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A tour of the filming locations of Gentleman Jack

With BBC One’s Gentleman Jack being such a big hit, many fans like to make a beeline for Yorkshire where many of the scenes were shot. Here we suggest historic houses, stately homes and gorgeous gardens to inspire your own tour of the filming locations of Gentleman Jack .    

Shibden Hall, Halifax

Gentleman Jack is based on the diaries of Anne Lister (played by Suranne Jones) who was a landowner that lived in the early 19th century. Her home in real life, and also in the series, is the Grade II-listed Shibden Hall in Halifax. Dating back to 1420 it is a mixture of architectural styles and is surrounded by beautiful parkland.   

Filming took place in many of the rooms at the Hall, as well as outside in the courtyard and 17th-century barn.   

Shibden Hall is open daily between March and October. To plan your visit and book tickets, click here.

Want to stay nearby?

Wentworth Woodhouse, near Rotherham

Wentworth Woodhouse is one of the largest stately homes in Europe and is set in 87 acres of private gardens and grounds. It has one of the longest facades in the UK, which is a fantastic example of 18th century Baroque style.     

The current house was built for the 1st Marquess of Rockingham and later became the home of the Fitzwilliam family. In Gentleman Jack , the impressive Marble Saloon with its chequerboard floor is used for the interior of Rawson’s Bank.     

Several guided tours are available, including one with Bob, a member of staff who served the Fitzwilliams here nearly 50 years ago.     

Wentworth Woodhouse is open Tuesday to Sunday. To plan your visit and book tickets, click here .

Grays Court, York

The entrance and courtyard of Grays Court features in outdoor scenes filmed around Chapter House Street. It was built in 1080 as a home for the treasurers of the York Minster and is the oldest continuously inhabited house in York, having also been home to the illustrious Gray family for two hundred years.  

Now a hotel, Grays Court is set in a central, but secluded part of York and is the only privately owned building with direct access to York’s City walls.   

Why not book in for lunch in the Garden Bar or for a slap up meal in the Bow Room Restaurant and ponder what you think is next in store for Anne?   

Oakwell Hall, Birstall

Oakwell Hall in Birstall is a Grade I-listed Elizabethan manor house used for the scenes set in a solicitor’s office in the series.   

Built in 1583, but now a museum furnished as a family home of the 1690s, there’s an array of period rooms to explore. The hall also has connections to Charlotte Bronte and has a resident ghost!    

Set in over 110 acres of country park and gardens, it’s a great place for a walk or a picnic afterwards too.  

Oakwell Hall is open at weekends. To plan your visit , click here .

Image Credit

Temple Newsam, Leeds

Temple Newsam is a Tudor-Jacobean mansion steeped in over 500 years of history. Today it is a country house museum that displays an important collection of fine and decorative arts including furniture, ceramics, textiles, silverware and wallpaper.   

Many of the rooms have a Georgian décor, making them excellent sets for Gentleman Jack with scenes filmed in the Chinese Drawing Room, The Georgian Library and Mr Woods Library.  

You can see them all on a tour of the house, while outdoors the grounds feature beautiful woodland, parkland and gardens designed by Capability Brown.   

Temple Newsam is open Tuesday to Sunday. To plan you visit and book tickets, click here .

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Gentleman Jack filming locations: follow in the footsteps of Anne Lister in Yorkshire

May 26, 2019 • 4 min read

Yorkshire plays a starring role in Gentleman Jack Photo (c) BBC

It’s the north of England , 1832, and gutsy  Yorkshire heiress Anne Lister returns to her family home after years of travel, intent on marrying a woman to enhance her fortunes. The TV series  Gentleman Jack  is based on Lister's real diaries, tracing the life of a remarkable industrialist, landowner, and one of the first modern lesbians. Some of the gorgeous filming locations featured on screen even have strong connections to the real Anne Lister, including her actual home; follow in her footsteps with our guide to these northern delights.

In the 1830s, Halifax was at the coalface of England’s industrial revolution. Today it’s a workaday town that’s off the tourist circuit, but its sandstone Georgian houses and giant quadrangle Piece Hall – now home to a summer street food festival and interesting indie shops – remain as handsome legacies of the era.

Anne Lister's Shibden Hall

Two miles northeast of the town centre, accessible by local bus, is Shibden Hall , the estate that Anne Lister (played by Suranne Jones) returns to and one of the main bases for filming. It dates to 1420 and is surrounded by parklands with walking trails, a miniature railway and boating lake. The hall itself is a hodgepodge of architectural styles, with an attractive timber-framed frontage, a 17th-century outhouse that has displays on traditional crafts such as blacksmithing and coopering, and a recreated brewhouse.

The social-climbing landowner, who became financially independent after inheriting Shibden Hall from her uncle, was a prolific diarist and the writing she left behind totalled more than four million words. The portion of the diaries detailing her lesbian affairs with other women was written in code for her own protection. Its explosive content was kept hidden for over a hundred years, until a local historian called Helena Whitbread stumbled across it in the 1980s.

The hall closed to the public for several months during filming so the production crew could have the run of it as a TV set, but it’s now open to the public again. Inside, the real Anne Lister’s portrait hangs on the wall and visitors can watch a 25-minute video about her life. A touchscreen display allows you to flick through some of her diary entries.

Bradford on screen

From Shibden Hall it’s just a short hop to Bradford (on the same bus route), where some of the street scenes for Gentleman Jack were filmed in an area called Little Germany. This part of central Bradford is named after the German merchants that erected grand townhouses here in the 1850s during the city’s heyday as the wool manufacturing capital of the world; today, 55 of them are heritage listed. Halifax and Huddersfield town centres were also used for many street scenes.

North Yorkshire filming locations

Some of the other  Gentleman Jack  filming locations are in North Yorkshire , renowned as an area crammed with stately homes . The estate of Ann Walker, the neighbouring heiress who Anne Lister woos (played by Peaky Blinders’ Sophie Rundle) no longer exists so the TV crew used Sutton Park instead. This early Georgian estate, eight miles from York, is open to the public even though it's still the home of Sir Reginald Sheffield and his wife Lady Sheffield. The family once lived at what is now Buckingham Palace , and much of their art collection comes from there. (Side note: if you visit on a Saturday, you can also visit the eco-pioneering craft distillery that recently opened a mile down the road.)

Several sites in York , England’s medieval northern capital, also appear in Gentleman Jack . Fairfax House, a fashionable 18th-century townhouse and now museum, was used for interior shots of Vere Cameron’s house. Treasurer’s House , a historic house museum that runs regular ghost tours, featured as the public bar in a lodging house. York’s time-warped Church of the Holy Trinity will also appear in a future episode.

Grays Court, a wonderfully stooped medieval mansion where King James I once dined, now a hotel, also features in York street scenes that were filmed around York Minster and along Chapter House Street. Tourists can stay here or drop by for afternoon tea.

Other filming locations included Newby Hall near Ripon, where a 2007 TV adaptation of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park was filmed, Broughton Hall in the Yorkshire Dales, Harewood House near Leeds, and Leeds ’ Elizabethan manor house Oakwell Hall , where Charlotte Bronte once stayed.

Gentleman Jack started airing on HBO from 22 April in the US and BBC One on 19 May in the UK and has just been commissioned for a second series. It was written by BAFTA-winning UK writer Sally Wainwright, produced for the BBC by Lookout Point and co-produced with HBO.

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Gentleman Jack Filming Locations: Discover Anne Lister’s Yorkshire

Last Updated on 12/03/2023

Yorkshire businesswoman Anne Lister gained international recognition due to the BBC drama Gentleman Jack, starring Suranne Jones. But did you know that most of the series was filmed right here in Yorkshire? Here is a list of Gentleman Jack filming locations in Yorkshire you can visit!

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Find out more  here .

Who was Anne Lister?

Anne Lister was a Yorkshire businesswoman who lived from 1791-1840. Considered muscular and masculine in appearance, today she has been dubbed the ‘first modern lesbian.’

Throughout her lifetime she kept a huge volume of diaries and travel journals. The volumes she kept span to 7,720 pages or around 5 million words. By comparison, the diaries of Samuel Pepys run to just 1.25 million words.

Her diaries share unique insights into life in West Yorkshire during the period. But more importantly, about one fifth of the diaries were written in code. When cracked, these passages reveal her romantic affairs with women.

During a time long before the word ‘lesbian’ existed, Anne Lister, unkindly referred to during her lifetime as “Gentleman Jack” wrote about her secret fantasies which weren’t discovered until centuries later.

Is Gentleman Jack a true story?

Yes! The TV series is an adaptation of the diaries that Anne Lister kept during her lifetime. She was an astute businesswoman and kept meticulous journals about her business and her personal life. Series one of the show explores Anne’s life in the year 1832.

Read Anne Lister’s Diary

If you want to discover Anne’s story first-hand, you can read her diary for yourself. It is available in two volumes. Volume One: I Know My Own Heart  and Volume Two: No Priest But Love have been carefully and lovingly transcribed from Anne’s coded accounts by Helena Whitbread so you can learn more about this remarkable woman in her own words.

You can also catch up on series one of Gentleman Jack if you missed it. You can watch it now on DVD or Prime Video .

Where was Gentleman Jack filmed?

Much of Gentleman Jack was filmed in and around Yorkshire. Although some studio sets were used for parts of filming, there are several Gentleman Jack filming locations you can visit in the Yorkshire region.

Gentleman Jack Tours

If you want to experience Anne Lister’s Yorkshire for yourself, you can visit the Gentleman Jack filming locations on a five-day coach tour with Just Go Holidays .

The Gentleman Jack’s Charming Yorkshire tour includes locations of interest from the TV series, including Shibden Hall. This is a must-see for any fan of history and the BBC show, with additional visits to Halifax Piece Hall, the Salts Mill at Saltaire and a trip on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway.

Anne Lister Sights in Yorkshire

Two of the places that meant the most to Anne in her lifetime still exist today and are open to the public. This meant that filming for the series could take place in the exact locations that meant so much to Anne when she was alive.

Shibden Hall, Halifax, West Yorkshire

Described by Lister as ‘shabby little Shibden,’ her family home of Shibden Hall still stands today. Thanks to significant restoration and expansion since Lister’s lifetime, Shibden Hall isn’t quite so shabby anymore!

Visitors to Shibden Hall can truly walk in Anne Lister’s footsteps as they pass through the rooms in which she once lived. Shibden Hall was also the location where Anne’s diaries were found, hidden behind a panel in the wall.

Shibden Hall was one of the key Gentleman Jack filming locations in Yorkshire. Many of the scenes you see of Shibden were actually filmed there. However, some rooms such as Anne’s bedroom used a set, as the room itself was too small to accommodate the film crew.

Holy Trinity Church, York, North Yorkshire

Holy Trinity Church in York was another site that was key to Anne Lister’s story. It is where Anne Lister and her lover Ann Walker took Holy Communion together in place of a wedding ceremony. Today, a plaque hangs outside the church to commemorate its significance.

The church was used as the filming location for the communion scene in Gentleman Jack.

Other Gentleman Jack Filming Locations

But Shibden Hall and Holy Trinty Church aren’t the only Gentleman Jack filming locations in Yorkshire. Here are some other Yorkshire sights you will spot in the series.

Oakwell Hall, Birstall, West Yorkshire

Oakwell Hall in Birstall is a beautiful Elizabethan manor house set in a 110-acre country park. One of the rooms in the hall was transformed into the office of Parker & Adam, Anne Lister’s Halifax solicitor.

Once filming on series two was complete, visitors had a unique opportunity to visit and view the room still staged for production!

Little Germany, Bradford, West Yorkshire

Little Germany in Bradford is a popular filming location for scouts. These streets can also be seen in the Downton Abbey movie and Peaky Blinders.

The buildings of Little Germany date back to 1855. There are 85 historic buildings in the area in total, and 55 of them are listed. For Gentleman Jack, Little Germany was transformed into a series of 1830s street scenes.

Sutton Park, York, North Yorkshire

Crow Nest, the home of Anne Lister’s lover Ann Walker, was filmed at Sutton Park near York.

Unfortunately, the original home of Ann Walker no longer exists. But the Georgian home of Sutton Park played a wonderful stunt double.

Sutton Park is open to the public, so you can admire the grand home for yourself.

Salt’s Mill, Saltaire, West Yorkshire

For series two of Gentleman Jack, a set was constructed at Salt’s Mill in Saltaire. Part of the Mill was converted into a street scene, believed to house a tailors, chemist, and pub.

The model town of Saltaire is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is a spot well worth a visit. Click here to check out the must-see sights when visiting Saltaire.

Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire

The Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield is usually a venue hosting theatrical productions and live events. However, it can be seen in Gentleman Jack taking on the role of Rawsons Bank.

Bramham Park, Wetherby, West Yorkshire

Bramham Park is a popular location for filming period dramas. The estate is located between Leeds and Tadcaster. Bramham House appears in Gentleman Jack as the exterior of Skelfer House.

Newby Hall, Skelton-on-Ure, North Yorkshire

Another beautiful Georgian house, Newby Hall can be found near Ripon. It was used as the filming location of Lord and Lady Stuart’s home in the Gentleman Jack series.

Wentworth Woodhouse, Rotherham, South Yorkshire

Wentworth Woodhouse is a stunning country home that is currently undergoing a huge restoration program. In series one of Gentleman Jack, (and in the trailer!) you can catch a glimpse of the spectacular Marble Saloon.

Wentworth Woodhouse is currently open to visitors and admissions fees contribute to the mammoth restoration efforts that are currently underway.

Harewood House, Leeds, West Yorkshire

The grand house of Harewood is no stranger to the big and small screens. However, in Gentleman Jack, it is the land of the estate that plays a pivotal role. It was transformed into the set of Southolm Farm.

Queen Street, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire

Queen Street in Huddersfield was the chosen location for the 1830s market scenes in series one of Gentleman Jack.

Broughton Hall, Skipton, North Yorkshire

Broughton Hall is a magnificent historic home in North Yorkshire. In Gentleman Jack it can be seen playing the role of the Black Swan Inn.

Gentleman Jack Filming Locations in York

Much of Gentleman Jack was filmed within York city centre. As well as Holy Trinity Church, here are the Gentleman Jack filming locations in York you can visit.

Fairfax House

Fairfax House is a Georgian townhouse. It is located on Castlegate and was built in the early 1740s for local merchant. Today, you can visit the house to admire its beautiful architecture and collection of furniture, paintings and more.

During series one, the interiors of Fairfax House were transformed into Vere Cameron’s London home. Here, Anne visited her friend and almost lover, after she gave birth to a baby.

Greys Court Hotel and Ogleforth

The tiny street of Ogleforth in York was a hive of activity during the filming of series two of the show. The quaint little street is the perfect setting for period street scenes. It is also rumoured the Greys Court Hotel which is located on the street will also be making an appearance in series two.

College Green and St William’s College

Another York location you’re likely to see in series two of Gentleman Jack is the area around College Green. Film crews descended on the area during filming, and it was spotted that St William’s College was transformed into Miss Wilks’ Milliners for the production.

Treasurer’s House

Treasurer’s House only makes a small appearance in series one of Gentleman Jack, but this beautiful building is still worthy of a mention! It appears as a lodging house in the BBC series.

Two more Anne Lister sites in Yorkshire

Finally, here are two last sites in Yorkshire that may be of interest to Anne Lister fans.

King’s Manor, York, North Yorkshire

Although not believed to be used as a filming location for Gentleman Jack, Anne herself studied at King’s Manor boarding school during her teenage years. To honour her life and her studies, the University of York, who owns King’s Manor, have named their newest college the Anne Lister College.

You can still see the grand buildings that form King’s Manor in York today.

Anne Lister Statue, Halifax, West Yorkshire

To celebrate the incredible life and legacy of Anne Lister, she is commemorated in her hometown of Halifax by an impressive statue. Located inside The Piece Hall, the statue was created by Diane Lawrenson.

Titled Contemplation , this was the first public sculpture of Anne Lister on display. When you visit The Piece Hall, you can find Anne sitting in quiet reflection, despite the hustle and bustle going on around her.

Gentleman Jack Filming Locations in Yorkshire

Have you spotted any of these Yorkshire sites in the Gentleman Jack series? Next time you give it a watch, be sure to keep an eye out and see how many of them you recognise!

Want to discover more filming locations in Yorkshire? Check out this guide to the most popular filming locations in the region!

And if you love Yorkshire as much as I do, sign up for my weekly newsletter for even more Yorkshire adventures and tips!

Until our next adventure,

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P.S. Love it? Pin it!

If you like this guide to Gentleman Jack filming locations in Yorkshire, be sure to follow  Get Lost on Pinterest . That’s where I’ll be sharing all my fun facts about Yorkshire .

Hello, I’m Hannah! I’m a writer and photographer who loves experiencing the wonders of Yorkshire. My guides will help you escape from your daily routine by showing you that you don’t have to go far to find an adventure.

22 thoughts on “Gentleman Jack Filming Locations: Discover Anne Lister’s Yorkshire”

Oooh very cool Hannah! I have not yet seen Gentleman Jack, but it sounds like a tour of these filming locations would also be a fun way to explore Yorkshire and see some incredible historic buildings!

“Shabby little Shibden” is such a beautiful building isn’t it. It looks so quintessentially English to me.

Gentleman Jack is a great series, I hope you get an opportunity to watch it! It’s incredible that they were able to use some of the original locations for filming. Shibden Hall is such a beautiful building! I don’t think you’d find anything like it anywhere else in the world!

This is so fascinating! I had never heard of Anne Lister or her story, and now I want to read and learn more about her. Then, I would love to visit these sites. Thanks so much for sharing! Xx Sara

Anne Lister is such a fascinating character! Until the series she was practically unheard of but her diaries are so fascinating and contribute so much to the understanding of life in West Yorkshire during her lifetime. She’s become such a local hero in recent years and it is great to see her life being celebrated. I hope you get the opportunity to discover more and visit the sites that played a significant role in her life. Thanks for reading xx

I haven’t heard of the show Gentleman Jack and I enjoy watching British television shows. Your post has intrigued me to look up the locations and check out the show.

I hope you get an opportunity to watch Gentleman Jack, it is a brilliant series! And it is amazing that they were able to use so many of the original sites that Anne Lister visited in her lifetime!

You made me want to watch this TV series! Thanks for the discovery. Great work.

Gentleman Jack is such a great TV series! I hope you get an opportunity to watch it! Thanks for reading!

I’ve never heard of Gentleman Jack, but it’s always fun to see behind the scenes of film locations! Oakwell Hall looks really cool to visit 🙂

Gentleman Jack is a great series, I hope get an opportunity to watch it. Oakwell Hall is such a beautiful building – we’re getting married there this summer!

I absolutely love this show and I had no idea that there were so many filming locations nearby to visit! I’ll definitely be doing a tour in the summer.

It’s crazy how much of the series was filmed in Yorkshire, isn’t it? When you next watch Gentleman Jack you’re sure to spot them – once you know, you can’t unsee it!

Can’t believe I haven’t seen Gentleman Jack! The filming locations look so beautiful, def inspire me to watch the drama as well! Thanks for such a cool and detailed post!

Gentleman Jack is a brilliant series! I hope you get an opportunity to watch it! There are so many beautiful sights nearby, it is easy to see why they chose to film so much of the series in Yorkshire! Thanks for reading!

That is quite a list for the film’s fans. Thank you for sharing.

I’m glad you like the list of Gentleman Jack filming locations – they really used some beautiful places! Thanks for reading!

Fascinating tour of some incredible Yorkshire architecture. Loving the buildings and the stories behind them! Shibden hall looks fantastic.

The architecture of these sights is incredible, isn’t it? There’s no wonder they are so popular as filming locations! Shibden Hall is a wonderful place, especially if you want to learn more about the life of Anne Lister!

What an informative article! Now I want to watch the series. Your photos are gorgeous.

Thanks so much Terri! There are some beautiful sites used as Gentleman Jack filming locations! The series is fascinating and well worth a watch!

Hello, Hannah, Vere Hobart (Mrs. Donald Cameron) was not one of Anne’s lover, just an ‘almost’ one. Great sight…thanks.

Thanks for flagging this, I’ve amended it for clarity. Thanks for reading!

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Anne Lister in York Walking Tours 

A Window into 19th Century  York 

New Dates for Public Tours 2024   

Anne Lister , of Shibden Hall in Halifax, was a Landowner, Industrialist, Explorer and Mountain Climber, Diarist and sometimes described as the first modern day Lesbian.

The recent BBC TV Series, Gentleman Jack , brought Anne's story to a wider audience. Taking just a small portion of the several thousand pages of diaries she left behind, we were offered a peak into early 19th century life. Today, you can explore the streets of York and  immerse yourself further into her world and the city she regularly visited and loved.

So, book your tour of York now and discover...

and what she thought of them

everything from Carriages to Jewellery

BBC TV Series 'Gentleman Jack'.

• Shibden Hall
• Virtual tour
• Introduction

Where to find us

Accessibility.

• Opening hours

Shibden Hall dates back to 1420 and offers visitors a fascinating journey through the lives of the people who lived and worked here, including the noted diarist  Anne Lister (1791 - 1840) .

Shibden Hall’s architecture is a mix of styles reflecting its interesting and varied history. The adjacent 17 th  century aisled barn and workshops house a carriage collection and displays relating to different crafts, including a blacksmiths, coopers, wheelwrights and saddlers. 

The Hall is surrounded by the beautifully restored gardens and estate that forms Shibden Park. There are a range of features and attractions, including a cafe and visitor facilities, miniature railway, boating lake, walking trails, play area, orienteering course and woodland in which to roam. 

Shibden Hall is the focus of the BBC drama series written by Sally Wainwright, ' Gentleman Jack ' exploring the life of  Anne Lister (1791 - 1840)  and those who lived in the Hall and Estate. The first series aired in 2019 and the second series in 2022.

Find out more about Shibden Hall through our Virtual Tour .

Set in the picturesque Shibden valley, Shibden Hall is a mile from Halifax centre. Please be aware that at busy times there may be a queue as staff check tickets to manage visitor numbers.

Public Transport

Shibden Hall is an approximate 20 minute walk (uphill) from Halifax bus station and 25 minutes from Halifax train station. 

There are frequent buses; bus timetables are available on  West Yorkshire METRO .

Follow the brown signs to the Hall from the A58. Parking is available in the Park off the A58, follow the signs to Shibden Park. From here there is an up-hill walk to Shibden Hall. See Parking facilities .

• Lister’s Road

Get in touch

• Phone: 01422 352246
• Twitter: @ShibdenHall
• Facebook: /ShibdenHall
• Email: [email protected]

Due to the historic nature of the architecture of Shibden Hall there is restricted access for wheelchair users to the Ground Floor only. Disabled parking is available adjacent to the Hall (accessed off Lister's Road).

Please ring the bell on the right as you enter the courtyard for level access to the Hall. A member of staff will come and meet you and show you the way in.

The historic barn is accessible to a degree, but please be aware there are uneven cobbles on the floor. The Folk Museum is not wheelchair accessible. An accessible toilet is to the right of the disabled parking area. For access advice or assistance, please contact Shibden Hall prior to your visit, staff will be happy to help.

Shibden Hall offers free admission to all carers of individuals with disabilities.

Opening Hours

Please note: Due to private events on Tuesday 2nd and Thursday 4th April admission to Shibden Hall will be from 11.00am.

Last admission will be one hour before closing.

Shibden Hall is open from 1st March until 31st October.

There is a large car park (Mereside carpark)  off the A58 providing access to the park, café and Hall. From here there is a short, uphill walk to the Hall. Remember to allow time to find parking and walk to the Hall (approx. 10 mins) so that you do not miss your time slot.

Limited car parking is also available off Shibden Hall Road (Upper Car Park)  with a short walk down to the Hall. If this car park is full then please do not park along the road. Parking opposite the Double centre carriageway line system is prohibited under Rule 240 of the Highway code and may result in penalty fines including mandatory penalty points being incurred.

Disabled parking is available for Blue Badge holders next to the Hall (Museum parking) , accessed from Shibden Hall Road.

For tariffs and times , see:

• Shibden Park (Mereside) car park
• Shibden Park (Museum) car park
• Shibden Park (Upper Car Park) car park

Shibden Parking Permit

For regular park visitors there is an annual permit available that can offer large savings against pay and display prices. For more details, please see: Shibden Park permits .

These include accessible ones and can be found:

• by the small car parking area to the left of the Hall;
• and down in Mereside cafe in the park.

Refreshments

A selection of snacks and hot and cold drinks are available to buye from the reception desk in the Hall.

There is also the Mereside cafe down the hill by the lake serves meals, snacks and drinks. (The cafe is managed by a separate organisation to Shibden Hall, please contact them direct with any enquiries.)

There are a selection of items and crafts for sale in our shop. Including a range of books on Anne Lister.

Shibden Hall has a selection or  rooms available for private hire. Shibden Hall and its Aisled Barn are perfect locations for your wedding. See venue hire

• Adults - £10.00 
• Concessions (under 16, Over 65 and students) - £7.50 
• Family Tickets - £27.50

Book your timed entry to Shibden Hall

To guarantee your visit, book your timed entry to Shibden Hall. On occasion, there may be opportunity to purchase tickets on arrival at the hall, but time slots may not be guaranteed.

SEASON 2 AVAILABLE NOW

Gentleman jack, 2 seasons | 16 episodes | tv-ma.

Yorkshire, 1834. All eyes are on Anne Lister and Ann Walker as they set up home together at Shibden Hall as wife and wife, determined to combine their estates and become a power couple. Anne Lister’s entrepreneurial spirit frightens the locals as much as her unconventional love life and, with Halifax on the brink of revolution, her refusal to keep a low profile becomes provocative and dangerous.

The second season again uses the real life diaries of Lister – part of which were written in code – as its source, with every part of Lister’s story based in historical fact and the five million words she wrote in her journals. Read more about Lister and her diary at the  West Yorkshire Archive Service Exhibit blog .

Season 2 is produced by Lookout Point for HBO and BBC One with executive producers Sally Wainwright, Suranne Jones, Faith Penhale, Will Johnston and Ben Irving; producers, Phil Collinson and Stella Merz; directors, Edward Hall, Amanda Brotchie and Fergus O’Brien.

Season 2 Character Updates

Welcome back to Shibden Hall! Catch up with Halifax's finest now.

Season 2 Extras

Season 2 Gallery

It's All Here

Season 1 Extras

1 . I Was Just Passing

Rejected by her would-be companion Vere Hobart, Anne Lister returns to her shabby ancestral home, Shibden Hall, determined to restore its fortunes and find herself a wife.

2 . I Just Went There to Study Anatomy

Lister begins a playful but dangerous courtship of Ann Walker, who soon finds herself captivated by her charismatic and unusual neighbor.

3 . Oh Is That What You Call It?

Lister and Ann Walker's liaison takes a thrilling turn, as mutual acquaintances begin to chatter about their relationship.

4 . Most Women Are Dull and Stupid

Lister and Ann Walker are consumed by the excitement of their affair, until bad news yields a crippling secret.

5 . Let's Have Another Look at Your Past Perfect

The arrival of a figure from Ann Walker's past stirs up trouble and prompts Lister to deal with matters in her own inimitable fashion.

6 . Do Ladies Do That?

Lister faces a heartbreaking decision as Ann Walker's mental state takes an alarming downturn.

7 . Why've You Brought That?

Lister finally confronts Christopher Rawson and executes a bold but risky coal plan before heading to Europe.

8 . Are You Still Talking?

Difficult news from Shibden spurs Lister to leave behind her newly aristocratic lifestyle in Denmark, while Ann Walker finds the courage to take control of her own destiny in Scotland.

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Follow in the footsteps of ‘Gentleman Jack’ in Edinburgh

Anne Lister, often described as the ‘first modern lesbian’, became famous for the diaries she kept. In 2019, Anne's life was depicted in the popular BBC series Gentleman Jack, starring Suranne Jones. 

“Anne Lister was a phenomenal woman. A mountaineer, scholar, traveller, you name it – she broke society’s strict rules about how a woman should live and love." Stef Lauer, Hands on Consulting

Born in 1791, she penned 26 volumes reflecting her life as a successful businesswoman, science enthusiast, traveller and mountaineer. However, around one sixth of her five million words were written in code, consisting of Greek letters and algebraic signs. It was at the end of the 19th century, when a surviving relative managed to decipher her writing, that Anne’s secret love affairs with women were uncovered.

Edinburgh’s LGBT+ Culture

In May 1828, Anne travelled to Edinburgh to explore the city with her companion, Scottish noblewoman Sibella MacLean. Thanks to her obsession with recording in minute detail, her experiences and observations will now be shared more widely with the LGBT+ community as they explore the city.

Somewhere EDI are a grassroots social enterprise committed to championing Edinburgh's LGBT+ community. Thanks to a £10,000 grant awarded through the National Lottery Grants for Heritage programme, Somewhere have created walking tours to follow in Anne's footsteps and explore the LGBT+ history of Edinburgh. Each tour group will also have the opportunity to plant a tree to create an Anne Lister Grove, representing the diarist’s love of horticulture.

Stef Lauer of Hands On Consulting will be leading the tours. She said: “Anne Lister was a phenomenal woman. A mountaineer, scholar, traveller, you name it – she broke society’s strict rules about how a woman should live and love.

“She was also authentically herself – living a lesbian life at a time it would be unthinkable to do so. With the support of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, I am so excited to be able to bring some of Anne’s Scottish stories and adventures to a wide audience in and around Edinburgh.”

Thomas Anderson-Thatcher, Director of Somewhere, said: “Somewhere is all about supporting and championing LGBTQ+ culture and heritage, and this fantastic news about National Lottery funding will help us tell our own stories farther and wider, and reach our intersectional communities who are often more marginalised.”

Historic Shibden Hall

The second series of Gentleman Jack is being filmed in Halifax at Anne Lister’s ancestral home, Shibden Hall. The Tudor hall and barn, and the surrounding estate landscape, was restored thanks to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Angela Clare, Collections Manager at Calderdale Museums, said: “Shibden Hall are delighted to hear that The National Lottery Heritage Fund is supporting Somewhere to deliver these new Anne Lister Tours in Scotland. We look forward to welcoming people inspired by the Scottish tours to visit Shibden Hall, Anne’s ancestral home in Yorkshire.”

The Anne Lister Walking Tours of Edinburgh will begin as soon as restrictions lift.

Heritage with inclusion at its heart is incredibly powerful in bringing people together and creating a fairer society for all. Find out more .

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Anne Lister's Real-Life 'Gentleman Jack' Home Is Open to the Public

One plane ticket to Halifax, please.

If you've seen  HBO's  Gentleman Jack , you might have noticed the acres of pastoral land that Anne Lister's house of Shibden Hall sits on. And if you haven't yet seen the home—or the show—here's why you'll want to get on that right now.

Gentleman Jack  tells the story of Anne Lister, a landowner in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England, known for her incredible business skills, world travels, and progressivism when it came to same-sex relationships. She's even been called "the first modern lesbian." Lister didn't rely on a man to supply her with happiness or an income, instead turning her inherited home,  Shibden Hall , and the land around it into a lucrative business through coal mining, rental arrangements, and more.

The home itself has been around since 1420 and is currently a museum, and it's kind of amazing that the show's director, Sally Wainwright, and her team were even allowed to shoot there given how well-preserved and important to England's heritage it is.  According to the museum's history , Lister moved in to Shibden Hall in 1815 and inherited the property in 1826. The Hall was the place where Lister became a pioneering businesswoman and entertained many of her female companions, including her wife, Ann Walker, with whom she made history as the first lesbian marriage in the UK.

Earlier this month, in honor of Lister, Shibden Hall dedicated a blue plaque to its former owner.

The Hall, which offers tours, contains some of the remaining items belonging to Lister, including her travel writing case, signed music book, furniture, and even her funeral hatchment (a kind of plaque to commemorate a deceased person's life and achievements). Also on display are three portraits of Lister, including the one tweeted out by Shibden Hall on Lister's birthday. This is said to have been the first known picture of Lister:

But the best part of the Shibden Hall tour might be  the interactive display  of Anne Lister's diary. Lister kept a 27-volume diary of her life, travels, and sexual encounters, the latter she mostly wrote in a self-created code that wasn't cracked by the public until the 1980s. Now, visitors of Shibden Hall can read its pages and transcribed extracts.

You can learn more about Anne Lister from the new HBO show,  Gentleman Jack ,   which premiered on HBO on April 22. And trust me: You'll want to pay homage to this amazing woman once you see it.

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Alexis Jones is an assistant editor at Women's Health where she writes across several verticals on WomensHealthmag.com, including life, health, sex and love, relationships and fitness, while also contributing to the print magazine. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Syracuse University, lives in Brooklyn, and proudly detests avocados.

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Gentleman Jack

A dramatization of the life of lesbian trailblazer, voracious learner, and cryptic diarist Anne Lister. A dramatization of the life of lesbian trailblazer, voracious learner, and cryptic diarist Anne Lister. A dramatization of the life of lesbian trailblazer, voracious learner, and cryptic diarist Anne Lister.

• Sally Wainwright
• Suranne Jones
• Sophie Rundle
• Gemma Whelan
• 244 User reviews
• 18 Critic reviews
• 4 wins & 12 nominations total

Episodes 16

• Anne Lister

• Marian Lister
• Joseph Booth …

• Aunt Anne Lister

• Jeremy Lister

• Samuel Washington

• Elizabeth Cordingley

• Hemingway …

• Thomas Sowden

• Mariana Lawton

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• Trivia In November 2016, screenwriter Sally Wainwright was awarded the £30,000 screenwriting fellowship grant from the charitable organisation the Wellcome Trust, in partnership with Film4 and the British Film Institute. Wainwright disclosed to the media that she was writing a drama series about the landowner, industrialist, and intellectual Anne Lister and would use the grant to further her research.
• Connections Featured in Granada Reports: 28 January 2020: Evening Bulletin (2020)

User reviews 244

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• April 22, 2019 (United States)
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Where was Gentleman Jack filmed? Filming locations in Halifax for the BBC drama series with Suranne Jones

Set in the 1830s, the bbc 1 series is based on the real-life diaries of landowner, prolific diarist and fearless lesbian anne lister - and filmed in her home in halifax.

Suranne Jones dons a top hat and marches back to Yorkshire in hit period drama Gentleman Jack, which returns to BBC1 on Sunday. Set in the 1830s, it’s based on the real-life diaries of landowner, prolific diarist and fearless lesbian Anne Lister – and filmed in her home in Halifax.

As well as taking viewers on a grand tour of Yorkshire’s sumptuous stately houses, series two visits the home of Halifax’s new Anne Lister statue, and the moors where the Brontë sisters roamed. Here’s how to follow in Lister’s footsteps (don’t forget your button boots and cane).

Admire Anne Lister’s home

Anne Lister inherited Shibden Hall – a medieval manor on the outskirts of Halifax – from her aunt and lived there until her death in 1840. ‘When I’m walking in Anne Lister’s footsteps, I am literally walking into her house, eating in her dining room, doing business deals where she did business deals, surveying the same land, and walking where she walked,’ Suranne Jones has said.

Today Lister’s Halifax home is open to the public, so Gentleman Jack fans can see for themselves where she scribbled her famous diaries. Not all the Shibden Hall scenes were filmed here: her bedroom was recreated in a studio because the camera crew couldn’t squeeze into it. Eagle-eyed visitors will notice that the garden is more manicured than it would have been in her day – the gardeners were asked not to mow the lawn ahead of filming.

. ..and Halifax’s new statue

Last September Suranne Jones unveiled a life-size bronze sculpture of Anne Lister at Halifax’s Piece Hall, which also appears in series two – it’s where the hustings take place. With its grand colonnades and vast courtyard, The Piece Hall might be mistaken for a palace. In fact, it’s the world’s only surviving 18th-century cloth hall and was where handloom weavers sold their woollen cloth ‘pieces’. Nowadays it houses dozens of independent shops and cafes, and regularly hosts pop and rock stars.

More from Television

A historic textile mill near Shipley doubled for the streets of Halifax in series two. It took Gentleman Jack’s construction design team nearly six weeks to transform Salt Mills into an 1830s market town. Salt Mills can be found in Saltaire, a Unesco-listed model village in Shipley, and also has lots of lovely shops and cafes, as well as an art gallery with an impressive David Hockney collection.

Step back in time in York

A grand townhouse in York stood in for Heworth Grange. The interior was filmed inside opulent Fairfax House in York, which is now a museum where you can learn how the wealthy Georgian elite lived and partied. The exterior of Heworth Grange is actually an old prep school adjacent to the Minster – York’s mighty Gothic cathedral.

As for the ‘Venus’ train, it’s actually a working replica of the world’s first ‘modern’ steam locomotive that can be admired in York’s Railway Museum – George Stephenson’s 1829 Rocket. Trainspotters can also experience riding on a record-breaking 1938 steam locomotive – the Mallard – in a high-tech simulator and admire silk-lined royal carriages.

Stay at Isabella Norcliffe’s luxurious home…

Shibden Hall isn’t the only real place that appears in both the story and the drama. The family home of Isabella ‘Tib’ Norcliffe – played by Joanna Scanlan – was Langton Hall , near Malton, which has recently been renovated. If you’d like a taste of life as the lady of the manor, the north and south wings are now holiday lets. In Tib’s day, there wasn’t an outdoor heated pool, tennis court, gym and snooker room.

A Georgian country house near York doubled for the home of Anne’s new bride Ann Walker, who’s played by Sophie Rundle. Sutton Park is the home of Samantha Cameron’s father, Sir Reginald Sheffield, and is open for guided tours in August.

…or on another of Lister’s lovers estates

Skipton’s Broughton Hall doubled for the home of Anne Lister’s other lover Marianna Lawton, who’s played by Lydia Leonard: Lawton Hall, which is really in Cheshire. It also stood in for the Rawsons’s grand pile Stoney Royd. While Broughton Hal l isn’t open to the public, you can stay in a converted barn, gate house and cottages on its 3000-acre estates. The pretty village of Bolton Percy, near Tadcaster, doubled as Middlewich in Cheshire and Lawton Church.

North Yorkshire’s magnificent Rievaulx Abbey – the ruins of a 12th-century monastery in a tranquil valley near Helmsley – also appears in series two.

Take a tour of Yorkshire’s grand houses

One of Europe’s biggest stately homes doubled as a Parisian hotel. Visitors to Wentworth Woodhouse on the outskirts of Rotherham can join a tour of the house, which has over 300 rooms and five miles of corridors. It also had a cameo in Darkest Hour, the Oscar-winning 2017 film about Winston Churchill.

Several country estates on the outskirts of Leeds also have cameos in the second series: Temple Newsam , Bramham Park Estate and Harewood House , which stood in for Paris’s Louvre. Look out for a carriage traffic jam in Leeds’s Park Square, which is encircled by Georgian buildings and doubled for London. A picturesque village near Leeds also has a cameo: Fulneck Moravian Settlement, which was founded by religious refugees from Bohemia in the 1740s. The historic chapel is well worth a visit.

An Elizabethan manor house near Batley, Oakwell Hall , was used for the Green Man Inn, Black Swan Inn and a Parisian bedroom. Charlotte Bronte visited the hall – which is said to be haunted by the former owner – and wrote it into her novel Shirley . A cosy brasserie in Bingley also doubled as the Green Man Inn. The Old White Horse has been serving punters real ale since the 1800s.

Amble through Brontë country

Who needs the Alps when you’ve got Yorkshire’s world-famous moors? Mont Blanc was recreated in Bradford’s Penistone Hill Country Park, with the help of fake snow. This heather-blanketed moorland is near the cobbled town of Haworth, where the Brontë sisters lived – just 10 miles from Anne Lister.

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Inside the Story of the Real-Life Gentleman Jack

By Sonia Saraiya

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On television, British costume dramas take the form of dressed-up soap operas or rom-coms cribbed from great literature: the legendary Upstairs, Downstairs, the Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle Pride and Prejudice, the smash international hit Downton Abbey, North & South. They offer the ridiculous fashions, social mores, and dancing of a bygone age, safe from the perch of your sofa; Elizabeth Bennet’s tribulations are much less troubling when you know she’ll safely end up Mrs. Darcy.

Gentleman Jack, airing its second episode tonight on HBO, is a different kind of period piece. Its heroine is Anne Lister—a politically conservative, coal-mining, sidepiece-juggling lesbian. That term barely existed in 1832, when the show is set; certainly, it’s unknown to the barely literate peasant farmers that till Anne’s land and pay her rents. And yet practically in plain sight, Anne had sexual and romantic affairs with multiple women; secretly married one; and in the meantime, became a well-regarded businesswoman in Halifax.

Creator Sally Wainwright —a Halifax native, who also writes and directs the show—tells me she has been hoping to make a show about Lister for 20 years: “She did all these amazing things, but the most extraordinary thing of all is that she wrote it all down into extraordinary detail.” Lister meticulously recorded the details of her life, and took the precaution of detailing her love affairs in an elaborate code. “I mean, the diary is vast. You can’t underestimate how huge this diary is. Five million words, 27 volumes, 300 pages in every volume,” Wainwright said. It wasn’t until 1988 that Lister’s secret became public knowledge, and her diaries are still being decoded.

The relationships detailed within the diaries present a world far at odds with the social norms of polite Regency-era society. Anne Lister “was a real player,” Wainwright said. “She says in the diary, ‘I know how to please the ladies,’ and she did. She slept with a lot of women.”

Lister’s relationships spanned many years, and often bridged her partners’ marriages to men. She was heartbroken when one lover, Mariana Belcombe, married a man, Charles Lawton, for his fortune. But that didn’t stop her from accompanying the newlyweds on their honeymoon, as female companions of the bride often did—or from bedding Mariana’s sister during the trip.

A film adaptation of Lister’s story, 2010’s The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister, starred Maxine Peake as Anne during a slightly earlier—and more messily romantic—period of her life. Gentleman Jack enters Lister’s life at the age of 41—at the tail end of her youthful romances, and at the point where Anne wanted to settle down. Suranne Jones, who worked with Wainwright on ITV dramas Unforgiven and Scott & Bailey, plays Anne—complete with her black, mannish clothing, haughty demeanor, and a top hat. (“We don’t think that she actually wore a top hat,” Jones says to me. “But that’s poetic license.”)

For Jones, who studied volumes of text written on Lister, the character’s age was part of the appeal. “There’s just no other character like her. I’m 40, and to have a character like that at 40 is—you know, I’m not the wife or I’m not the mistress. I’m a real, full-bodied, kick-ass, extraordinary woman,” she said.

The show begins with Anne’s return to her estate, Shibden Hall—the house that the real Anne Lister lived in, which is now a museum in Halifax. With Mariana out of the picture, Anne was even more determined to have a wife of her own—someone she could not only be romantically attached to, but someone who would also be her lifelong partner. As it happened, a wealthy young heiress lived on a nearby estate: Ann Walker, played by Sophie Rundle. With a wry look at the camera—another distinction that differentiates Gentleman Jack from other period dramas—Jones’s Anne sets out to seduce her. (It’s very forward; Sophie Gilbert noted in the Atlantic that the courtship is “written almost as a kind of grooming.”)

“[Lister] identified herself, really, with men. She set out to find a wife—a wealthy wife. That’s what men did, then, and that’s how she saw herself,” Wainwright said, adding, “She put a lot of hours in” her pursuit of Ann Walker.

In real life, Lister constructed a secluded retreat on her property where she could court Ann Walker at her leisure. The chaumiere, or “moss house,” corresponded appropriately with a nickname Lister picked up in York: “tuft-hunter.”

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In the show, Anne pursues Ann in a saucy, titillating, forward courtship—one that delights in upending the viewer’s expectations about befrilled women sitting in drawing rooms. They kiss and sigh in those drawing rooms instead, heedless of stuffy, elderly callers that might drop in. Ann Walker’s cloistered life was taken by storm. “[Lister] often said that when women fell in love with her, they didn’t really understand what was happening to them,” Wainwright said. “They didn’t know you could do that.” But though Walker may have been taken by surprise, Wainwright said, “Ann Walker was besotted with Anne Lister—she was absolutely dazzled by her.” Walker had a youthful fixation on the proud, independent woman she’d met only once before, as a teenager; when Anne Lister came back into her life, “it was like a rock star, walking in.”

Gentleman Jack seems fond of its setting—but at times, the show sends up its own period, ruffling the feathers of an orderly, prim society. The awful hairstyles of 1832, with their precise, tight curls over the ears and prim, matronly center parts, seem designed to be mussed in the throes of passion. Jones said that when filming the romantic scenes with Rundle, the two had to work to find comfortable, casual poses under rigid layers of fabric. There was another unexpected side effect, too.

“When you’re in corsets, there’s quite a lot of gurgling noises and wind-breaking that goes on because you’re all so restricted,” Jones said. “I’d lean in to kiss Sophie, and go [burp noise]. Oh, sorry. Oh my goodness. Where did that come from? Or, [fart noise]. You know?”

Lister had a vision of queer married life that has only recently become socially acceptable—a committed, loving relationship between two women sharing their resources and their time. Lister was eager to enlist Walker’s fortune toward a new scheme, one that Gentleman Jack spends a lot of time on: mining coal, at great risk, but for great profit. The subplot is an indication of her brilliance and fortitude—but also a glimpse into how different her values were of many contemporary viewers. Industry and profit was what galvanized her; the fervor for Parliamentary reform, which would eventually expand voting rights, didn’t interest her in the slightest. Wainwright calls her a “bright blue Tory,” the U.K. version of a red-stater.

“There are aspects of her character that are hard to love,” Wainwright observed. “Some people are going to be totally disappointed, because she’s not a feminist heroine, by any means. She believed in her own interests, not women’s.”

Her haughtiness, in fact, earned her a nickname—and the show, its title. “She was such a snob,” Wainwright said. “And ‘jack’ was slang for ‘dyke’—it was the equivalent of ‘dyke.’” In Halifax’s oral tradition, the term “gentleman jack” was passed down as a derogatory label for Lister. “It wasn’t a compliment,” Wainwright said. “But she’s the kind of person who would take an insult and turn it into a compliment anyway.”

For Wainwright, it’s this force of character that makes Anne so remarkable—warts and all. “If a man tells me I’m wrong, I’m like, yeah, I’m wrong, ” she said, laughing at her own timidity. “Something happens, and I just worry about it for the next six weeks.”

But Anne? “She had the heart of a lion.”

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Gentleman Jack series two review – one of the greatest British period dramas of our time

Suranne Jones is an alchemical force of nature in the gleeful, radical return of this rollicking, romantic and exquisitely scripted show

H alifax, 1834. Four weeks after a secret wedding in a York church, where two women took communion and exchanged rings, witnessed by no one but their proud, brave, corseted selves. And 180 years before the first lawful same-sex marriages will take place in the UK. Just think of it. Actually, there’s no time, because here she is, the trailblazer herself, billowing coat-tails lustrous as a raven’s plumage, top hat silhouetted against the rolling hills of West Yorkshire. Striding – for Anne Lister, as all those who fail to keep up with her know, has no other walking mode – to tell her secret wife’s vile aunt what’s what. “Ah, there you are,” she says, turning to the camera and jabbing the air with her silver-topped cane. “Good.” Happy Sunday primetime period drama slot, folks! Gentleman Jack is back.

For paramours of Sally Wainwright’s rollicking, romantic and exquisitely scripted historical drama, it’s been a long three-year wait. The first series was so brilliant it spawned the “Gentleman Jack effect”: a festival in Halifax, a statue (of a swaggering 19th-century Yorkshire lesbian!) and legions of global superfans. Not just of the show but of the garrulous diarist, industrialist and landowner herself, Anne Lister of Shibden Hall, who scribbled more than 5m words in her pioneering lifetime. All of which Wainwright seems to have gobbled up, infused with 21st-century irony and northern grit, and turned into one of the greatest British period dramas of our time.

Much of this is down to Suranne Jones , whose Lister is an alchemical force of nature. Intense, uncompromising, reckless, charismatic, controlling, fragile and highly charged, Jones endlessly flirts with, but never tips over into, hamminess. It’s a genius performance, brimming with grand gestures and heart. So, too, are her direct addresses to the camera. It’s true that Jones’s Lister doesn’t so much break the fourth wall as make love to it, before buying it a silver wax seal and asking it to move in with her. But when she looks into the lens she is also collapsing time. Addressing us, the future inhabitants of a 21st century where she might be understood, valued, seen.

If anything, she is even bolder this series. With her beloved Ann Walker stationed in York against the wishes of her small-minded, money-grubbing family, Lister has her work cut out. She has to convince all of Halifax that the solution to Ann’s fragile mental state is to move in with her. She has to convince Ann that they must combine estates, leading to perhaps the only sex scene in history in which the rewriting of wills is used as pillow talk. She has to convince the men sinking her coal pit that she has the capital, and her solicitor that she needs to borrow more money to realise her daring plans. Oh, and Lister has to convince herself that she is over Mariana, her ex, and that her love, or is that fondness, for Ann is enough. “We none of us feel the same way at 40 as we did at 14,” she confides to a friend. “With her I could be happy. I’ll make it work!”

Edward Hall, Amanda Brotchie and Fergus O’Brien direct this series, bringing less of the galloping pace and northern specificity of Wainwright, who grew up a few miles from Shibden Hall. Instead, we get classic Andrew Davies-grade romance. In one lush scene, Ann is sketching the magisterial ruins of Rievaulx Abbey when Lister comes striding over the moor as the sun burns off the morning mist. It’s pure Darcy emerging wet-shirted from the lake stuff, but with a lesbian romantic heroine, jacket tossed over one shoulder and straw boater atop her tousled hair. How revolutionary. “Three very good kisses last night,” Lister says with a sigh as she heads down to her wife. “I am really satisfied with her.”

This is a vexed moment in British period drama and history. The conversation continues about what constitutes good representation. About the ways in which greater diversity might be compounding amnesia and not challenging our long-upheld fantasies about some non-racist, benignly colonial British past in which no one was queer. Meanwhile, here’s Wainwright rolling up her sleeves and getting on with it. Behind the familiar frilly bonnets and linen drawers, the glorious landscapes and draughty old estates, Gentleman Jack is disrupting the conventions of one of our most fiercely loved dramatic forms, at a time when we most need them disrupted. It is a masterpiece. A gleeful, radical shake-up of period drama that repositions history, sexuality and class with the wink of an eye and poke of a cane. As a bisexual brown-skinned British woman who has been watching Sunday-night period dramas all my life, I cannot tell you how thrilling it is to see.

Gentleman Jack season two is on BBC One in the UK; in the US, on HBO from 25 April; and in Australia, on Foxtel from 26 April.

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Gentleman Jack Tour - Bankfield Museum

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Visited for an exhibition of Anne lister diaries and letters and it was excellent. The museum... read more

Lovely visit . Lovely place . I remember it well from my childhood and although I prefer the older... read more

Gentleman Jack Tour

We visited the Bankfield museum mainly to see the Gentleman Jack costumes which are fab and makes you realise the actresses must be tiny! However the rest of the museum is really interesting and made for a fab few hours! We even dressed up in clothes from the 1800s. Will definitely return!

Our friends were over from Spain and they have been glued to gentleman jack, so as we live near they came over and we took them. Excellent museum, very interesting with all the world war one and two military exhibitions and ve day . Also a must for gentleman jack fans, best of all it was all free, so well done to the council for keeping alive our past and keeping everything in tip top order

There is a lot to see at this museum and you can spend the best part of a day here if you look at everything especially the regimental exhibition but we wanted to see the period costumes from Gentlemen Jack and we were not disappointed. We also spent a considerable amount of time in the fashion gallery upstairs and the room devoted to WWII. There is no cafe here but they do have a tea and coffee maker.

So many different things to look at including an extensive regimental museum, toys, costumes, artworks and many artifacts from around the world. Plenty of things to do, costumes to try on, a detective trail for the kids and a good number of interactive displays. The small café had an acceptable range of refreshments at low prices and there was a reasonable range of souvenirs on sale. Lovely staff, very pleaant and friendly. The building itself is absorbing to look at and the grounds would be a great spot for a picnic. There is no admission charge and adequate free parking on-site, also free wi-fi.

A short distance outside Halifax - short journey on a bus, walk back downhill. A really interesting museum with a variety of displays, including costumes worn by the cast of Gentleman Jack. The Duke of Wellington’s regimental display was very informative, and afterwards the First World War area was worth a visit. You can spend quite a long time there as it’s a very interesting place - and FREE!

I live locally and try to visit Bankfield with it's changing exhibitions so Gentleman Jack pulled me back ! Great to see the clothes close up and watch interviews with the cast. The fashion exhibition upstairs is a must. Staff helpful ( I disagree with an earlier reviewer, who said staff unhelpful- quite the reverse) our questions were readily answered in a cheerful way. What a bonus having this museum in Halifax and it's FREE. If you want more than a cuppa - go down into the Piece Hall with its plethora of eateries - we were spoilt for choice ! Then bob over to Shibden Hall after you've eaten for more Gentleman Jack - a day out to enjoy.

Jack's birthdate has always been a mystery. Hopefully yours isn't.

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Jack Daniel’s Gentleman Jack Tennessee Whiskey

In-depth review.

Classification: Tennessee Whiskey

Company: Brown-Forman

Distillery: Jack Daniel’s Distillery

Release Date: Ongoing

Mashbill: 80% Corn, 12% Malted Barley, 8% Rye

Color: Light Copper

Price: $30 (2021)

Official Website

Jack Daniel’s was established in 1886, and is the top-selling American whiskey in the world. It is produced in Lynchburg, Tennessee which ironically, is a dry county meaning the product can’t actually be sold there. Brown-Forman acquired Jack Daniel’s in 1956. While not officially labeled bourbon, most of Jack Daniel’s whiskeys meet the criteria required to be called a bourbon. After distillation, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey undergoes what is referred to as the ‘Lincoln County Process.’ Jack Daniel’s allows its whiskey to drip for six days in 10-foot vats, passing through charcoal that was made by burning maple wood that had been impregnated with 140 proof Jack Daniel’s whiskey, before being put in new charred oak barrels and aged for an estimated 4-7 years. Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey was once bottled at 86 proof, but in 2004, was lowered to 80 proof. Gentleman Jack was first introduced in 1988. Compared to standard Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 , the distinguishing feature of Gentleman Jack is double charcoal mellowing. In addition to undergoing the charcoal mellowing process before aging, Gentleman Jack whiskey undergoes the process again before being bottled.

Soft vanilla and caramel mingle with summer fruit, light oak, and a touch of banana. A small dab of maple syrup in the background offers additional sweetness. The overall aroma is pleasant and familiar, but lacks enough punch to make a lasting impression.

Subtle banana is followed by a soft wash of sweet flavors - caramel, vanilla custard, honey, brown sugar, and oak. The delivery is very even, and as suggested by the writing on the bottle, smooth. While not intense, the overall depth of flavor is more than the whiskey’s 80 proof suggests, offering a surprising amount of structure behind the sweetness.

The whiskey’s even-keel nature overflows into the finish with just a touch of spice accenting lingering notes of caramel, brown sugar, and honey. As the flavors fade, a nice, sweet aftertaste remains. While it’s short and leaves little to contemplate, the finish is just as agreeable as the rest of the sip.

Gentleman Jack was Jack Daniel’s first major line extension back in 1988. At that time, American whiskey was perceived much differently than it is currently, fighting vodka for just a little bit of shelf space with nowhere near the surge of popularity it’s seeing today. Gentleman Jack undergoes the same Lincoln County Process (charcoal mellowing) as standard Jack Daniel’s after distillation and before barrelling, at which point there is still no distinction between the two whiskeys. The second charcoal mellowing, which takes place after aging but before bottling, is what makes Gentleman Jack different from standard Jack Daniel’s. The process is considered a subtractive process, removing harsh impurities with the intent of making the whiskey more “smooth.” Along with the impurities, the process also removes color and flavor. While many whiskeys are filtered through charcoal after aging in barrels, the extent to which Gentleman Jack is charcoal mellowed a second time after aging isn’t a common practice. The resulting whiskey is very smooth, as the bottle suggests with the phrase “Ultimate Smoothness” written in gold on the top of its black cap. At 80 proof it’s more full-flavored than I expected compared to most 80 proof whiskeys, however it is still very light. A nice balance of caramel, vanilla, and oak, it will have a wide appeal to those who want to sip whiskey but want to keep it light. Unfortunately, it is less characteristically “Jack” than its standard Old No. 7 counterpart, which makes it less interesting for someone who wants to explore a bit further and contemplate what they’re drinking.

Gentleman Jack adds about $8 to the cost of a 750ml bottle of the standard Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7. Considering the extra charcoal mellowing step that distinguishes the brand, it seems fair that an additional cost would be associated with that. It smooths out the rough edges and ultimately produces a whiskey that will please consumers looking for a sweet, easy drinking experience. While this process of subtraction removes some of what I like most about the standard brand, and actually makes the whiskey less appealing to me. The fact is other brands like Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof were introduced to satisfy consumers' like me who have an appetite for a more robust and unique Jack Daniel’s experience. Ultimately, Gentleman Jack accomplishes what the distillery sets out to do, and it’s offered at a fair price.

Jack Daniel’s first major line extension in 1988, Gentleman Jack’s double charcoal mellowing makes it an exceptionally smooth - albeit less interesting - drinking experience.

Gentleman Jack is a perfect balance of vanilla, caramel, and oak that lands squarely on the sweet, easy-drinking side. Fans of low proof bourbons (such as Basil Hayden’s as an example of a bourbon that others often refer to as their go-to) should find a lot to like with Gentleman Jack. Because it has less of the quintessential Jack Daniel’s flavor notes, those who may not care for the standard Jack might find something to like as well. For bourbon enthusiasts on the other hand, Gentleman Jack offers little to get excited about. It’s a good reminder that not all whiskeys were made for you , but also one to have on hand for guests who are looking for a smooth, easy-drinking pour.

Written By: Nick Beiter

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Ron Perlman-Starring Revenge Thriller ‘The Gentleman’ Picked Up by Film Factory (EXCLUSIVE)

By Jamie Lang

• John Musker Named Animayo 2024 Guest Star, Will Head the Fest’s Oscar-Qualifying Competition Jury (EXCLUSIVE) 1 day ago
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Film Factory has picked up rights to Luis Gabriel Beristáin ‘s revenge action thriller “The Gentleman,” a Spain-Mexico co-production starring an international cast led by Golden Globe-winner Ron Pearlman.

Produced by Spanish company Esto También Pasará (“Ferocious Wolf,” “The Boogeyman: The Origin of the Myth”) and Mexican outfit SDB Films (“The Deal”), shooting on “The Gentleman” is already underway in San Sebastián, Spain, and will run for six weeks. The film is scheduled to be released by Universal in Spain in 2025.

Popular on Variety

Esto También Pasará producer Álvaro Ariza says, “I fell in love with the story when I first read the book and immediately thought it deserved to be told on the big screen.”

Perlman leads an impressive and internationally-recognized cast that includes eight-time Ariel Award winner Damián Alcázar (“Narcos”), two-time Goya Award nominee Hovik Keuchkerian (“Money Heist”), Megan Montaner (“30 Coins”), Marco de la O (“El Chapo”), and Dominican Latin Grammy-nominated recording artist Natti Natasha.

“The Gentleman” marks Beristáin’s feature debut. With a rich background as a director of photography and cinematographer, Beristáin has collaborated with renowned filmmakers such as Guillermo del Toro, Derek Marman, David Mamet, and David Ayer. His recent work includes the live-action/CG hybrid “Harold and the Purple Crayon,” set to hit theaters later this year. Previous credits include “Blade 2,” “Black Widow,” “Iron Man,” and the Marvel TV series “Agent Carter.”

Film Factory director Vincente Canales is excited by the film’s prospects and explained, “Without a doubt, it is going to be one of the most interesting titles of Spanish cinema in 2025.”

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