The movie Saltburn gets its title from the name of the estate that serves as the story's primary location. While Saltburn is not a real English estate, where they filmed the movie very much is.
Saltburn is itself a key character in the movie. The home of the Catton family (played by Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant and Alison Oliver), it is where Oliver (Barry Keoghan) is invited to spend the summer and get a taste of the aristocratic life. The gothic, historical look makes it seem otherworldly, while elements like the maze on the estate become key to the plot.
If after you've watch Saltburn you have a desire to visit the location for yourself, read on to find out where that is and if it's even possible.
Where was Saltburn filmed?
All of the scenes at the Saltburn estate in the movie were filmed at Drayton House, which is located in the English village of Lowick in Northamptonshire, about two hours outside of London. According to the website Parks & Gardens, the earliest record of Drayton House dates back to 1328, has gardens from around 1700 and additional landscaping done during the 18th century on its 120 hectares. It is also listed as a Grade I listed country house, which means it is "of exceptional interest."
Saltburn writer/director Emerald Fennell talked with Vanity Fair about using Drayton house as the location for Saltburn and why she chose to shoot everything at this location.
"I didn't want to be constantly picking up and moving," said Fennell. "Everyone became comfortable in this unimaginably grand place, and you could feel that. That's important too, that it felt like theirs somehow."
The article also points out that the estate has not been frequently used by other TV shows or movies like Bridgerton or The Crown, a cool fact that makes the movie standout in another way.
However, Drayton House is not someplace that you can go and just visit, as Drayton House is privately owned. Interested parties can visit, but it requires written permission and setting up an appointment with the owners, as detailed by Parks & Gardens.
Did Saltburn film at Oxford?
There is one other major location in Saltburn, the famous Oxford University. It is there that Oliver and Felix meet and become friends. So did the movie shoot on the iconic campus?
Indeed it did, filming on the university's campus and at various locations around the city. While there were considerations to shoot elsewhere to save money, the decision was made to shoot on the actual location so that audiences could recognize the iconic spots.
Saltburn is currently playing in movie theaters and streaming on Prime Video.
