The Guest on BBC One filming locations, including Fran's house

The Guest on BBC One filming locations, including Fran's 'beautiful home' Maybury Court

Helen Fear | 12:01am Mon 1 Sep | Updated 11:02am Fri 29 Aug

The Guest on BBC One introduces the character of Fran who is all about “opulence, wealth and confidence” and her stunning home gives her room to swing a thousand cats – so where are all the filming locations?

Talking about her character, Eve Myles explains that Fran is an “upper-class millionaire” – a very successful, independent businesswoman who shops in an up-market grocery store. She’s stinking rich, and her house shouts it from the rooftops.

It probably won’t surprise you to hear that the building posing as Maybury Court is actually a Grade II* listed manor house. Here’s everything you need to know about where The Guest on BBC One was filmed and set in our filming locations explainer…

Fran's home Maybury Court in The Guest is actually Whitson Court in Newport.

Fran’s home Maybury Court is actually Grade II* listed manor house Whitson Court in Newport, Wales [Credit: BBC/Quay Street Productions/Jake Morley]

The Guest on BBC One filming locations: Where is Fran’s house?

In BBC One thriller The Guest, Fran’s lavish lifestyle is central to the plot – and ultimately her relationship with employee Ria. In contrast, Ria lives on an overlooked estate in Cardiff, and drives an old Fiat Cinquecento. The external of Ria’s council flat was filmed at Beech House, Hollybush Estate, Coryton.

Fran lives in a huge house called Maybury Court. But, in real life, it’s called Whitson Court. Whitson Court is actually a Grade II* listed manor house in Whitson, Newport, Wales. It was originally built in the 1750s for William Phillips and known as Whitson House before the early 20th century.

The house is described as “neo-classical in style, featuring Italianate elements”. After being abandoned for several years, it was acquired for renovation and conversion into a family home in 2007. It’s now used for filming locations, including posing as Fran’s house in The Guest.

Talking about filming there, actress Eve Myles explained: “Maybury Court is a beautiful home. The land around it is stunning. And it’s filled with all types of animals; there’s peacocks and donkeys and cockerels. It’s an oasis of otherworldliness which lends itself to the otherworldliness of The Guest.”

She added: “It’s rare to see Wales portrayed like this – opulent, ambitious, creative. There’s always been wealth in Wales, and this series puts that on screen.”

A stairway to heaven or hell? [Credit: BBC]

‘The location is stunning, and the landscape of Wales looks beautiful’

Eve’s co-star Gabrielle Creevy, who plays Ria, described filming at Whitson Court as “magical”. The actress said: “When you first see those gates open, it feels almost magical, like stepping into a fairy tale or a grand castle. It’s that feeling of wonder you get when you’re younger, imagining what it would be like to live in a place like that.

“That is exactly how Ria feels when she first sees it, it’s like her chance at a new life. The location is stunning; the grounds are vast, and the landscape of Wales looks beautiful. It really adds a layer of charm and mystery to the story.”

Julian Lewis Jones, who plays Fran’s husband Simon, added: “The location for Simon and Fran’s house is just jaw-dropping. When you drive through the gate for the first time, you just think, wow – these people have made it. The house is stunning. It’s genuinely one of the most beautiful locations I’ve worked in.”

Julian lives about “an hour and 20 minutes away” from the house. He admitted that “filming locally has been a real bonus”. In fact, most of the cast is Welsh, including Catherine Ayers (who plays Fran’s sister Helen), and Bethan Mary-James.

Catherine Ayers revealed: “As a Welsh person, it feels important to tell a Welsh story here in Wales. What makes it even more special is the fact that the crew is filled with Welsh talent. It just feels so homely and meaningful to be back working here.”

Eve Myles’ character Fran Sharp lives a lavish lifestyle in The Guest [Credit: BBC/Quay Street Productions/Simon Ridgway]

Where was The Guest on BBC One filmed?

All four episodes of The Guest were filmed in Wales, including the capital city of Cardiff – see if you can spot the famous Principality Stadium! In episode 1, viewers will see Ria and her boyfriend drinking in the Master Gunner pub, a real pub at 61 Gabalfa Avenue in Cardiff. Ria is also seen enjoying a date at the Gin & Juice Cardiff in Cardiff’s Castle Arcade.

Cast and crew also filmed in the countryside. Like Death Valley before it, the series shows off the beautiful Welsh landscapes. One such location was Rhossili Bay, at the western end of the Gower peninsula. This is where Fran’s second home is located.

Rhossili Bay is three miles of sandy shore, encompassing one of Gower’s most famous landmarks, Worms Head.

Talking about filming in Wales, The Gold actor Emu Elliot told us: “Wales is fantastic. Cardiff is this brilliant urban city, but you step outside of it, and it’s a whole other world.

“We shot on Rhossili Bay, which is one of the most stunning locations I’ve ever seen. Ashley Way, our director, used the landscape and the city of Cardiff itself as another character in the plot. Aside from the landscape and the locations in Wales, the people were fantastic. I never worked in Wales before, but there was a real warmth that I felt immediately from both the cast and the crew.”

Ria and Fran sit on a bench on Gower Peninsula

Cast and crew filmed scenes in the ‘beautiful’ Gower peninsula [Credit: BBC]

The Guest on BBC One: ‘Wales offered brilliant filming locations and visual ambition’

Talking about filming in Wales, Executive Producer Davina Earl praised Matthew Barry’s writing. She said: “Matthew is Welsh. He writes authentically. He knows the posh parts of Cardiff where Fran might hang out. Matthew also knows Ria’s world, and he understands her background, as does Gabi, who plays her.

“We have a beautiful manor house, and then Ria’s world, which is also shot so beautifully and with scale which feels gorgeous on screen. Then to be able to go to the Gower and see the coastline, which in the winter had a stark beauty about it. Wales offered brilliant filming locations and visual ambition.”