The ‘Saltburn’ effect, or the dangers of renting out your castle to a film or TV crew

Surely you too are considering whether or not you should rent out your sprawling castle or palace to the next Netflix series. It’s a common conundrum. So much so that British insurer Ecclesiastical has produced a guide to help owners of historic properties to navigate the issue.

Recently, the repercussions of such a decision have spiraled out of control in the wake of Saltburn, Emerald Fennell’s film that tells the story of a not-so-talented Mr. Ripley, a scholarship student at Oxford University who is invited to spend the summer at the enormous medieval mansion of a rich aristocratic classmate. The movie became a success on Prime Video for various reasons, among them the fact that actor Barry Keoghan dances naked to Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s Murder on the Dancefloor, the film’s campy homoeroticism, the shocking luxury of its sets and the fact that the other lead, Jacob Elordi, brought star power to the project straight from his turn in Euphoria. Be that as it may, it seems that Charles Stopford Sackville, the owner of Drayton House, the estate on which the movie was filmed, isn’t happy with the mania the movie has provoked. A few months ago, the aristocrat said that he regrets having allowed it to be filmed at his home. “‘I never envisaged the amount of interest there would be. It’s quite weird. I don’t take it as flattering,” he told the Daily Mail on Sunday.

The aristocrat inherited this historic site from his father 10 years ago, although it has been in his family since 1770. The mansion is located in the small village of Lowick (Northamptonshire, England) and was built in 1328. “How would you feel if people were taking pictures outside your house?” wondered Stopford Sackville. “I’d prefer the interest to blow over, but I can’t make it blow over.” There is a public footpath that runs through the estate, but its owner claims his staff has already caught “more than 50 trespassers” straying off it. In addition to these trespassers, Stopford Sackville claims that the outside of his property is filled with Tiktokers dancing to Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s catchy tune and a handful of tourists taking selfies. Although he did not reveal the amount he was paid to rent out his mansion, he did say that the money influenced his decision “100%”: “These houses don’t run on water.” He also said that his family and Fennell’s family, the director, have been friends for years, which also played a role in allowing the shoot to take place there.

In an article published in the U.S. edition of Vanity Fair last summer, months before the debut of Saltburn (which was released widely in November), it was said that the production team was contractually prohibited from revealing the name or location of the property. But British magazine Tatler, which specializes in documenting high society, recognized (and published) the house’s identity as soon as the trailer was released. But even if Tatler hadn’t let the cat out of the bag, it would have come out on TikTok: viral interest in the mansion surged when several users of the social platform discovered its whereabouts and shared the results of their search with millions of people. Too many people, even for a 127-room mansion.

Others have managed to make a big profit out of the fact that their mansion, castle, palace or abbey has appeared in a popular film or TV series. Such is the case of Lady Fiona Carnarvon and her husband, George Herbert, eighth count of Carnarvon, owners of the Highclere Castle in Newbury, in southern England. A massive building with more than 1,300 years of history, 300 bedrooms and nearly 5,000 acres of gardens, forests and fields, it was a creation of architect Charles Barry (the same man who designed Westminster Palace). In 2010, Highclere became the home of the Crawley family for the six seasons and two films of Downton Abbey. The arrangement was born from the friendship of Lord Carnarvon, godson of Elizabeth II, with Julian Fellowes, the series’ creator, who had his friend’s estate in mind when he wrote the script. It’s not known exactly how much the production company shelled out to use the property, but it is estimated that for the first three seasons, the Carnarvons received over $637,000 for around 30 days of shooting, a figure that had risen to over $1.28 million by the fifth season.

Still, the real business happened later. After its premiere, interest in the historic drama brought millions of visitors to the counts’ door over the last decade (more than 100,000 a year, including some 15,000 school-aged Downton fans.) Highclere now offers specialized experiences (its Christmas tour costs some $166, and a Dickens version comes out to $236), guided visits (between $108 and $166) and historic events that recreate events like the First or Second World War and parties set in the Roaring Twenties. They also offer stays on the property (though not inside the castle itself) and the possibility of renting the space for private events, a popular option, in particular for weddings. The benefits of Downton Abbey that owners have reported are doubtlessly greater than its fame’s drawbacks: apparently, during one of the recordings, a turquoise box belonging to Lady Carnarvon fell to the floor and broke, subsequently requiring repair at Sotheby’s. It’s likely that the repair cost under $1.28 million.

William Herbert, 18th count of Pembroke and 15th count of Montgomery has also profited from his estates. At 26 years old, the count inherited the Wilton House in Wiltshire, a 14,000-acre estate, in addition to 14 agricultural businesses and some 200 other properties. The count himself has admitted to the press that, in addition to agriculture, forestry and general tourism, renting the property as a shooting location has been an important source of funds for the family fortune. Wilton House has served as a set for scenes from the series Bridgerton and The Crown, in addition to the 2019 movie Emma, 2009′s The Young Victoria and Pride and Prejudice in 2005. Visitors to the estate interested in history have now been joined by fans of film and television, together resulting in a business that provides some level of profitability despite the problems that such activity may create. For example, though we don’t know if the carnage went down at Wilton House, actress Nicola Coughlan, who plays Penelope Featherington in Bridgerton, has confessed to having broken a piece of furniture while filming a scene with her co-star Luke Newton.

It is just this sort of mishap that is covered by the guide released by Ecclesiastical, which has insured many of the United Kingdom’s most emblematic historic properties, like Westminster Abbey, St. Peter’s Cathedral and the Blenheim Palace: “Series like Bridgerton and Downton Abbey have displayed the incredible heritage of our country on an international stage, and that must be celebrated. It brings with it financial reward, in addition to an influx of visitors, and can really raise the profile of a manor home,” says Laura Carter, customer segment director at Ecclesiastical. “Still, as we saw with Saltburn, inconveniences may be occasioned by allowing one’s property to be filmed, which is why we have released this guide. We are not telling property owners to say ‘no’ to production teams, only advising them of what they need to make the best decision and take the necessary measures to protect themselves.”

Among these recommendations are included “robust contracts and agreements” that make boundaries clear to those who film on a property, and that address what happens in case furniture or other objects are damaged in the process (the insurer recommends keeping valuables safely stored away). It also counsels “being conscious of reputation impacts that can arise after renting to a shooting, especially if controversial historic, political or social themes are addressed.” Or if Barry Keoghan is going to dance naked on the property. Of course, the guide’s final piece of advice is to have a good insurance agent.

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