A manor in Kent has been used as a backdrop for new DIsney+ period drama Renegade Nell.

Filming of the show took place at Penshurst Place near Tonbridge in November where its grounds were used for several scenes across the eight-episode series.

The crypt of the Grade 1 listed building was transformed into a 14th-century candle factory while the panelled room acted as the study and bedroom of the titular character’s adversary, the Earl of Poynton.

Outside, Penshurst’s historic gardens and Inner Courtyard portrayed some of the grounds at Poynton’s Broadwater Hall, providing the backdrop for several of the key external scenes.

Ben Thomas, general manager at Penshurst Place and Gardens, said: “A stand-out moment during the filming was the arrival on set of several large and very-much-alive snakes in the Panelled Room.

“It was a little worrying at first but a specialist snake-handler was on hand to provide assistance and ensure everyone’s safety.

“In fact, the actor who handled the snakes was incredibly professional and thankfully, it all went very smoothly.

"It’s a privilege for Penshurst Place to have a role in such an exciting new drama. This is not the first time it has been the setting for a fantasy adventure story, having previously provided the backdrop for the oft-quoted fight scene in the cult classic movie The Princess Bride.”

While Penshurst Place is a favourite filming location for historical dramas, it also regularly acts as a backdrop for filmmakers of all genres.

For example, it was the setting for the hallucination dream scene in Strike - The Silkworm and provided the creaking staircase sound effects for the Harry Potter movie franchise – which, of course, actor Frank Dillane, here for the filming of Renegade Nell, also starred in as Tom Riddle.

Written by screenwriter Sally Wainwright, Renegade Nell follows the story of a quick-witted young woman who becomes the most notorious highwaywoman in 18th-century England.

It will include a cast of some known names such as Adrian Lester, Frank Dillane, and Alice Kremelberg.

The show can be watched on the online streaming platform Disney + from Good Friday (March 29).