The big new Netflix period drama is out now – and lots of the drama was shot on location across Greater Manchester
James Norton stars in House of Guinness on Netflix which was shot on location across the north west(Image: Netflix)
Major new historical drama The House of Guinness is available to air on streaming site Netflix from today (September 25).
And while it tells the story of one of Ireland’s most famous families, film-makers chose to shoot most of the locations here in the north west to double for 19th century Dublin and New York.
House of Guinness explores an epic story inspired by one of Europe’s most famous and enduring dynasties — the Guinness family.
Set in 19th-century Dublin and New York, the story begins immediately after the death of Sir Benjamin Guinness, the man responsible for the extraordinary success of the Guinness brewery, and the far-reaching impact of his will on the fate of his four adult children, Arthur, Edward, Anne, and Ben.
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The drama has been penned by Steven Knight, the man who brought Peaky Blinders to our screens, so we can expect another journey into what is described as a “naturally wild clan”.
Film star Louis Partridge plays Edward Guinness in the drama, and appeared to enjoy exploring Manchester on breaks from filming last year.
For he was spotted in the Northern Quarter shopping and enjoying coffee shops with his famous girlfriend, pop star Olivia Rodrigo last year.
Director Tom Shankland explained the reason Liverpool and Greater Manchester locations were used to double for Dublin. He said: “Unfortunately, we couldn’t have shot in the Guinness Brewery in Dublin.
The House of Guinness is on Netflix now(Image: Netflix)
“It’s a working brewery and museum – not really the same brewery as it was. There are some lovely iconic buildings in Dublin, Iveagh House is an iconic location, but we couldn’t realisically have filmed on St. Stephen’s Green. So, it became quite clear that we just weren’t going to get the 1868 Dublin we wanted.”
He added: “Liverpool and Manchester offered so much. They’re two great cities with a fantastic history of having big Irish communities.
“Apart from anything else, architecturally, like Dublin, there is a lot of Georgian era streets and grand buildings in Liverpool that were just right for us.”
Here we take a look at some of the Greater Manchester and north west locations that you may be able to spot in the new drama which is streaming now, as well as the wider locations used to create the atmospheric new drama.
The Northern Quarter
Netflix new series House of Guinness(Image: Netflix)
Manchester’s hip Northern Quarter doubles for 19th century New York in the dramas, as it has done many times before on screen.
Back streets including Dale Street, Tarriff Street, Paton Street, Back Piccadilly and China Lane were transformed for a week of filming last year with a
Manchester studios
House of Guinness was shot on location in Manchester
Manchester was also used for one of the most dramatic locations – as film studios were used to recreated the real Iveagh House in Dublin – which is now the Irish Foreign Office.
Production designer Richard Bullock said: “The crew built the ballroom and drawing room on stage in Manchester to become the core interior spaces.
“The ballroom was used for both weddings and the funeral wake, so we had to design it with flexibility in mind. The drawing room became the heart of the family drama — the private space for personal conversations. The ballroom, on the other hand, was the public face — where the Guinnesses entertained. Creating those two spaces with different functions, but connected, was a really nice process.”
Stockport churches
Church scenes in Stockport(Image: Netflix)
Two Stockport churches are known to have been used for scenes in the drama – for brooding funeral scenes.
Film crews were seen at St Mary’s Church on the Marketplace, while St George’s Church on Buxton Road also features.
St George’s posted on Facebook this week that they’d had to keep the filming secret until now.
They said: “We’ve been keeping a little secret… and now we can finally share the exciting news! St George’s Church, Stockport, is on NETFLIX! You can spot our church in the brand-new series House of Guinness!
“Eagle-eyed viewers might just recognise our beautiful church on screen – so keep your eyes peeled when you’re watching.”
Stockport’s Underbanks
Stockport was used among the film sets(Image: Netflix)
The crew were also spotted on two separate filming blocks around Stockport’s atmospheric Underbanks area with the town doubling for Dublin
They transformed parts of the historic Underbanks into 19th century Dublin for the drama.
The Cracked Actor bar was turned into The Oak pub for the filming, while the town’s cobbled streets and mill buildings were also being prepared to create evocative scenes. Posters of old Dublin day trips and businesses were also adorned across the town.
Liverpool
House of Guinness filmed outside Liverpool Town Hall(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
Some of the most dramatic scenes in the series were played out on the historic streets of Liverpool.
The Georgian architecture of the city was used as the perfect backdrop for the show, with huge cast and film crews spotted filming in the city last year at Liverpool Town Hall and St George’s Hall.
Stanley Docks doubled as the Guinness brewery in the show, which clinched the deal to film the north west.
Executive Producer Karen Wilson said: “Finding an amazing brewery location was crucial – the show could live or die by how it looked, and finding Stanley Docks was a revelation.
“It gave us scale, depth, and so much that we could use in-camera. Given how many different brewery locations we needed – the stables, the cooperage, the docks, the mash tun – it was invaluable to have all of that in one place, so the characters could move through it naturally.
“We had to bring in a lot, including VFX, but Stanley Docks was the moment we realised we had to base ourselves in the North West.”
Niamh McCormack in House of Guinness(Image: Netflix)
The historic Croxteth Hall in Liverpool also played a significant role in the series, featuring in numerous scenes, including the interior shots at Temple Bar, the corridors and outside of Arthur’s bedroom, the probate office, the birthing room and the Hope Street Bedroom.
The location also served as exteriors for Jude’s Tavern and Iveagh House.
Meanwhile Sefton Park Palm House in Liverpool, a Victorian botanical garden, was also used for the interiors and exteriors of the Botanic Gardens in the show.
Rotherham
Magna Rotheram on screen in the House of Guinness(Image: Netflix)
Magna Rotherham in Rotherham, South Yorkshire was used for the interior Guinness workshop, factory floor and the mash tun room scenes.
The Magna Rotherham is actually a science adventure centre that families can visit, featuring interactive and immersive science fun.
The centre is in the former Templeborough steelworks building, offering an insight into history, science and innovation.
Penryhn Castle, Bangor
To recreate the Guinness family’s Ashford Estate, the film crew headed to historic Penryhn Castle in Bangor.
Penrhyn Castle is a National Trust property, which people can visit and see the Neo-Norman castle built between 1820 and 1837, a walled garden, 60 acres of parkland and a play area.
Interestingly, the real Ashford Castle is now Ireland’s top hotel, where guests can stay in luxurious suites at the five-star property.
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