REAL LIFE ON THE 'RIVALS' SET

James Lowsley-Williams on his family's historic home, the Cotswolds estate that has starred in both Poldark and Rivals and where he grew up playing with Princes William and Harry

Nestled in the rolling hills of the Cotswolds, Chavenage House has become a bit of a local celebrity. The Elizabethan estate near the picturesque village of Tetbury is a stone's throw from Highgrove House and Gatcombe Park, the country homes of the King and the Princess Royal, and served as a playground for the young Princes William and Harry.

The beautiful grade I-listed manor has also starred in some of the biggest shows on TV, with roles in Wolf Hall, Poldark and, more recently, Rivals, the nation's favourite - and steamiest period drama.

In fact, actor Aidan Turner has appeared in bedroom scenes here as both 18th-century Cornish heartthrob Captain Ross Poldark and 1980s journalist Declan O'Hara in the Disney+ adaptation of author Jilly Cooper's best-selling novel.

"Aidan used this bed to do a sex scene in Poldark. And then, when Rivals came along, he used the same bed," says James Lowsley-Williams as he gives HELLO! a tour of one of the countless bedrooms in the home where his family has lived for six generations.

"Aidan loves to tell that story," he laughs.

James, 32, who is charming, funny and enthusiastic - like the many excited pet dogs that scamper at our heels guides us through a maze of passageways, nooks and tucked-away rooms before we arrive in the Great Hall with its minstrels' gallery, gilt-framed family portraits and impressive inglenook fireplace.

Leading from the hall is the wood-panelled Oak Room and the magnificent ballroom, with a window seat that offers uninterrupted views across the Marlborough Downs. It was against this romantic backdrop that James and his wife Emma held their wedding reception on 21 December, following a ceremony at St Mary's Church in Tetbury, with 240 guests in attendance.

Dinner in a marquee was followed by a party in the ballroom, for which male guests changed from morning suits to black tie, "because black tie works really well in the house".