THE KEIGHLEY area is the UK's joint most romantic filming location, a new study has found.
According to research, nearly a quarter of movies and TV shows shot in this area have been romances.
Films have included several Bronte-related classics, such as the 2011 Oscar-nominated version of Jane Eyre, the 1992 adaptation of Wuthering Heights – starring Juliette Binoche as Cathy and Ralph Fiennes as Heathcliff – and the 2022 movie Emily.
And the line-up also includes the 2019 big-screen version of Downton Abbey.
Amongst popular locations for filming are historic Dalton Mills, the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway and surrounding moorland.
The study, carried out by TourScanner, found that 24.6 per cent of the 69 films and TV shows shot in Keighley were romantic.
It shares top spot with Bath, which has been home to movie productions including The Other Boleyn Girl.
Third was Worthing, with Cheltenham and Salisbury completing the leading five.
To compile the data, a list of the UK's 430 largest towns and cities by population was initially drawn up.
Each location's page on IMDb – the online film and TV database – was then analysed, with the total number of productions and those featuring in the 'romantic' genre being recorded.
Places with less than 50 productions were discounted, before the percentage of romance films for the remainder was calculated.
Guillaume Picard, co-founder of TourScanner, says: "Film tourism has become a major travel trend in recent years, as movie and television show enthusiasts have taken to visiting locations featured in their favourite productions.
"Romance is one of the most popular genres, and such movies and TV programmes are often set in breathtaking and idyllic locations.
"Yet many of us have likely watched something and wondered whether it was actually filmed on location rather than on a lifelike set.
"Ahead of Valentine’s Day next month, we decided to conduct the study to discover which of the UK’s towns and cities have the highest percentage of romantic films or TV shows shot on location, to help those looking to book a trip.
"It’s fantastic to see how many romantic movies and TV shows were filmed across the UK, and some of the top results have been pleasantly surprising.
"Visiting these locations could make a great Valentine’s break for those who’ve always fantasised about living like their favourite on-screen characters."
The full results of the study can be found at tourscanner.com/news/most-romantic-filming-locations-in-the-uk
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