Grove Park, Nettlebed: a landmark in the television and film industry

In more recent years, however, the historical and architectural significance of the house and designed by Charles Edward Mallows, and the picturesque estate in which it is set and the ease of access to London, has resulted in interest from film and television industry.

In the 1992 television series “Jeeves and Wooster,’ the house appeared in an episode entitled ‘Right Ho, Jeeves’ as Deverill Hall, in 2008 it became Bledlow Manor in a 2008 episode of ‘Midsomer Murders.’  The producers of ‘Agatha Christie’s Poirot’ used Joyce Grove more than once, presenting it as Hunterbury House for a series filmed in 2003 and as the exterior of Meadowbrook School in another episode six years later.

In the 2014 film, ‘The Imitation Game,’ Joyce Grove became Bletchley Park.  The house was used throughout the film but one particularly iconic shot shows Benedict Cumberbatch who played Alan Turing in the film, walking through the Bletchley Park Gates. Today, the gates are just as impressive thanks to Beechcroft’s restoration and can be more easily seen now that the foliage has been trimmed back. Just inside the gates, is a unique lodge cottage, beautifully renovated and now home to one of lucky customers.

In 2020, Joyce Grove was used in the “The Nevers,” released on Netflix is 2021, which is set in Victorian London and features a group of women with superhuman abilities.  The house served as an orphanage run by one of the characters and because of the nature of the building and the estate, it was possible to film scenes that would have been difficult in other settings.  The production team installed lighting and hydraulic platform lifts to accommodate the camera crew.

Most recently, in 2020 just prior to Beechcroft’s acquisition of Joyce Grove, when the estate was still under the ownership of Sue Ryder, the house became ‘Fawney Rig Manor’ in the American fantasy drama series, ‘The Sandman’ which starred Tom Sturridge in the leading role.

Today, Beechcroft is showcasing a collection of elegant, converted homes at Grove Park, which is set to become one of the company’s most impressive developments. Beechcroft has renovated and converted the former stables, creating one, two and three-bedroom cottages, each with a terrace, private garden or both. The Lodge Cottage has also been transformed into a spectacular, single-storey, three-bedroom home featuring period windows in every frame which frame the most exceptional views across the estate’s 27 acres of parkland. Work has also begun on the careful restoration and conversion of the house into exceptionally elegant apartments. 

Whilst Beechcroft is known as one of the country’s leading retirement specialists, homes at Grove Park have been designed by the company’s Special Projects Division, founded in 2000 to focus on buildings of historical or architectural significance. This means that, unlike many Beechcroft developments, the homes are not designed for the over 55s but for a much wider age range although full time residency is restricted to the over 16s.

An estate manager will be on hand to deal with the day-to-day administration of the development and the maintenance of the communal areas, private gardens and the landscaped parkland as well to offer help and advice, if and when needed.

For further information on the Beechcroft homes currently available at Grove Park or to register for information on the forthcoming apartments within the original house, please contact the Beechcroft sales team. Prices start from £395,000 for a one-bedroom cottage and the show home and sales office are open from 10 am to 5 pm, Tuesday to Saturday inclusive. Details of Grove Park and all Beechcroft’s current and forthcoming developments are available  here.