Victorian city landmark features in new fact-based BBC drama

NEW BBC film The Trick aired on our screens this week – and viewers in Cardiff might recognise one location in particular.

The BBC One feature, written by Owen Sheers and starring Jason Watkins and Victoria Hamilton, tells the true story of the Climategate scandal from 2009.

The single drama was filmed in Cardiff, London and Norfolk, with a beautiful Cardiff mansion acting as a key filming location that some viewers may have visited themselves.

Filming took place inside Insole Court, a mansion in Llandaff dating back to 1856.

In a Twitter thread, Insole Court listed the different places around the house where the drama was filmed, including its dramatic exterior, large drawing room, grand oak-panelled dining room, and reading room.

“The house was built in 1856 by James Harvey Insole, a coal owner. It grew over the following decades to become the mansion it is today. After years of decline, it is now run by a registered charity, the Insole Court Trust,” a tweet from Insole Court read.

The mansion’s reading room looks out over the gardens and is open daily for the public to use. Entry to the ground floor and its gardens is free, although there are optional donations.

The drama tells the true story of world-renowned Professor Philip Jones, director of climate research at the University of East Anglia, who back in 2009 found himself at the eye of an international media storm and the victim of cyberterrorism.

Jason Watkins (Line of Duty), plays Professor Phil Jones, and Victoria Hamilton (Doctor Foster, Life) plays his wife Ruth. The cast also includes Welsh stars Richard Elfyn (The Pact) and Aneirin Hughes (Hinterland, Keeping Faith), as well as Keeping Faith actor Rhashan Stone.