomew, played by Joe Alwyn.

If you’ve seen the film it’s not hard to picture it coming to life as you walk along the main street in Weobley, but if you want a truly vivid image, get chatting to the locals. This is a small town that welcomed a major film production, so everyone has a story. Everybody took an interest and, by all accounts, the production was extremely friendly and inclusive of the local community.

Speak to as many people as you can and you’ll hear about how one person spotted Taylor Swift’s ex-boyfriend walking past their window, and another about the locals drafted in as extras, or of the rather dramatic scene where they deliberately flooded the village – although I’m told it looks far less impressive in real life – that’s move magic, after all.

You can even stay a matter of steps away from where the action took place, at the charming Mellington House, an historic complex on the high street, which offers BnB and self-catered accommodation options right in the heart of the action.

Just beyond the high street lies a marvellous 13th-century church, whose striking spire can be spotted from pretty much anywhere in the village. This is where William and Agnes are married in the film and, again, when you step inside you’ll see that not much had to be changed for the period filming process.

At the heart of the Weobley community is Green Bean Cafe (also a shop and deli), which seems to have been quite a hit with cast and crew during production. Full English breakfast orders went through the roof, and the excellent coffee served here kept everyone going during those long shoot days. The produce here is lovely, but Green Bean is also a great spot to go searching for local insights into the shoot itself. To latte, or not to latte? That is the question.

A key theme in Hamnet is Agnes’ relationship to nature and, in particular, to her hawk. In fact, when William first lays eyes on Agnes, it is as she summons her hawk with a falconry glove – curiously, Weobley itself has a rich history of glove making, which was also the profession of Shakespeare’s father.

You can experience the thrill of getting close to birds of prey, just like Agnes, at Wye Valley Falconry. With the expert help of Luke, you could go on a serene woodland walk with your own hawk, Aztec, and replicate early scenes from the film.

Another curious quirk of Jessie Buckley’s Agnes is her penchant for herbal remedies and plant-based medicine, which we see her use several times in the film. You can learn more about this naturalist approach at Hedgerow Medicine, where you can join expert herbalist Rowan McOnegal’s hands-on workshop.

Head to Pembridge – another delightful black and white town – for lunch at The Cider Barn, a gorgeous restaurant set within a repurposed Grade II listed barn, dating back 450 years (around the time of Shakespeare’s birth) at Dunkertons Cider Mill. Whether you’re here for lunch or dinner, the food is excellent and really celebrates Herefordshire produce. Be sure to sample some Dunkertons cider, too. Social drinking culture was hugely prominent in Elizabethan England, and cider was an extremely popular beverage, alongside mead and ale.

It isn’t just the architecture here that transports you to Shakespeare’s time. Herefordshire’s countryside feels unusually undisturbed by the advancements of modernity. There are many long walks you can embark on without encountering countless iPhone wielding dog walkers or zooming back-country cars. Amble through fields, alongside streams, up woodland hills and you’ll quickly understand why Agnes is so inspired by nature.

On one spontaneous walk near Weobley I stumbled upon a vast cider apple orchard and spotted five sheepish deer hopping through. It was an utterly magical experience. Go in search of your own moving natural encounters on the Weobley to Burton Hill walk, or perhaps this Hamnet-inspired trail, which ties together several of the area’s black and white villages.

Old-fashioned charm meets exceptional culinary offerings at the marvellous Riverside at Aymestrey, set within an historic 16th-century black and white building on the banks of the River Lugg.

Local ingredients are just as important at this sustainable restaurant as they were centuries ago. Sample mouthwatering Herefordshire beef, tuck into vegetables grown nearby and desserts that highlight the wonderfully sweet fruit grown throughout the county. You can even sample locally made wine – the Sixteen Ridges Pinot Noir is a star of the show.

Fully embrace the old England lifestyle by trying your hand at blacksmithing, perhaps the trade most synonymous with that period of history. Head to Oldfield Forge in Garway to take part in a three-hour workshop and put your metalworking skills to the test. Don’t worry, if you’re no good at it, you can always try your hand at writing the next great tragedy…

To celebrate the release of Hamnet, Visit Herefordshire have put together the Tudor Landscapes trail. Will you follow in the footsteps of Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley and embrace your inner Shakespeare in Herefordshire?