Devastation revealed after fire at English mansion used in Bridgerton

Devastation revealed after fire at stunning English stately home where Netflix hit Bridgerton was filmed – as stone outbuilding connected to Wrotham Park estate is shown gutted by blaze

• Eight fire engines were called to the Grade II listed mansion at Wrotham Park at 3:35pm on Wednesday
• An entire section of outbuildings were completely destroyed in the blaze, and have no roofing left at all 
• The estate has been used as a film set by Netflix’s Bridgerton, as well as The Crown and  Downton Abbey
• The Regency-era series, which was first released in December 2020, is currently filming its third series

Extensive damage caused by a fire at Wrotham Park estate which stars in Netflix-hit Bridgerton has been pictured with images showing gutted outbuildings after the blaze on Wednesday afternoon.

It took 10 fire crews and eight fire engines to gain control over the fire at the estate, which features as the Bridgerton family’s country home Aubrey Hall during the hit Netflix series’.

A U-shaped section of stone outbuildings adjoined to the main estate were completely destroyed in the fire with pictures revealing almost all the roofing gone. 

Firefighters from Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue were called to the scene near Potters Bar at 3.35pm on Wednesday (July 28), at which point the smoke could be seen from miles away.

Simon Tuhill, assistant chief fire officer said it took eight pumps and around 40 firefighters to bring the estate blaze under control and added that the London Fire Brigade was also assisting.

By today the fire was extinguished and the scale of the damage has become clear.

Pictures show few interior walls remaining, with roofing timber either collapsed inwards onto the floor or having burnt away entirely.

The previously grey stone has been burned and charred and all windows in the affected buildings have been destroyed. 

Any objects or interior decoration within the buildings are also believed to have been lost. 

The Regency-era series, which was first released in December 2020, is currently filming its third series, but it is understood that the fire will not impact the next season.

It is the streaming site’s top series and can be seen in 92 countries.

A U-shaped section of buildings adjoined to the main estate were completely destroyed in the fire with almost all the roofing gone

The outbuildings are connected to the Grade II listed mansion where scenes in the Netflix hit show have been filmed

The Regency-era series, which was first released in December 2020, is currently filming its third series and it is unclear whether the fire will have impacted Netflix’s plans

Wrotham Park Estate, better known to Bridgerton fans as Aubrey Hall, the backdrop of intrigue and romance in the series

Huge flames erupted inside an outbuilding in close proximity to the historic site in Hertfordshire, used for filming in season two

The lush gardens of the Wrotham Park Estate make a perfect backdrop for the period drama, and have done the same for previous shows such as The Crown and Downton Abbey

The picturesque historic building suits the Regency-era drama perfectly and its vast outdoor settings came in handy when the contemporary pandemic made outdoor filming a necessity

Firefighters spent the entire night putting out the fire, making sure it did not spread to the main house or surrounding woodland and thankfully, nobody was hurt in the blaze.

Firefighter Keith Harland 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.

‘Thanks to the great teamwork of the many crews involved, the fire was extinguished and there were no casualties.’

The series was first released on December 25, 2020 and was an almost instant hit with audiences. The second season received similar success

Wrotham also partially burnt down in 1883, but nothing of note was destroyed and the interiors were restored using a more modern Victorian building technique

Bridgerton heart-throb Regé-Jean Page who played the role of Duke of Hastings in the hit series – pictured during filming in Bath 

The Shondaland series uses the home’s sweeping lawns and lush English gardens as the backdrop to gossip, intrigue and love.

The outdoor settings came in handy when the contemporary pandemic made outdoor filming a necessity due to Covid restrictions.

The neo-Palladian mansion was designed and built by English architect Isaac Ware in 1754 for Admiral John Byng – an MP who served as a captain in the navy.

This isn’t the first time that fire struck the estate.

Wrotham partially burnt down in 1883, but nothing of note was destroyed and the interiors were restored using a more modern Victorian building technique.

Wortham Park – which has been used as a filming location more than 60 times – is recognizable thanks to its grand deck overlooking the gardens.

The home has also been the backdrop for the films Bridget Jones’s Diary, Gosford Park, The Crown and Downton Abbey.

It’s also held very high-profile celebrations, including the wedding reception of Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece to Marie-Chantal Miller in 1995 as well as the 2006 wedding to Cheryl and Ashley Cole.

The fire at the Grade II listen mansion is believed to have started accidentally on Wednesday but crews stayed at the scene until yesterday morning as a precaution. 

The blaze came amid the driest July in England since 1911, following record-breaking temperatures of more than 40C (104F) early last week.

Forecasters last night predicted the dry conditions will continue across much of England into the weekend. Experts have warned some rivers are reaching critical lows and several reservoirs across the country are running extremely low.

The National Drought Group, convened by the Environment Agency, met earlier this week to discuss the prospect of declaring a drought if conditions do not improve. Such a move could lead to hosepipe bans.

The period between January and June this year was the driest in England since 1976. Dr Mark McCarthy, of the National Climate Information Centre, said: ‘Climate change is already making UK heatwaves more frequent, intense and long-lasting.’

MailOnline has contacted Netflix for comment. 

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