The Bridgerton footage helps the West Country town earn millions every year from television

An estimated £3.4m was pumped into Bath’s local economy last year by film crews using the town and surrounds. Helped by Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Film Office, which marks its 30th edition ^th anniversary this year.

As one of the longest running film offices in the country, the B&NE office acts as a pivotal role, bridging productions of all sizes, council services and supporting the needs of residents and businesses.

Using the daily filming rates offered by Creative England, around £3.4 million was pumped into the local Bath economy last year by film crews through spending on accommodation, location hire, local crew and other services.

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Filming also brings money into the local economy through film tourism. Visit West’s 2023 Visitor Survey reports that 18% of visitors said television played a small role in motivating them to visit, and 3% of visitors said it played a large role. This translates into more than a million visitors a year being motivated to visit Bath in part by what they have seen of the city on TV.

The same survey shows that 28% of daily visitors associated the area with Bridgerton. And the TV series has spawned a whole new industry of Bridgerton tours and experiences in the town, generating an estimated £5m economy.

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The first filmed drama after its creation was the 1995 BBC adaptation of Persuasion, starring Cieran Hinds and Amanda Root. Since then, numerous TV dramas and feature films have been filmed in Bath, including:

· Vanity Fair (Reece Witherspoon)

· The Duchess (Keira Knightley)

· Les Miserables, where a stunt double for Russell Crowe floated over Pulteney Weir

· Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman)

· Wonka (Timothy Chalamet)

· The trial of Christine Keeler

· Detective series based on Bath, McDonald and Dodds

· And of course, Bridgerton

The Film Office doesn’t just accept dramas, it also facilitates filming for documentaries, commercials and large photo shoots – look out for Keynsham Recycling Center which features in the popular BBC One series Money for Nothing. And they offer advice and support to students who want to film in the area.

Cllr Paul Roper, cabinet member for sustainable economic and cultural development, said: “Bath and the surrounding towns and villages are a fantastic location for filming and the council works hard to balance the needs of a production, however big or small, with ours. residents and businesses. The Film Office does a great job of supporting film applications – congratulations on 30 years.”

The office’s anniversary year looks to be a busy one, and the Film Office is currently dealing with a lot of new questions. And Bath will once again play a starring role in Bridgerton Series 3, which launches on May 16.