Sex Education

Produced by: Netflix

Starring: Gillian Anderson, Asa Butterfield, Ncuti Gatwa, Emma Mackey, Aimee Lou Wood, Connor Swindells, James Purefoy

Year: 2019-2023

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

A British production, Sex Education was filmed entirely within the Wye Valley, Forest of Dean, and South Wales, in 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 the 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.

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, and its stunning views, especially from the balcony, feature heavily throughout the show. For the best views of the house from the other side, walk along the opposite bank of the River Wye and take in the scenery that is captured throughout the series.

Tintern and Llandogo in Monmouthshire feature heavily too, and there are many scenes of the characters walking and cycling along the Wye here throughout the series. The bridge that Otis and Eric cross to go to school is the old Wireworks Bridge at Tintern (pictured below); which is part of the Wye Valley Greenway, and allthough 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 the location 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 many scenes were shot in Fedw Wood near Devauden, Monmouthshire, just a few miles away. Other filming locations include Bigsweir House (private property) in Gloucestershire, which is Aimee’s home and the venue for a party in the first season, and a local caravan park near Ross-on-Wye (a private site), which is where Maeve lives. Although not within the Dean Wye, the old University of Wales campus at Caerleon, near Newport, features as Moordale High.

Sex Education Season Two Filming Locations

This fabulous painting promoting the second season of Sex Education features the stunning Wye Valley as a backdrop:

Sex Education Season Three Filming Locations

Season 3 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 all thrilled when the season was finally released on 17th September 2021. All of the regular filming locations which were used in Seasons 1 and 2 are included of course, as well as a few new ones...

As 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 below for some behind the scenes photos from Forestry England); 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 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 Season 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 also be spotted.

Wintour's Leap is 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.

And while we thought that might be the end, thankfully there was still more to come - with Season 4 taking us on one final adventure, introducing new faces, a new school, and even more stunning filming locations across the Dean Wye and beyond.

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

Sex Education Season Four Filming Locations

Season 4 premiered on 21 September 2023 and marked the final chapter for Otis, Maeve, Eric, and the rest of the gang. Along with big changes for the characters, there were exciting new filming locations too - both familiar favourites and fresh discoveries.

As Moordale Secondary closed its doors, the students found themselves at the all-new Cavendish College, a bold, free-spirited environment that perfectly matched the next chapter of their lives.

The modern exterior of Cavendish is actually the St Fagans National Museum of History near Cardiff (less than an hours drive from the Forest of Dean). With its clean lines, geometric shapes and mid-century vibe, it brought a new energy to the show’s look while still tying back to its signature retro style.

Meanwhile, we were thrilled to see familiar locations returning.
The much-loved Chalet at Symonds Yat East, Otis and Jean’s iconic riverside home, continued to feature prominently - although the red treehouse is still specially rebuilt for each season!

New additions for Season 4 included:

• Adam’s Farm:
  Adam finds a new sense of purpose working at Werngochlyn Farm, just outside Abergavenny.
• Wallace University:
  Maeve’s American study adventures were actually filmed at Westonbirt School near Bristol (less than an hours drive from the Forest of Dean). However, some of the stunning interior scenes featuring Maeve and Thomas Molloy (Dan Levy) were filmed at the Wills Memorial Building at Bristol University.
  One of the last great Gothic-style buildings in England, the Wills Memorial Building dates to 1925 and features dark wood bookshelves, vaulted ceilings, and a magnificent Great Hall. Its dramatic Law Library and historic character provided the perfect backdrop for Maeve’s new academic journey.
• Eric’s Bridge:
  There’s a new bridge to spot this season too! Instead of the Wireworks Bridge in Tintern (featured heavily in previous seasons), we see the beautiful Duke of Beaufort Iron Bridge in Monmouth. Built in 1874 as part of the Victorian railway boom, this striking bridge is now a footpath and an iconic Monmouth landmark, offering stunning views over the River Wye and Monmouth Viaduct.

Throughout Season 4, familiar views of the Wye Valley, the Forest of Dean's woodlands, and riverside scenes continue to shine - a reminder that, even as the story changes, the Dean Wye landscape remains an unforgettable character all on its own.