The Dark Knight Rises: Wayne Manor

We here at Fohnhouse like nothing more than to take a leisurely stroll around scenic filming locations. This week, I decided to pay a visit to the latest incarnation of Wayne Manor, Wollaton Hall, which masqueraded as the home of billionaire playboy (and – shhh! – Batman) Bruce Wayne in the recent blockbuster The Dark Knight Rises.

Located in the beautiful Wollaton Park, just beside the University of Nottingham’s University Park campus, Wollaton Hall was the home of the Willoughby family until the 1880s, and now houses the Nottingham Natural History Museum. Walking up from one of the many approach paths to the rear of the house, one can have fun playing at being Catwoman, scoping out the Manor for a heist (though we advise against wearing the full Pfeiffer – stick with Halle Berry’s get-up and you won’t be noticed amongst all the students in similar gear!). 

Beyond the Hall itself, the Park is worth a visit just for the scenery. If you’re lucky you might catch sight of one or more of the resident red deer – Britain’s largest native mammal is usually spotted avoiding the visitors, though as we come into rutting season it’s probably the visitors who will be avoiding them.

There may not be a bat cave (though it’s worth having a nosey around just in case), but Wollaton Hall is definitely worth a visit – Nottingham must be very pleased to be able to call itself home to a second moral crusader in tights!

These floodlights carry the Bat symbol – just a shame they haven’t installed a proper Bat signal

MP