| A brief history of Basildon Park | - Basildon Park is a Palladian villa built for Sir Francis Sykes between 1776 and 1783
- Basildon Park is made of Bath stone
- In 1838 the estate was sold to James Morrison MP, one of the richest of the early Victorian merchant princes
- Basildon Park was used as a convalescent home for Berkshire regimental soldiers during the Great War
- The estate was purchased by the 1st Lord Iliffe in 1928 in order to expand his Yattendon lands
- The house was sold on to a George Ferdinando who planned to have it demolished and re-erected in the United States! Luckily this plan didn't happen
- In 1952 Basildon Park was bought by Lord Iliffe's son and his wife who set about restoring the place to its present splendour.
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 | | Keira Knightley plays Elizabeth Bennet |
Basildon Park in West Berkshire will be one of the prime locations for a star-studded film adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. King Arthur star Keira Knightley heads a stellar cast that includes British favourite Brenda Blethyn, the dark-voiced Donald Sutherland, Die Another Day's Rosamund Pike, Dame Judi Dench and Matthew Macfadyen, best known for playing MI5 officer Tom Quinn in Spooks. Joe Wright (director of the BBC’s Charles II: The Pride and the Passion) is making his feature directorial debut on the film, which has an 11-week location shooting schedule which includes Basildon Park.
 | | Matthew Macfadyen plays Mr Darcy |
The estate’s reception rooms, dining room, entrance hall and the Octagon drawing room will be used in scenes, while its stunning exterior will also be filmed. Other locations include Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, and Burghley House in Lincolnshire where Dame Judi Dench, who plays interfering old aunt Lady Catherine de Bourgh, has already completed filming.
First published in 1813, Pride and Prejudice has consistently been Jane Austen's most popular novel. It portrays life in the genteel rural society of the day, and tells of the initial misunderstandings and later mutual enlightenment between the haughty Fitzwilliam Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen) and the lively and quick-witted Elizabeth Bennet (Keira Knightley).
 | | Judi Dench plays Lady Catherine |
Pride encounters prejudice, upward-mobility confronts social disdain, and quick-wittedness challenges sagacity in this novel. Misconceptions and hasty judgements lead to heartache and scandal, but eventually to true understanding, self-knowledge, and love. Basildon Park will be closed between Monday 23rd August and Saturday 16th October 2004, though it will be open during the August bank holiday.
 | | Rosamund Pike plays Jane Bennet |
Anyone interested in becoming an extra in the film should send their photo, address and phone number to:
Candy Marlowe - RE Film casting
Basildon Park, Lower Basildon, Reading, RG8 9NR You will need to be available for filming from Monday 13th to Thursday 16th September 2004.
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