Muddy Stilettos


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="844" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/hamnet-4238_D005_00229_R_rgb.jpg" alt="Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal in Hamnet" class="wp-image-123140" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/hamnet-4238_D005_00229_R_rgb.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/hamnet-4238_D005_00229_R_rgb-600x338.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/hamnet-4238_D005_00229_R_rgb-1000x563.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>As Fri 9 Jan approaches, we brace for <strong><em>Hamnet</em></strong> hysteria (sorry not sorry &#8211; Maggie O&#8217;Farrell&#8217;s story of love and loss charting the impact the death of William Shakespeare&#8217;s son had on his work <a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/film-tv/film-review-hamnet/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">is <em>seriously</em> worth the hype</a>). Our eyes, meanwhile, have momentarily turned away from Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley and onto Herefordshire, where, beyond a few London locales (there’s no substitute for The Globe, people), the film was predominantly shot. </p>



<p>With Shakespeare’s actual birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon a veritable shrine, the production team had to look elsewhere and stumbled upon the historic villages and sweeping vistas of Cattle Country and the Land of Cider. From perfect black-and-white Tudor buildings to rustic cottages, here’s where to set jet and stay in Herefordshire &#8211; your chance to wander <em>Hamne</em>t’s real-life set before everyone else does.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-weobley-hereford">Weobley, Hereford</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="844" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/HAMNET_FP_00179.jpg-copy.jpg" alt="Joe Alwyn and Jessie Buckley on set in Wembley Herefordshire for the film Hamnet" class="wp-image-129117" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/HAMNET_FP_00179.jpg-copy.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/HAMNET_FP_00179.jpg-copy-600x338.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/HAMNET_FP_00179.jpg-copy-1000x563.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Tudor Stratford has never looked so good. In<em> Hamnet,</em> Weobley’s immaculate black-and-white streets doubled for Shakespeare’s 16th-century hometown, where a young William worked at his father’s glove shop while his romance with Agnes quietly simmered. Aside from its historic looks &#8211; seriously, it’s like stepping back in time &#8211; Weobley is packed with&nbsp;quirky independents, traditional pubs and cute tearooms&nbsp;(the cast were fuelled each morning by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/GreenBeanWeobley/?locale=en_GB" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Green Bean Café</a> during filming), making it a perfect day trip.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-style-default"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Untitled-design-12.jpg" alt="room and view from the Green Dragon Hotel in Hereford." class="wp-image-129132" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Untitled-design-12.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Untitled-design-12-600x400.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Untitled-design-12-1000x667.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>When it’s time to rest your head, the <a href="https://www.greendragonhotel.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Green Dragon Hotel</a>, a short drive away in central Hereford, is the one. Refurbished in recent years, the&nbsp;83-bed hotel&nbsp;boasts some stonking views of the cathedral, plus easy access to all the city’s and county&#8217;s other delights.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-brilley-herefordshire">Brilley, Herefordshire</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="846" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/hamnet-HAMNET_FP_00001_R_rgb.jpg" alt="Jessie Buckley as Agnes in Hamnet" class="wp-image-123143" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/hamnet-HAMNET_FP_00001_R_rgb.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/hamnet-HAMNET_FP_00001_R_rgb-600x338.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/hamnet-HAMNET_FP_00001_R_rgb-1000x564.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Tucked just outside Brilley, on the edge of the Welsh border, the film transformed <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/holidays/herefordshire-worcestershire/cwmmau-farmhouse" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cwmmau Farmhouse</a> into Agnes’s family home, giving viewers a taste of rustic 16th-century life. With Anne Hathaway’s actual childhood home now a busy tourist spot, the team needed somewhere that felt authentic yet private &#8211; and Cwmmau delivered, with its timbered walls, cosy nooks, and expansive green surroundings. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="844" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/cwmmau-farmhouse-restoration-exterior-close.jpg-copy.jpg" alt="Cwmmau Farmhouse Hamnet" class="wp-image-129121" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/cwmmau-farmhouse-restoration-exterior-close.jpg-copy.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/cwmmau-farmhouse-restoration-exterior-close.jpg-copy-600x338.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/cwmmau-farmhouse-restoration-exterior-close.jpg-copy-1000x563.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">© National Trust/Mike Henton</figcaption></figure>



<p>Today, you can stay here yourself, thanks to National Trust holiday rentals, and wander the same historic floors that saw the cast bring <em>Hamnet </em>to life. Think open fires, medieval charm, and a countryside vibe straight out of the film.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-whitney-on-wye">Whitney-on-Wye</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1098" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/tablet_bg.jpg" alt="Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal in Hamnet" class="wp-image-129142" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/tablet_bg.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/tablet_bg-546x600.jpg 546w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/tablet_bg-911x1000.jpg 911w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Beyond villages and historic farmhouses, <em>Hamnet </em>also wandered through the dreamy stretches of the River Wye and the sweeping Herefordshire countryside. We&#8217;re talking rolling hills, misty mornings, and fields that look like they’ve been plucked straight from a painting. It’s made for slow wanders, riverside picnics, or simply soaking up the kind of scenery that makes you want to linger a little longer.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="800" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2-1500x800-1.jpg" alt="Cynefin Retreats" class="wp-image-129144" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2-1500x800-1.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2-1500x800-1-600x320.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2-1500x800-1-1000x533.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>For a truly back-to-nature stay, Agnes-style, an overnight in a luxe glamping pod or lodge at <a href="https://cynefinretreats.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cynefin Retreats</a> is a must. Set among woodland and meadow, these beautifully designed hideaways offer all the romance of rural life—without sacrificing comfort. Expect crackling fire pits, big skies, and total switch-off vibes, putting you right in the heart of the landscapes that brought <em>Hamnet</em> to life.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-in-the-mood-for-more">IN THE MOOD FOR MORE?</h2>



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Destination Herefordshire (via Hamnet): the must-visit spots

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