Filming & Photography - Lincoln's Inn

The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn (or Lincoln’s Inn) boasts varied architecture, beautiful gardens, spacious squares, historic halls and panelled rooms dating from the 15th century to the modern day. We offer an array of both interior and exterior backdrops as a filming location in the heart of London.

Although you might think the space only lends itself to legal dramas, the location offers a range of opportunities for genres including period, sci-fi, fantasy and crime dramas. Alternatively, we can offer a tranquil setting for intimate interviews by the fireplace.

The images in the carousel below show some of the locations available.

The East Terrace of Lincoln's Inn at dusk

Exterior of Old Buildings and Chapel in the grounds of Lincoln's Inn

The undercroft of Lincoln's Inn, empty of all visitors. Stone arches rise up from the ground and interlock into a roof like structure, providing shelter. Smooth, stone tiles provide a solid surface on the ground.

Stone Buildings exterior at Lincoln's Inn - white stone, arched doorways with steps leading up to them, wrought iron railings and lamp post outside

Exterior of Stone Buildings with road sign on the wall.

Row of terraced brick period buildings with green shutters and iron railings - Lincoln's Inn New Square

People walk through Wildy's Archway. It is a a brick archway, painted white and the edges painted turquoise. Those walking through are silhouetted by the shadows.

The Great Hall at Lincoln's Inn laid out for Member's Lunch

Bench rooms at the Inn - wooden panelled walls with portraits, a large stone fireplace, and board room table with red leather chairs

Interior of Old Hall, vaulted dark wood ceiling and panelled walls, candle chandeliers, rows of dark wooden chairs laid out on a stone floor. Portraits adorn the walls and the windows are stained glass.

Interior of the Old Court Room laid out theatre style

view of interior of MCR - emphasis on vaulted ceiling

The East Terrace

New Square garden

Old Square and Chapel

Undercroft

Stone buildings

8 Stone buildings

New Square buildings

Wildy's passage

Library

Great Hall

Drawing room

Old Hall

The Old Court Room

Chapel

The MCR Restaurant and Bar

Great Hall

Make a filming enquiry

To make an enquiry, please use the ‘Enquire now’ button and complete our online form, or contact us at [email protected]

Enquire now

Downton Abbey filming outside Stone Building - a period red bus and carriages in the street

A scene from ITV's Downton Abby, filmed outside Wildy's

Behind the scenes photo of ITV's Unforgotten shooting in the MCR

3 women in period dress on a break from filming Sherlock

Frequently Asked Questions

If your question is not answered in the information below then please use the enquiry form to get in touch. We will be happy to help.

Do I need to obtain permission to film or photograph at Lincoln’s Inn?

Permission to film or photograph across the estate is always required. We consider requests on a case-by-case basis and will accommodate them where possible.

Which spaces can be hired for filming?

All of our interior and exterior spaces are available for hire. The images above show some of the locations available.

Please note that access to and use of the interior of offices and resident flats across the estate would need to be agreed directly with the tenants.

Does the Inn permit filming during the week?

As a working estate, we have to carefully consider any requests to film during the week. We are keen to make this work, where business allows. Please do approach us to discuss any requests that may sit outside the previous parameters.

Do recces need to be pre-booked?

Recces of external spaces can be undertaken without a booking. The estate is open to the public from 08:00 until 19:00 Monday to Friday. If you would like to view any internal spaces, bookings are required. Please complete the form below to arrange a visit.

Limited parking spaces are available for recces. Please advise us if parking is required prior to arrival so that we can indicate whether parking fees apply.

Does a production have to be in active development before I contact the Inn to explore filming?

No. If you would like to discuss plans to recce the site, please do get in touch. We would welcome the opportunity to show your team around in case our location is of interest in the future, even if there is nothing specific planned at present.

How long before the filming date should I submit an application to film?

Please initiate a conversation with us about your intended shoot as soon as you can. We will be as flexible as we can, but the more notice we have, the easier it is for us to manage requests.

What happens after you have received my application to film?

Once an application to film is received, the Filming Manager will liaise across departments at the Inn to confirm whether we can facilitate the shoot. We work closely with the Location Manager regarding the location, art, lighting and any other requests. Where we are unable to approve a request, we will work with the Location Manager to try and find a solution.

Our team is very responsive and supportive of filming so responses will be timely.

How much does it cost?

Due to the multiple spaces available on site, each request is considered on a case by case basis. We will be able to provide a more accurate quote on request.

A filming day starts at 07:00 and needs to end at 22:00 at the latest. For the purposes of fees, a day is considered a 12-hour period.

Are there any green rooms/crowd holding spaces available?

We do have various spaces such as the Old Court Room (OCR) or Old Hall or the Ashworth Centre, that could be used as a crowd base for hair and makeup. We will be able to advise on availability and cost as appropriate.

Is catering permitted on site?

Although we are unable to permit cooking on site, we are happy to accommodate dining areas in some spaces and for cooked food to be brought on site. Where bain maries are being used we would just ask for the specifications, and, in some areas, for floors to be protected. A food waiver form would be signed and included within the contract.

What about questions not covered here?

We are always happy to answer any questions you might have. We are here to help and will do what we can to accommodate requests. Where a request cannot be facilitated, notification will be given at the earliest opportunity.

Please use the enquiry form if you have any further questions.