Sex Education

When: 2019-present
Produced by: Netflix
Starring: Gillian Anderson, Asa Butterfield, Ncuti Gatwa, Emma Mackey, Aimee Lou Wood, Connor Swindells and James Purefoy

From its release in 2019 Netflix’s Sex Education has become one of the streaming service’s biggest ever hits. It achieved over 40 million views in its opening week, has attracted rave reviews and many awards and captured a huge international audience, making stars of its young cast.

The first series premiered on 11 January 2019. A British production, Sex Education was filmed entirely within the Wye Valley, Forest of Dean and South Wales within the counties of Gloucestershire and Herefordshire in England and Monmouthshire in Wales. There's no mistaking that this is the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley in all its glory!

Many easily identifiable locations are used throughout all three series', from where they live, to their school, their journeys and the places they hang out. We’ve been thrilled to see so much of this area on screen and know that it has attracted a whole new audience to our rural idyll. Here are a few of the top filming locations used in Sex Education:

Top Sex Education Filming Locations

The distinctive red and white house below is Otis and Jean’s home in the show. The house is next to the River Wye at Symonds Yat East in Herefordshire, England and its stunning views especially from the balcony feature heavily throughout the show. Walk along the opposite bank for the best views of the house from the other side and take in the scenery captured throughout the series.

Tintern and Llandogo in Monmouthshire, Wales, feature heavily too and there are many scenes of the characters walking and cycling along the Wye here in all series. The bridge Otis and Eric cross to go to school is the old Wireworks Bridge at Tintern (pictured below) part of the Wye Valley Greenway and even though Tintern Abbey isn't shown it is just down the river from here. The local shop at Llandogo, Browns Village Stores, also features in many scenes as it is where several of the characters work. With the shop’s original signage remaining in place for filming they have reported many people coming in having recognised the location from the series.

Brockweir Bridge just north of Tintern also features in several scenes and the woods where many scenes were shot is Fedw Wood near Devauden, Monmouthshire just a few miles away. Other locations include Bigsweir House (private property) in Gloucestershire which is Aimee’s home and is the venue for a party in series one and Maeve’s home is a local caravan park near Ross-on-Wye (a private site). Although not within the Dean Wye, the old University of Wales campus at Caerleon near Newport features as Moordale High. This fabulous painting promoting series two features the stunning Wye Valley as a backdrop:

Sex Education Series Two Filming Locations

Series two premiered on 17 January 2020. The storyline follows Otis’s ‘coming of age’ (pun intended) with even more of the region’s beauty spots starring. There are many more woodland scenes featuring the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley in this series including a camping trip which of course ends in disaster and there are some key tourist locations included too.

Whitestone, Bargain Wood and the hills around Llandogo feature heavily with the steep wooden slopes easily recognisable. There are also several scenes featuring The Dean Forest Railway in series two which many of the main characters visit. Redbrook Bridge (pictured below) which crosses the River Wye with England on one side and Wales on the other is used in a scene involving Jackson and Viv.

Monmouth features in series two several times as well with the fairground scenes being shot on local playing fields (Vauxhall Fields) and a high street scene at a local games shop. The arcade which Eric and Rahim visit is the leisure park at Symonds Yat West. There is also a scene at St Briavels Castle with Jackson and his mum enjoying views of the Wye from a park bench (pictured below) at St Briavels tump while having a heart-to-heart.

Sex Education Series Three Filming Locations

Series three began filming in early 2020 but unfortunately due to COVID-19 was heavily delayed, with long gaps between filming and the different restrictions between Wales and England causing additional headaches. So we were thrilled when it was finally released on 17th September 2021. All of the regular filming locations which were used in series one and two are included of course, as well as a few new ones... 

Because they couldn't film abroad, the Forest of Dean stepped in to serve as France when the school goes on a coach trip. Mallards Pike is used in several key scenes (see some behind the scenes photos from Forestry England below). A picturesque lake with picnic benches and cafe in the heart of the Forest of Dean, it was set up as a French petrol station! Signage was spotted by locals while the site was closed off to the public for filming in 2020 but we weren't sure of the storyline until we watched the series ourselves. The conversation between Otis and Maeve about the answerphone message which was left and deleted at the end of series 2 occurs here. Mallards Pike also appears in the trailer quite clearly and there are some extra-curricular activities going on too... don't worry we're sure they sanitised the bench afterwards!

The road between The Speech House Hotel and Mallards Pike is used in a key scene also supposed to be in France when a hairy bus ride through the Forest occurs. Beautiful wintry scenes of the Forest of Dean can be spotted.

Wintour's Leap is also used in a scene where Jackson and new character Cal sit on the rocks looking out over the Wye in Gloucestershire towards the Welsh side of the valley. A stunning viewpoint, there is absolutely no mistaking it and as it is west facing it's a wonderful spot to view the sunset. They also walk along the cliffs below a little, a popular climbing spot.

Redbrook bridge features again too, this time mid-winter with the raging Wye high against the banks.

Series three doesn't disappoint, again a hilarious, poignant and beautifully written production. We're again thrilled to hear that a fourth series has been commissioned. We've loved following the progression of the characters over three series and look forward to seeing what happens to Otis, Maeve, Eric, Connor, Aimee, Jackson, Viv, Jean, Jakob, Ola, Lily and new baby Joy in series four. And of course we can't wait to see what Forest of Dean and Wye Valley locations they use next time!

Watch Visit Wales' film about the Welsh locations used here:

Watch Sex Education on Netflix here.