Confirmed · Wiltshire · Attraction

Great Chalfield Manor

Austin Friars, Thomas Cromwell’s home, in both series in Wolf Hall. Tickets needed; allow allow 1–2 hours.

On screen as: Austin Friars, Thomas Cromwell’s home, in both series
Series and episodes: Wolf Hall (2015) · The Mirror and the Light (2024)
Access: Tickets needed
Time needed: Allow 1–2 hours
Where: Great Chalfield, Wiltshire

On screen

How Great Chalfield Manor appears

Great Chalfield is the principal house double for Austin Friars, Cromwell’s London home. Both the National Trust and PBS identify its use in the two Wolf Hall productions. The manor’s rooms and garden help build a domestic world of relatives, wards and visitors around Cromwell. Austin Friars was in the City of London; this moated Wiltshire manor is the place the camera borrowed. Filming inside a lived-in historic property does not make the whole household or every room part of the public tour.

The real place

What you can visit

The manor remains a home within a National Trust visitor property, with access organised through scheduled house tours and garden opening. Go to the visitor entrance at the advertised time and follow the host’s route. The small scale is part of the pleasure: this is a different day out from a large palace with a continuous self-guided circuit. The garden and moat provide context even when the house tour is full. Winter closure and limited opening days make advance planning particularly useful.

Only the visitor route is open; leave family rooms, private gardens and farm entrances alone.

National Trust ↗

Getting there.

Bradford-on-Avon and Melksham are useful railway gateways, followed by a prebooked taxi. The last approach is along rural lanes without a continuous pavement. Drivers use the manor’s signed visitor parking and walk a few minutes to admission. Pick an advertised seasonal opening date and allow time before the house tour; late arrival can mean missing the guided entry.

Official visitor information ↗Open in Google Maps ↗Read the visiting guide →

Common questions

Planning a responsible visit

What does Great Chalfield Manor play in Wolf Hall?

Great Chalfield Manor supplies Austin Friars, Thomas Cromwell’s home, in both series. This page keeps its real visitor setting in Great Chalfield, Wiltshire separate from the story’s geography.

How should I arrive?

Arrange onward transport from Bradford-on-Avon or Melksham rather than relying on an easy roadside walk. By car, use the manor’s visitor parking and arrive in time for any scheduled house tour.

What can I see on a visit?

The small manor is still a home, with seasonal visitor access through advertised tours and garden openings. Follow the hosted route, and allow for a house tour being full when planning the day.

Plan your visit

Build it into the day.

The same manor appears in Poldark. Lacock is a useful separate abbey visit. Great Chalfield also features in the Poldark guide, with a separate screen identity.

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Tickets / official site ↗Search Booking.com stays nearby ↗Read the visiting guide →