Sex Education

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

From its release in 2019 to its highly anticipated return in 2020, Netflix’s Sex Education has attracted rave reviews and captured a huge international audience. One of the streaming service’s biggest ever hits, it had over 40 million views within its opening month in January 2019!

Synopsis:

The show follows Otis (Asa Butterfield), a socially awkward high school student who lives with his mother Jean (Gillian Anderson), a sex therapist in a stunning home with views overlooking a beautiful river valley and a lush green surrounding landscape which features heavily throughout both series. 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. Many easily identifiable locations are used throughout both series, from the characters’ homes, 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 locations used:

Top Filming Locations Used in Both Series:

The distinctive red and white house seen in the above photo with the Saracens Head Inn below is Otis and Jean’s home in the show. The house overlooks the River Wye at Symonds Yat East in Herefordshire, England (below). Cross the river using the hand ferry at The Saracens Head Inn for the best views of the house from the other side and enjoy riverside walks to take in the scenery captured throughout both 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. The bridge Otis and Eric cross to go to school is the Wireworks Bridge at Tintern (pictured below) and even though Tintern Abbey isn't shown it is just down the river from here!

Brockweir Bridge also features in several scenes and the woods where many scenes were shot is Fedw Wood near Devauden, Monmouthshire. Businesses feature too including Browns Village Stores in Llandogo which the characters go into several times. 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. Other locations include Bigsweir House (a 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).

Top Locations in Series Two

Series two’s storyline follows Otis’s ‘coming of age’ with even more of the region’s beauty spots starring. 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 too. There are many more woodland scenes featuring the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley in series two with some key tourist locations included. 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. 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).

There's no mistaking that this is the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley in all its glory! Season 3 began filming in 2020 and after delays due to COVID-19 is due to be released in 2021.

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