Jacobean farmhouse at the heart of Chloé Zhao’s adaptation of Hamnet
It’s the movie which fans of Shakespeare are booking tickets to see. Hament (12A) is set to be released in January and tells the heartbreaking story of the death of William Shakespeare’s son at an earlier age.
We follow the marriage between Agnes Hathaway and William Shakespeare before witnessing the impact that the death of Hamnet had on their relationship. He was just 11.
The tragedy led Shakespeare to write Hamlet. The film stars Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson and Joe Alwyn.
Cwmmau Farmhouse is The National Trust holiday cottage which is central as the backdrop to Chloé Zhao’s adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s bestselling novel, Hamnet.
The Grade II-listed Jacobean farmhouse is in the heart of Herefordshire. It’s the cottage which became Agnes Hathaway’s (Jessie Buckley) family home ‘Hewlands’ in the film.
Hamnet was filmed across Herefordshire in Summer 2024. Agnes’ real home, Hewlands farm, is on the edge of Stratford-upon-Avon.
Cwmmau Farmhouse is cared for by the National Trust and provided the romantic backdrop for Will (Paul Mescal) and Agnes’s (Jessie Buckley’s) first meeting. It’s where they fall in love, before life and eventually grief, set in.
Set along winding lanes in the Welsh Marches and surrounded by ancient woodlands and meadows, Cwmmau Farmhouse was discovered by chance by the Supervising Location Manager.
‘One of those rare places where the past feels close at hand’
The charity explains it offers an authentic glimpse into rural Elizabethan life – in a landscape largely unchanged by modernity. The National Trust’s Cultural Heritage Curator, Lucy Armstrong-Blair oversaw the shoot.
‘Cwmmau Farmhouse, with its stone base, timber framing and leaded windows, is one of those rare places where the past feels close at hand,’ explains Lucy.
‘The production team were so thoughtful and careful with this house, director Chloé Zhao, Production Designer Fiona Crombie, everything they did amped up what was already here.’
‘Over two months, the quiet, secluded site was transformed into a hive of activity as hundreds of cast and crew arrived.’
‘The farmhouse became a family home, complete with vegetable patches, young apple trees, a tutor room, and a bustling kitchen—all sensitively dressed by the art department with the time-worn objects of 16th-century life.’
‘When the actors stepped into these spaces, in their period garments, it was nothing short of spellbinding.’
Filming left a lasting legacy, funding sensitive renovations that balance history with modern sustainability.
Original features remain intact, including leaded windows, oak beams, stone floors, and the 16th-century kitchen with bread ovens.
‘Every detail had to feel authentic’
Meanwhile, the exterior saw the production donating the real prop apple trees and replaced a stretch of period-style wooden fencing near the farmhouse. Agnes’ medicine garden was recreated with painstaking care.
‘Two stone beds were built by the front door, each planted with herbs, vegetables and flowers chosen after meticulous research.’
‘It was vital to honour her character as a herbalist and healer—these plants were Agnes’ lifeblood and livelihood—so every detail had to feel authentic.’
From March fans of the film, and the original novel, can stay at Cwmmau Farmhouse across five bedrooms, offering a rare chance to stay in a house steeped in history.
It sleeps 10 people across fivebedrooms (including two with four poster beds), with a large, enclosed garden—perfect for family gatherings or groups.
Booking a National Trust holiday directly supports the National Trust’s work as Europe’s largest conservation charity. Three nights from £1,547.
Breaktime News has previously reported on a rare Tudor gallery, believed to be the most decorative of its kind in Europe, being back in pristine condition following a six month conservation programme by The National Trust.
