Wrotham Park fire: Incredible footage shows stately home burn with fears Bridgerton filming will be thrown into chaos
FIRE engines rushed to a stately home that featured in Bridgerton and The Crown after a massive blaze broke out yesterday afternoon.
Flames could be seen rising over the Wrotham Park Estate in South Mimms, Hertfordshire, at 3.34pm on Wednesday – and more than 10 fire crews rushed to the scene.
Period-drama fans are terrified the incident at the stunning film set – Bridgerton‘s fictional Aubrey Hall – could slow down production of their favourite series.
The fire comes just a week after Netflix teased that the production of Bridgerton season three was underway at an undisclosed location.
Smoke billowed above the historic country home as an outbuilding near the main house was engulfed in fire.
A single storey brick building used as a stables went up in flames, but there were luckily no casualites.
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Fortunately, the star-studded stately home and other properties near the stables remained intact.
Firefighters from Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue and the London Fire Brigade managed to get the fire under control but remained on site yesterday evening.
The incident was declared over in the early hours of this morning.
Keith Harland, Group Commander, Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “Crews from both Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service and the London Fire Brigade worked very hard to successfully contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to the main building, which was our main concern.
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“Thanks to the great teamwork of the many crews involved, the fire was extinguished and there were no casualties.”
The impressive 17-acre English estate is a familiar favourite for period-drama fans.
Bridgerton addicts will recognise Wrotham Park Estate as Aubrey Hall, the main family’s country escape, in the raunchy bodice-ripper.
The beautiful scenery featured in much of the second series, where the Bridgertons hosted a country soiree for London’s society at their ancestral home.
Yesterday morning, before the fire broke out, the director and executive producer of Bridgerton posted photos on Instagram which fans believed to be the location of Aubrey Hall.
He shared a post of his director’s chair on a country estate where sheep were grazing, although he included no details of its location or the production he is working on.
The caption read: “Busy filming days require table for one during lunch on location. And not a bad location for it. #directorsescape #30minpeace”.
Netflix confirmed the third season of the show was officially back underway with a playful video on Twitter on July 20.
And predictions have been made for the series to land on screens in 2023.
Wrotham Park Estate has also featured in the blockbuster success Downton Abbey and mega-popular Netflix drama, The Crown.
As well as these smash hits, the property graced the big screen more than 60 times.
Films such as Kingsman: The Secret Service, Bridget Jones’s Diary, Jane Eyre, Gosford Park, Sense & Sensibility and The Riot Club were filmed at Wrotham as well.
The neo-Palladian house was opened in 1754 as one of the grandest private homes close to the capital.
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Just south of Potters Bar the property is only 17 miles from Hyde Park Corner in Central London.
In fact, the country estate has been devastated by a fire before in 1883, although its slow burn meant its contents were mostly saved and interiors could be restored to their former glory.
