TV

Discover the real Button House from BBC’s Ghosts and its historical legacy

The real house is owned by a celebrity you might recognise...

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If you’re a fan of Ghosts you’ve probably wondered where the real Button House is and all the other filming locations are for the show.

The real house has a long history almost as exciting as the one you see on the BBC comedy series!

Here’s everything we know about the real Button House, and if you can visit it.

We can also reveal the exciting celebrity who owned it!

The cast of Ghosts pose for a promotional shoot in the living room of Button House
Ever wondered where the real Button House is? (Credit: BBC)

Ghosts filming locations: Where is the real Button House?

A large country house named West Horsley Place in Surrey, England, is used to film Button House.

In real life, it is a 50-room mansion that has links to the 11th Century, over 500 years ago.

The mansion has an incredible history, including hosting a 35-course lunch (!) for Henry VIII.

Charles I’s secretary of state, Sir Edward Nicholas, also reportedly used it to store important state papers.

There is even a legend about Sir Walter Raleigh…

After his death, his embalmed head was reportedly kept within its walls.

Perhaps this provided some inspiration for the headless Ghost Humphrey!

Who owns the real Button House, West Horsley Place?

A celebrity you might recognise previously inherited the property, similarly to how Alison did in Ghosts.

Former University Challenge host Bamber Gascoigne inherited the property in 2014 from his great aunt, the Duchess of Roxburghe, who had no children.

TV presenter Bamber had no idea she had picked him to inherit the property, first learning of it when he was contacted by a solicitor after his great-aunt’s death.

In 2021, after raising £8.8 million to save the house, he transferred ownership to the West Horsley Place Trust.

Bamber died in February 2022.

,Alison (CHARLOTTE RITCHIE), Kitty (LOLLY ADEFOPE), Lady Button (MARTHA HOWE- DOUGLAS), Robin (LARRY RICKARD), Julian (SIMON FARNABY), Pat (JIM HOWICK), Thomas Thorne (MAT BAYNTON), They stand outside Button House with shocked expressions
Ghosts films in a house with as much history as the show… (Credit: BBC)

Ghosts filming locations: Can you visit Button House?

While West Horsley Place is not open for “everyday” visits, they do host open days, guided tours and events.

Click here for more info.

You can even book the venue for your wedding day, so you can get married amongst the Ghosts!

What else has filmed in West Horsley Place?

Ghosts isn’t the only production to film in West Horsley Place!

The Netflix film Enola Holmes starring Millie Bobby Brown used the interiors of West Horsley Place for scenes in the movie.

Films such as My Cousin Rachel and Mothering Sunday also used West Horsley Place as a filming location.

The sitcom Cuckoo and Netflix’s The Crown also filmed in the mansion.

Exterior of Bettys Tea Room used in Ghosts with the words "Sadrines" across it
Did you recognise this filming location from series three of Ghosts? (Credit: BBC)

Read more: Ghosts on BBC One: How did all the ghosts die? Here’s a handy recap!

Ghosts filming locations: Where else has the show filmed?

Filming has also been spotted in Guildford for some scenes in the show.

You might have recognised the exterior of the famous Betty’s Tea Rooms in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.

It was rebranded as Sandrine’s in the series 3 finale.

The show transforms rooms in West Horsley Place to use for filming.

Simon Farnaby, who plays MP Julian Fawcett, told the RadioTimes that the House of Commons scene from the 2021 Christmas Special used a room in the house with a green screen!

Charlotte Richie, who plays Alison, shares this about filming the show: “I love filming there. I love the gardens, they’re beautiful.

“Some of the rooms feel haunted and some feel warm and also remembering all of the different scenes that have been filmed there.

“I have grown a real attachment to it.”

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Ghosts continues on Fridays at 8:30pm on BBC One. The entire series is also available on BBC iPlayer.

Do you want to visit the Ghosts filming locations? Let us know what you think on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix.