Netflix’s Damsel filming locations include the Convent of Christ, Tomar, Batalha Monastery, Serra da Estrela, and Douro Valley in Portugal, Raby Castle, County Durham, and Troubadour Meridian Water Studios, London.
Lord Bayford (Ray Winstone) and Lady Bayford (Angela Bassett) are invited to bring their daughters, Elodie (Millie Bobby Brown) and Floria (Brooke Carter) to the Kingdom of Aurea.
Elodie is destined to marry Prince Henry (Nick Robinson), but Queen Isabelle (Robin Wright) and King Roderick (Mio Twomey) of Aurea are hiding a secret. And let’s just say it involved a dragon (Shohreh Aghdashloo)...
Where Was Damsel 2024 Filmed?
Damsel was filmed in London and Portugal at Troubadour Meridian Water Studios, Raby Castle, the Monastery of Batalha, Church of Christ in Tomar, and the Serra da Estrelha mountain range around Sortelha.
Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, the Millie Bobby Brown movie was filmed between February and July 2022. It takes place across two kingdoms, Elodie’s homeland and Prince Henry’s Kingdom of Aurea, and adds a fantasy dimension to real Portuguese locations.
Damsel 2024 Locations
Is the Castle From Damsel Real?
Batalha Monastery. Alvesgaspar, CC BY-SA 4.0
The Damsel castle is partially real – elaborate interiors and underground caves were built at Troubadour Meridian Water Studios in London, and location filming took place in Portugal at Batalha Monastery and the Convent of Christ, Tomar.
CGI long shots combined elements of Portugal’s architecture with fantasy details to complete the Kingdom of Aurea’s Castle.
Aurea Castle Chambers
The castle set was build on Troubadour Meridian Water Studios, where three studios offer 65,000 square feet of space to create magical worlds. These include Princess Elodie’s chambers with their balconies and gilded doors.
Castle Cloisters
Batalha Monastery. Ricardo Saraiva de Almeida, CC BY-SA 4.0
The castle cloisters location in Damsel are the Royal Cloisters of Batalha Monastery, Portugal. Monastery of Batalha is a UNESCO World Heritage site in the Portuguese district of Leiria, and several areas appear in the Millie Bobby Brown movie.
Damsel was filmed in Batalha Monastery’s Imperfect Chapels and Royal Cloisters back in 2022.
The monastery took over a hundred years to build, between 1386 and 1517, with successive architects adapting its Gothic style. The second architect, Huguet, helped to form the Capelas Imperfeitas, which are now among Batalha’s most popular visitor attractions.
Castle Garden
Damsel’s castle garden location is the Convent of Christ in Tomar, Portugal. While some fantastical details are added to its architecture, it’s practically as grand as it appears in the Millie Bobby Brown movie. The Convent of Christ showcases the Manueline architectural influences which followed the Gothic era – and influenced the Damsel castle’s design.
Castle Courtyard Wedding
Convent of Christ. sandexx, CC BY 3.0
The castle courtyard wedding scene in Damsel 2024 was filmed in the King João III Cloister of the Convent of Christ in Tomar, Portugal. Redditors caught behind the scenes photos from the Damsel location shoot in progress back in 2022, while the courtyard was decked out in regal red banners for the Netflix movie.
Also known as the Main Cloister, the King João III Cloister was designed in the 150s and later embellished on – it’s considered to be the grandest of the Convent of Christ’s cloisters.
Caves of Aurea
Damsel’s cave scenes were filmed in Portugal and at Troubadour Meridian Water Studios in Enfield, with Millie Bobby Brown performing many of her own stunts. Production designer Patrick Tatopoulos mapped out each of the caves, which were built at the new London studios.
Seven huge practical sets were combined with digital extensions to create the Entrance Cave, Bird Cave, Twisted tunnel, Glow Worm Cave, Womb Cave, Crystal Shaft and boss-level Temple Cave.
But there’s an exception – look out for it after Elodie and Henry's wedding, when the prince and princess journey to the caves (unbeknown to Elodie, of course). The scene where Prince Henry leads Elodie to be sacrificed was filmed at Nossa Senhora da Boa Estrela near the Torre de Estrella, in the Serra da Estrela range.
In Damsel, the rough stone steps end at the pit above the dragon's caves, but the filming location for the sacrifice scene actually ends with a religious sanctuary dedicated to Our Lady of the Good Star.
Lord Brayburn’s Castle
malcolm tebbit / Raby Castle
Elodie’s castle location in Damsel is Raby Castle in County Durham. This 14th Century castle may look familiar – it’s a popular filming location from ITV’s Victoria and many more movies and TV series.
Set in 200 acres of parkland, Raby Castle was built in the 14th Century for the 3rd Baron Neville of de Raby. The family held it for centuries until 6th Earl of Westmoreland came out in support of Mary, Queen of Scots.
Later owners added their own details to the castle, including a Gothic entrance hall and 17th and 18th Century renovations, but it still looks the part as a true medieval castle.
Elodie’s Kingdom
In Damsel, Elodie’s kingdom locations are Serra da Estrela near Sortelha, and the Douro River and Coa Valley. Snow-topped Serra da Estrela is Portugal’s highest mountain. The UNESCO-listed National Park lies close to Sortelha, one of Portugal’s oldest villages.
Crew members shared snapshots from the Douro River in Pinao, Portugal, back in 2022. The river passes through the Coa Valley in Portugal’s Vila Nova de Foz Coa. The area is known for its vineyards, and you can see the distinctive stepped landscape in shots of Elodie’s journey to the Kingdom of Aurea.