When The Hardacres first arrived on to our screens in November 2024, the perfect period drama had viewers gripped by its rags-to-riches saga.
Based on the novels by CL Skelton, the series follows the once poor Hardacre family as they make an unexpected fortune in the most extraordinary way.
Their rapid rise from lowly fish gutters to wealthy entrepreneurs, sees them transported to a large country estate and grappling to adjust to their newly transformed lives.
After the memorable season 1 ending, fans were left wondering if and when the show might return. The wait is finally over, as season 2 and six brand new episodes begin airing on Channel 5 from May 14.
With a charming blend of costumes and mesmerising storytelling, the show's locations are the icing on the cake. If you're wondering where The Hardacres is filmed, we reveal where to find the real locations can be found, and look at what inspired the series.
Where is The Hardacres filmed?
Although The Hardacres is set in Yorkshire, viewers might be surprised to find it was actually filmed in Dublin and County Wicklow, Ireland.
Dublin's Cabinteely House serves as the exterior for Hardacre Hall. This 18th-century country house can be found set in 45 hectares of parkland in Cabinteely Park.
The house was built in 1769 for Robert Nugent, and after passing through a number of different hands, has now in the possession of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council since 1984.
Speaking to Radio Times about the reasons for filming in Ireland, set designer Derek Wallace, shared, "Back in the 1800s, Dublin was the second biggest city in the Empire. It was London and then Dublin. So we do still have a lot of Georgian infrastructure and Victorian infrastructure."
On creating authentic sets in Ireland, he added, "The buyers were tasked with finding as much as they possibly could here in Ireland because of the logistics for Brexit. And in fairness to them, they came up trumps. Almost 90 per cent we sourced here in Ireland."
Liam McMahon, who plays Sam Hardacre, is from Northern Ireland. Speaking about filming in the country, he said, "I got to come home and do this. I think that the themes are universal so for it to be filmed in Ireland and not Yorkshire doesn’t really matter. Basically at that time in the 1890s everybody had the same struggles going on everywhere."
The actor also opened up about the welcoming atmosphere on set, adding, "It was very, very easy to get up at 5 o'clock every morning in the cold and rain to meet a crew that was really welcoming."
He continued "The family dynamic that we have [as a cast] very much spilt out into the other people that were equally getting up at 5 in the morning to help us create the world we wanted to."
Claire Cooper returns to The Hardacres for season 2, and she has spoken about her joy at returning to Ireland to shoot the new episodes.
"I love filming in Ireland, there’s something so special about it," she says, adding, "Being back with the cast feels like coming home."
"They’re such a talented, kind group of people, and our crew are absolutely sensational. It sounds cliché, but we really are one big family off-screen, albeit with a slightly less dramatic dynamic!"
Is The Hardacres based on a true story?
Although we know The Hardacres is based on CL Skelton's series of novels, his books weren't inspired by real events and therefore the series has no basis in real life.
Skelton's only influence for the novels were his family history and love of Yorkshire. It was important for the show's creators to maintain historical accuracy when dramatising events from the books.
Director Rachel Carey told Radio Times, "I wanted the series to resonate with the present while honouring the past. It was a mantra for us."
She adds, "I didn't want to play fast and loose with historical accuracy. Instead, I focused on showing people the historical details they might not have seen before, in a truthful and cinematic way."
Some viewers have also wondered about the portrayal of disability, which isn't often seen in historical dramas - Harry Hardacre is portrayed by Zak Ford-Williams, who has cerebral palsy.
Zak said, "It would have been so common – war injuries, poor health care, starvation... I think it's important to make sure we don't accidentally rewrite history and erase people by making everyone pretty and clean."
On the level of inclusivity the show introduces by having a disabled character, Zak concluded, "It's really important to give people a proper look into what these periods were like for all sorts of people."
The Hardacres season 2 airs on Channel 5 from May 14.
