Netflix’s House of Guinness is rooted in 19th-century Dublin, beginning after the death of Sir Benjamin Guinness in 1868. Yet much of the city seen on screen was created elsewhere. With relatively little of modern Dublin resembling its Victorian appearance, the production turned largely to North West England and North Wales, using historic streets, industrial docks and grand estates to recreate the period.
For travellers, the result is more than a collection of recognisable sets. Many of these locations have substantial histories of their own, from Liverpool’s maritime heritage to the industrial and colonial story behind a Welsh castle.
Liverpool provided many of the buildings and streets used to construct the series’ version of Dublin, making it the most rewarding place to explore several House of Guinness locations in one trip.
The production also used Greater Manchester, but not always to represent Ireland.
Parts of Manchester’s Northern Quarter, including Dale Street and surrounding streets, were transformed into 19th-century New York, reflecting the series’ storyline beyond Dublin. Period signs, market stalls, carriages and street dressing temporarily concealed the modern city.
Nearby Stockport played a different role. Its historic Underbanks area, with narrow streets and older buildings, was adapted to represent parts of Victorian Dublin. The contrast illustrates how the production assembled its fictional world from several real cities rather than attempting to recreate everything in one place.
One of the most impressive locations lies near Bangor in North Wales. Penrhyn Castle was used to represent Ashford Castle, the Guinness family’s Irish country residence. Completed in the early 19th century for the Pennant family, Penrhyn was deliberately designed in a neo-Norman style that made the building appear much older. Its monumental architecture and extravagant interiors provided an appropriate setting for the wealth surrounding the Guinness dynasty.
The real history, however, is considerably more complex. The Pennant family’s wealth was connected both to the North Wales slate industry and to sugar plantations in Jamaica that relied on enslaved labour. The estate is therefore not simply an example of Victorian grandeur, but a place where architecture, industrial power, labour history and colonial wealth intersect.
Today, the National Trust manages Penrhyn Castle and Garden, where visitors can explore the castle, collections, gardens and surrounding estate.
If historic houses transformed for television interest you, our Bridgerton filming locations guide explores another collection of real British estates, palaces and streets that became part of a fictional world.
Liverpool is the easiest base for a filming-location trip, with several sites concentrated in and around the city. St George’s Hall and the Georgian Quarter can be combined on foot, while Stanley Dock and Croxteth Hall require separate journeys from the centre.
Manchester and Stockport can form another stage of the trip, particularly for travellers interested in the industrial history and architecture of North West England. Penrhyn Castle is better treated as part of a North Wales itinerary rather than a quick detour from Liverpool. There is also another direction you can take the story. If the series inspires you to explore the Guinness legacy in Dublin itself, our Guinness Storehouse Dublin guide looks at St James’s Gate, including the difference between the Storehouse visitor attraction and the experience that takes visitors inside parts of the working brewery.
Opening arrangements at historic properties can change with the season, conservation work and private events, so check official visitor information before travelling.
For more real places discovered through film and television, explore our Cinematic Destinations collection.
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