Disney+’s new hit Rivals exploded onto our screens last weekend in a plume of cigarette smoke and ’80s-level hairspray.
Fans of BBC drama Poldark will have noticed a familiar face in the series ― Aidan Turner, who played the titular role in the series, stars in Rivals as telly legend Declan O’Hara in the Disney+ series.
But apparently the similarities between the series don’t stop there.
Rivals, which was partly filmed in Bristol’s Bottle Yard Studios, also saw its fair share of stately homes (like Berkely House, Wilton House, and Chavenage House).
Turns out some of the filming spots feature in Poldark, too.
The Priory, which serves as Declan O’Hara’s on-screen home in Rivals, is called Chavenage House in real life and is based in Tetbury.
But if you’re a fan of Poldark, you may recognise it as Trenwith.
The same home is used for Aidan Turner’s character in both series ― as Radio Times points out, this may be because Eliza Mellor, a producer who worked on both shows, had sourced the home before.
Caroline Lowsley-Williams, who owns the home, also introduced Mellor to the owners of The Falconry that Lord Baddingham uneasily inhabits in Rivals.
“They’d never had filming before, so we’d never have got it without her,” producer Eliza told House & Garden.
The author of the book series Rivals is based on, Dame Jilly Cooper, has lived in Gloucestershire for decades herself: “Gloucestershire is so welcoming and the Cotswolds are so heartbreakingly beautiful, so home is definitely here,” she told The English Home.
Corsham in Wiltshire was also used for some scenes in Rivals; this also featured heavily in Poldark.
Corsham Town Council writes that “Corsham has provided the backdrop in numerous films and TV dramas including The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, Tess of the D’Urbervilles, Larkrise to Candleford and The Remains of the Day,” adding that Poldark merch is available in their local Post Office.