Vanity Fair

Travel Guide

Becky Sharp’s London

The novel is set some 20 years before it was written and takes place from 1810 – 1820. Queen Victoria is on the throne and Napoleanic wars are taking place. Napolean would see defeat at Waterloo in 1815

In England the book switches between London and Brighton.

The book also goes crosses to Europe with visits to Paris, Rome, Brussels, and “Pumpernickel,” a small German town.

TV locations

There are many locations in and around London to visit.

Miss Pinkerton’s Academy for Young Ladies

Firmly based in Chiswick in the novel, but you’ll find the on-screen version at Squerryes Court, a manor house in Kent.

Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens.

This was a popular location for a Georgian night out and featured circus performers, hot air balloons and all manner of entertainments. These scenes were filmed at Syon House.

Russell Square

One key location in both the novel and the TV programme is Russell Square in London, where Amelia Sedley and George Osborne’s families both live. Fitzroy Square was substituted as it had very similar architecture.

Brussels

“Check out the wonders of Brussels, where there is lovely shopping to be had if you’ve brought money!”

Brussels does have some very old buildings and it does have a strong military and navy heritage. However Budapest was used for filming.

Germany

“Ah, Pumpernickel – the jewel of this corner of Germany, where there are fun things to do and charming people to do them with!”

Pumpernickel is fictional so Budapest was used in the TV show