The Wuthering Heights film starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi was filmed across the Yorkshire Dales, with historic ruins transformed into a stunning movie set
All eyes are on Yorkshire as Wuthering Heights, which was shot across the Dales, arrives in cinemas, with fans adding the area to their 2026 travel itineraries.
Hollywood actors Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi used the Yorkshire Dales as their location throughout the entire production, and many treasures of the Yorkshire landscape feature in the film.
While Emily Brontë’s novel was set primarily within the Yorkshire Moors, near to where the author lived, this adaptation opted to base its filming within the Yorkshire Dales.
However, it was particularly one Dale that proved to be the genuine star of the production, appearing repeatedly throughout the picture.
Swaledale appears to have several connections to the filming location for the 2026 film, and one heritage site which is accessible to visitors was converted into a film set for several scenes.
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Old Gang Lead Mines
High on the moors, positioned between Swaledale and Arkengarthdale, are the striking ruins of an 18th-century lead production facility.
It stands as one of the largest and most well-preserved lead-mining locations in the region, boasting a tall chimney and the remnants of a once-bustling mill.
The remains lie peacefully within open moorland and can only be reached on foot; it is typically a circular walk that takes you from nearby Gunnerside or Muker and across the moors.
As a heritage site, it is completely free to explore and accessible to the public, though, for the purposes of the film, several elements were incorporated into it.
Right at the start of Wuthering Heights, as a horse-drawn carriage travels across verdant countryside, it passes the Old Gang Smelt Mill in a stunning shot.
The location appears again in additional scenes, with lead actors Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi wandering across the fog-covered moorland.
Sarah Whiteley, Senior Historic Environment Officer at Yorkshire Dales National Park, was tasked with ensuring the site received proper protection throughout filming.
Her role involved monitoring how the cast and crew worked with this historic location, and she offered some insight into the process when speaking to Conde Nast Traveller.
Whiteley revealed ahead of the cast’s arrival, the site was shut to other visitors to allow time for preparation with additions including painted props and extra vegetation.
She said: “The locations team wanted to put an installation of a sort of cliff-face-type prop, so we decided which was the least damaging place to put that,” and clearly, it was the Old Gang Lead Mines.
Swaledale
Film fans are eager to bring the Wuthering Heights world they witnessed on screen into their everyday lives, and a visit to Swaledale offers the ideal opportunity for immersion.
From the opening frames of the production to several of its most powerful moments, the region was instrumental in transforming the beloved tale into reality.
In fact, just a short distance from the Old Gang site near Swaledale, nestled in the moorland above Langthwaite village, lies a winding road called Bouldershaw Lane.
From that lane, you can view the expansive field, which is in private ownership, where Margot Robbie’s dramatic scene takes place – walking through in her enormous wedding gown whilst carrying a bouquet.
The Melbeck Moors in Swaledale also served as a stunning backdrop, forming part of the magnificent Yorkshire Dales National Park.
It’s an exceptionally remote spot located in the upper reaches of the dale and consists mostly of completely isolated moorland, which proved challenging to access for the cast and crew.
This moorland area is scattered with other abandoned structures and quiet meandering roads, which are also believed to have been utilised for filming.
The natural conditions of these locations certainly played their part at times, with the actors having recalled memories on set of enduring freezing temperatures and lengthy walks.