Is Manderley a Real Place? Here's Where Netflix's 'Rebecca' Was Filmed

Daphne du Maurier's 1938 novel Rebecca opens with the narrator's memorable line, "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again." The plot then shifts to a flashback, as the narrator (whose name is never revealed) recalls how she met her husband, Maxim de Winter, in Monte Carlo, and how she ultimately felt overshadowed by the memory of his first wife, Rebecca.

Manderley is Maxim's sprawling English estate, which almost serves as another main character because it holds the secrets of what happened to Rebecca.

The novel has been adapted for the screen before, and the latest is a Netflix film starring Lily James as the narrator, Armie Hammer as Maxim de Winter, and Kristin Thomas Scott as the meddlesome housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers. It will be released on the streaming service on Oct. 21, and the trailer revealed picturesque shots of the Manderley property. 

Where was Rebecca on Netflix filmed? Keep reading to find out where the actual estates used in the film are located.

The Manderley estate has a life of its own throughout Rebecca, as the narrator adjusts to becoming the lady of the home, while also realizing how much of a mark the late Rebecca de Winter has left on it.

When Daphne Du Maurier wrote the book in the '30s, she based Manderley partly off of a Cornwall estate called Menabilly. But, the 2020 movie decided to create Manderley by using elements from eight estates and areas across England. 

The coastal shots in Rebecca were filmed at the Hartland Quay in North Devon. Manderley itself, from the interior scenes to the exterior property shots, is comprised of several other notable English estates. 

The Hatfield House in Hertfordshire was one filming spot, which was actually Queen Elizabeth I's childhood home. Viewers can spot it in the scene when the narrator first meets Mrs. Danvers in the marble hallway. 

The Mapperton House in West Dorset (which reality TV fans might recognize from Bravo's Ladies of London) was used for the scenes in the study, and for the outdoor party. 

Shots from the Loseley House in Surrey, the Blegberry Farm in Devon, the Petworth House in West Sussex, and the Osterley House in Isleworth were featured in the film as well. 

But, the Cranborne Estate in Dorset was the main filming location for Manderley, and it was utilized for the exterior shots of the home. The moment when Maxim and the narrator drive up to Manderley after their Monte Carlo wedding was filmed at the Cranborne Manor. 

Though Manderley is not a real place, many of the places for Rebecca are open to the public for visits. 

The beginning of both the novel and the film editions of Rebecca take place in Monte Carlo. The vastly different setting from the eerie air of Manderley is where the narrator — who is working as a traveling companion to a wealthy older woman — first meets Maxim. For the 2020 film, those scenes were shot in the South of France and in Monaco. 

The luxury hotel that Maxim and the narrator's boss are staying in was shot in the Ancien Hotel Regina in Nice. 

The Villa Eilenroc in Antibes and the Exotic Garden of Monaco were filming spots for Maxim and the narrator's first dates. 

Though the beginning of the novel does take place in and around a luxury hotel, most of the subsequent action does center around Manderley.

Rebecca is available to stream on Netflix beginning on Oct. 21.