I visited the beautiful Herefordshire village sprinkled with Hollywood star-dust amid Hamnet fame and found stunning buildings created before the Bard was born and more
I visited Herefordshire’s half-timbered heaven recently sprinkled with Hollywood star-dust and found a real village full of beautiful buildings erected before the Bard was born and more
Warm and wondrous Weobley - once a hidden Herefordshire gem enjoyed by local residents and a fortunate few who stumbled across it, is now firmly in the spotlight after taking a leading role in Hamnet.
The film has already taken the world by storm, receiving the Golden Globe for Drama Motion Picture, Actress in a Drama Motion Pictures, Director of a Motion Picture, amongst even more.
And with the BAFTA’s on February 22 and the Oscars on March 15 and with a bag full of nominations in both, including best film and picture, best leading actress, best director, best costume design and outstanding British film - Hamnet – and Weobley’s star – seems set to rise even higher.
The film adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s bestselling novel Hamnet stars Paul Mescal, Jessie Buckley, and the beautiful scenery of Herefordshire.
One of its main shooting locations was Weobley, whose black and white architecture provided a fitting backdrop for the story set in 16th century England, and takes on the role of Stratford-upon-Avon.
It follows William Shakespeare and his wife Anne Hathaway or more accurately Agnes after the death of their 11-year-old son Hamnet.
The largely fictional re-telling brings to life the devastating loss of a child, its profound impact on William and Agnes’ world, and how grief expressed itself through William’s work on the stage of the Globe Theatre.
Wandering around the village, it’s easy to see why it was chosen. Many of the black and white buildings date from the late 15th and early 16th century and the landscape is described as ‘bucolic’ and ‘Shakespearean so visitors keen to immerse themselves in the film’s world won’t have to stretch their imagination
The film makers searched for the right location to stand in for Henley Street in Elizabethan Stratford and found it in Weobley.
In the 14th and 15th centuries Weobley was one of the richest and most thriving towns in Herefordshire due to the trade in wool from our Ryeland sheep which was exported all over Europe, similar to Shakespeare’s Stratford which had also grown rich on the medieval wool trade.
The wealthy wool merchants used their money to build themselves fine new houses and they are to thank for the wealth of timber frame houses which form a group of national significance.
Like many towns, Weobley’s fortunes rose and fell and it is now a quiet village – brimming with character, beauty, warmth and a rich community spirit – the things which attracted the film’s director
The village’s ancient Parish Church of St Peter and Paul also has a starring role. It becomes St Andrew’s Church at Temple Grafton near Stratford where William and Agnes are thought to have married in 1582.
300 cast and crew descended on Weobley in summer 2024 to shoot the film, which was directed by Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao.
Local resident and co-curator at the Museum and library, Jane Keating said: “We weren’t allowed near the set during the day but in the evening you could walk around and it was lovely, if you like history it was easy to imagine walking in Elizabethan England.
“They brought in real horse manure for the streets, as well as straw and stone, they had a prop making area in the car park near the Lal Bagh and they even created Hamnet’s grave. The attention to detail was amazing, they even had a lady trimming candles and selling linen in the street.
“Everyone was allowed in to watch the flood scene being created, it was amazing.”
In the village centre a new café which opened in December, became a main location where William (Paul Mescal) and Agnes (Jessie Buckley) embrace with their children, and Agnes strolls through the village with her brother, Bartholomew (Joe Alwyn).
“When I opened the Wobbly Badger Café just before Christmas, I never imagined we would be welcoming so much interest so quickly’, said Hannah Richards, owner of the café.
“The door next to us became a main location in the film, as Agnes’s front door. Seeing key scenes filmed here was thrilling. We’ve had visits from several national newspapers and news film crews already. It has bought a buzz to the village making such as difference, specially through the winter months,” she added.
From the outside, the half-timbered cafe looks like a Shakespearean haunt, though inside you'll find a modern setup serving gut-friendly food, including chicken ramen, Damson porridge, and homemade soups.
Hannah expects interest to grow further into the spring and summer if Hamnet wins big at the awards.
“I have noticed people coming to Weobley because of the film because they come into the café and I chat to them and ask where they are from
“I think it will bring even more attention to the village if Hamnet wins at the BAFTAs and Oscars and the village is ready.”
Weobley was selected as the result of the work of newly formed Herefordshire Film Office.
A joint venture between the Herefordshire County BID and Herefordshire Council, who worked closely with the film’s location manager Lindsey Powell, Creative England, as well as the National Trust.
They helped deliver the film’s incredible backdrops, including the River Wye and further expansive landscapes that lent themselves perfectly to the needs of the studio.
Now their efforts are focused on maximising and capitalising on the tourism boost created.
Visit Herefordshire has launched a new Through Tudor Landscapes trail to attract set-jetters to the county.
It traces the film’s footsteps through Herefordshire’s cinematic hotspots, including where to ‘bed down beneath Tudor beams’, and how to step into Shakespeare’s world with immersive experiences, from hedgerow plant medicine and falconry to traditional leather craft. From March 2026, you can even check in at the National Trust’s Cwmmau Farmhouse in Brilley, the atmospheric location that becomes Agnes’s family home in the movie.
The new set-jetter guide suggests a ‘cast and crew’ approved start to a Hamnet adventure at the Green Bean Café before a circular walk around the village to spot the various locations used in the film; and finish at The Unicorn pub and you may bump into one of the village residents who were called on as ‘extras’ for the film’.
Other businesses already benefitting from publicity include expert-led Tudor pursuits offering visitors the opportunity to fly birds of prey with Luke Mammatt from Wye Valley Falconry; learn the powers of healing herbs and plants with Rowan McOnegal; master leather making (Shakespeare’s father was a master glover) with Ledbury based Williams Handmade; traditional blacksmithing at Garway’s Oldfield Forge; or feasting communally around a huge firepit at Under the Nut Tree in Kentchurch.
There’s also a new Hamnet walking trail from Weobley‑to‑Pembridge that stitches together two the iconic Black and White villages and countryside.
“In Hamnet, Herefordshire isn’t just a backdrop, it’s a living character. To be the county trusted to portray Shakespearean England on screen for a global audience is a real honour,” said Jo Hilditch Co-Chair of Herefordshire County BID and Visit Herefordshire.
In addition, the Weobley and District History Society has created a ‘Hamnet Behind the Scenes’ Photography Exhibition at the library.
“We have put together a small exhibition in the library so we can share photographic memories from the filming with our visitors. These photographs show how the production team of Hamnet transformed Weobley into 16th century Stratford-upon-Avon," said Jane Keating, Weobley resident as well as co-curator of Weobley Museum.
It is open on Mondays from 10am until 1pm and Thursdays from 3pm until 6pm.
A special open morning will also take place on Saturday, February 21 from 10am until 1pm.
“Beyond the economic boost of hosting the production crew, this project showcases Herefordshire to millions worldwide, strengthening our £773 million Visitor Economy (2024) and strengthening our position as a film-friendly destination for future productions,” added Jo Hilditch.
Rachel Jones, Herefordshire Council Economic Development Officer, said: “We’ve already seen the eyes of the world on Herefordshire thanks to the Hamnet effect!
“Tourism is a major growth sector for us – it’s already worth more than £700 million a year to the county’s economy – supporting growth across accommodation, food and drink, transport, retail, visitor attractions and more.
“Hamnet truly showcases our amazing historic and natural assets, and the film and surrounding excitement gives us a promotional platform that money can’t buy!”
Nick Mason, county councillor for the Weobley ward said: "The sleepy village of Weobley really woke up… it was a little bit of Hollywood in Hereford."
"This film is the marketing or advertising that money just can't buy."
Hamnet joins a growing list of productions to swoon over the county, including Succession, Sex Education and Shadowlands.
Weobley itself served as a key location for the 2015 ITV adaptation of former Mid Wales Journal reporter the late Phil Rickman’s book Midwinter of the Spirit
So while Weobley basks in Hamnet’s starlight, which production could be queuing up to come to Herefordshire next?
