Hamnet film set goes Bard to the future

ELIZABETH MACKLEY follows in the footsteps of the cast and crew of the eight-time Oscar nominee in the historic Herefordshire village of Weobley

- ELIZABETH MACKLEY

PICTURE PERFECT Joe Alwyn as Bartholomew and Jessie Buckley as Agnes

STEPPING on to the streets of Weobley, it’s impossible not to be transported through time. Almost everywhere you look in the Herefordshire village is a black-and-white timber-framed building, casting you back 400 years to Elizabethan England.

That is exactly why filmmakers chose the village as the main filming location for Hamnet.

The 2025 biographical period movie directed by Chloé Zhao and based on the novel of the same name by Maggie O'Farrell tells the story of the devastating events that inspired William Shakespeare's masterpiece, Hamlet. Focusing on Shakespeare's domestic life with wife Agnes Hathaway, heartbreaking scenes depict the family’s battle with grief following the death of their beloved 11-year-old son, Hamnet.

The movie, starring Jessie Buckley as Agnes and Paul Mescal as Shakespeare, has already won a couple of Golden Globes and has been nominated for eight Oscars. But perhaps what makes this film all the more magical is that the stunning scenes and landscapes featured actually exist - and you can visit them.

I absolutely adore all things historical and Shakespearean. But most of all I love Britain’s remote and rural spaces, so I jumped at the chance to take on Visit Herefordshire’s new Hamnet-inspired Through Tudor Landscapes guide.

What makes this guide special is that it leads you to all the secret places behind the scenes of the film that’s been garnering such international acclaim.

You don't have to look very far in Herefordshire to find half-timbered houses and market towns bustling with antique stores, artisan stalls and communities brimming with traditional healers, creatives, makers, cosy pubs and warm hospitality.