Wild Cherry on BBC One: Filming locations, including 'ginormous houses' and if Richford Lake is a real place
Rich doesn't always mean happy...
Wild Cherry introduces the rich and privileged residents of Richford Lake where things appear “perfect” but obviously aren’t – so what filming locations were used for the “ginormous houses”?
The six-part drama is a coming-of-age drama for both mothers and daughters as they “navigate privilege, power and social media”. But “danger and betrayal” are never far from the surface – even in this so-called perfect town.
The action takes place in Richford Lake things, where things appear flawlessly ideal. Most of us couldn’t even dream of living in an area as fancy as this.
So what filming locations were used for Wild Cherry, and is the appropriately named Richford Lake a real place? Read on to find out.
Where is Wild Cherry set?
The new BBC One drama Wild Cherry is set in the super-wealthy world of Richford Lake, where people live in huge houses with pools, and have their personal trainer on speed dial.
We meet “super-mum” Juliet and business mogul Lorna who both have teens the same age. But when their daughters Grace and Allegra are accused of a shocking scandal at their exclusive private school (natch), toxic secrets and lies ripple throughout the community…
Don’t be fooled, though, this is far from a perfect town. If you’re not ‘in’, then you’re ‘out’ and the elite don’t welcome everyone.
Introducing the show, we hear the voiceover of Nicôle Lecky’s character Gigi. She says: “When people imagine England, I guess they think of London, The Beatles and the Royal Family. But most people have never heard of Richford Lake. I found out there were two sides to it. There were people who lived on The Wetherford Estate – they called it The Island – and those that didn’t. Everyone wanted to live on The Island. Inside homes most people can only dream of.”
Is Richford Lake a real place?
Richford Lake is not real place. Instead it’s a fictional town full of powerful and privileged people, living in gated communities.
Talking about her inspiration for writing Wild Cherry, showrunner Nicôle Lecky told us: “One of the reasons I wrote Wild Cherry is because I used to drive through this private, gated community in Surrey. There are a few of those places around. And I would look at these beautiful homes and mansions and think, ‘Who lives there?’
“So, I really wanted to tell a story about towns like this. I felt like we hadn’t seen this side of England before. I also knew I wanted to explore mothers and daughters and their relationships. And I thought, ‘what better place to do it than in a town where people have so much access to privilege, wealth, and money’. And yet they’re still faced with the same issues.”
Recalling her favourite detail from Wild Cherry, she continued: “The houses are stunning and so perfect for the characters. That was really important to me. One of my favourite moments is the pool scene at Gigi’s house. It’s this amazing floor that turns into a pool. I’m standing on it, and it lowers into water and then I’m just standing in the swimming pool crying. It’s tragic comedy, really. But it’s also a great representation of the wealth in this world.”
What filming locations were used in Wild Cherry?
A spokesperson for BBC One told us: “Richford Lake is inspired by the towns with private estates found in Surrey. The series is set in the Home Counties, which is where filming predominantly took place. Most of the houses and locations are based in Surrey.”
Surrey is the county on the south west fringe of London, it’s known for its picturesque villages, historic sites, and leafy gardens.
We’re told that Gigi’s house is a beautiful international modernist style mansion built in the 1930s. The dance floor lowers to create a swimming pool.
Meanwhile, Juliet’s house is actually made up of four different houses. It is by far the most grand of all the houses seen in Wild Cherry.
‘Some of the houses were absolutely ginormous’
Talking about the filming locations used in Wild Cherry, Eve Best and Amelia May admitted they had rather enjoyed the luxury surroundings!
Amelia, who plays Allegra Lonsdale, said: “Some of the houses were absolutely ginormous. They’re huge. And that really feels like you’re just like walking in as if you own these places because the characters do. No one house could live up to the style of the dream Lonsdale house [so we used four].”
Eve, who plays her mum Juliet Lonsdale, added: “They wanted the Lonsdale House to be really fabulous, so we ended up filming in about four different places to represent one house.”
‘The veneer of that town is immediately alluring’
Speaking to Country and Town House, executive producer Elizabeth Kilgarriff said the veneer of Richford Lake is immediately alluring: wide leafy streets, top-of-the-range cars, spacious houses with soaring ceilings and immaculately designed interiors.
To achieve the goals, cast and crew filmed in real homes. She said: “Although the show is set in the fictional town of Richford Lake, it was absolutely essential that it felt like a real place, with a clear sense of how the houses are connected to each other – both inside and outside the private estate – and within the wider town.”
She added: “Each of the houses in Wild Cherry was carefully picked to reflect the personality and life of our lead characters.”
Because all of the properties are private houses, fans cannot visit them. And, course, they are not all inside one gated community!
Read more: Shetland series 10: ‘Breathtaking’ filming locations revealed for BBC One detective drama
