Bridget Jones is not just a classic rom-com, but a cultural icon. A character that resonated with women all over the world, it’s no surprise that Helen Fielding’s literary phenomenon Bridget Jones’s Diary became a global bestseller and a blockbuster film series – with the final instalment landing in cinemas this Friday, more than 20 years after two-time Academy Award-winner Renée Zellweger, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth starred in the first film in 2001. 

Two decades on, Bridget Jones remains as relevant as ever; a romantic-comedy heroine for the ages, whose inimitable approach to life and love redefined an entire genre. Hot off the heels of the empowered-for-the-time Sex and The City take on careers, dating and the lives of single women, Jones did away with any veneer of glossiness, instead embodying a woman anyone could relate to, keeping viewers tuned in to follow her story from 20-something singleton to (spoiler alert) widowed 40-year-old mother of two. 

Naturally, the final film stays loyal to its London roots, with the cast and crew traversing the capital to snap Zellweger and her new co-star, Leo Woodall of One Day and White Lotus fame, in action. As the franchise comes to an end, we look back at the most iconic Bridget Jones filming locations – and the London landmarks to look out for in the new blockbuster. 

Filming locations in Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)

The film adaptation of Helen Fielding’s 1996 book came five years after it arrived on bookshelves, having become an instant hit, selling millions of copies and being dubbed as a thoroughly modern take on Pride and Prejudice. Texas-born actress Renée Zellweger landed the role of London leading lady, Bridget Jones, with Hugh Grant as Daniel Cleaver and Colin Firth as Mark Darcy. The film grossed over $280 million worldwide against a production budget of $25 million, and garnered Zellweger’s first Best Actress nomination at the 74^th Academy Awards. More than 20 years later, Zellweger’s character is cited as a British cultural icon, and she told Magic FM this year that “the experience of playing her has changed my life in really significant ways”. 

Bridget Jones’s flat 

Filmed at: 8 Beadle Street and the Globe Tavern, Borough Market

Probably the most famous of the Bridget Jones filming locations, Helen Fielding set her first book, Bridget Jones’s Diary, in the leafy surrounds of Holland Park, where, with some creative licence, it was assumed that Jones could afford her first flat on a junior publisher’s salary. When it came to filming in 2001, however, Jones’s rather spacious Zone 1 flat was filmed at 8 Beadle Street in Southwark, with the exterior filmed slightly down the road (and a stone’s throw from London Bridge Station) at The Globe Tavern.

Mark Darcy’s office

Filmed at: Royal Courts of Justice, Westminster 

Jones meets Darcy at a Christmas party at her parent’s home in Grafton Underwood, Gloucestershire, but he also works and lives in London. Some scenes in the first film hone in on Darcy’s work as a high-flying, well-respected, and wealthy human-rights lawyer – and the eagle-eyed will spot the Royal Courts of Justice in Westminster posing as the backdrop when he defends a Kurdish revolutionary leader facing extradition. 

Mark Darcy and Bridget’s first kiss

Filmed at: Royal Exchange, Bank

The final scenes of the first film see Jones and Darcy locking lips in the snow after he buys her a new diary. Although it’s meant to be just down the road from her flat in Holland Park (or Borough Market), the scene was actually filmed outside the Royal Exchange Buildings on Threadneedle Street in The City. 

Filming locations in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004)

Much of the second film was filmed overseas in Lech, Austria – where Jones joins Darcy and his work colleagues on a ski trip – and then in Thailand where she, having pivoted to broadcast journalism, is due to film a travel show called The Smooth Guide. Joined by her friend Shazzer and Daniel Cleaver – who is hosting the show – filming takes place in Bangkok and Phuket before Jones is caught up in a complicated situation which winds her up in a Thai prison, forcing Darcy to come to her rescue. That said, many of the former filming locations still feature, as well as a couple of new spots that consolidate Jones’ London roots. 

The corset shop

Filmed at: Rigby and Peller, Mayfair

This film opens with Jones completely smitten in her new relationship with Darcy. She’s invited to his law council dinner (and becomes quite convinced he will propose afterwards) and arrives with too much blush on in a slap-dash effort to apply makeup in the taxi. The scene beforehand sees her prepare for the evening by buying a corset from Mayfair lingerie store Rigby and Peller, which has been a London institution since 1939. 

Mark Darcy and Daniel Cleaver’s fountain fight

Filmed at: Italian Gardens at Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park

A huge part of the aforementioned Thai hoo-hah centres around the fact that Cleaver abandons Jones at the airport, allowing her to be swept away by Thai police as he boards a flight back to London. A furious Darcy comes to her rescue – but not before confronting Cleaver in a fist fight. One of the film's most famous scenes, we have Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens idyllic Italian fountains to thank for this piece of cinematic history. 

Filming locations in Bridget Jones's Baby (2016)

It was no mean feat to relaunch the beloved Bridget Jones franchise 12 years after its second instalment, but Bridget Jones’s Baby was a huge success, overtaking Notting Hill (1999) to become the fourth-highest grossing(?) romcom ever at the UK box office. While Hugh Grant doesn’t make an appearance, Colin Firth is back in full force as Mark Darcy, joined by Jones’s new lover, Jack Qwant (Patrick Dempsey). Still single and living in London, Jones accidentally falls pregnant – but can’t figure out whether the father is Darcy or Qwant. 

Daniel Cleaver’s funeral

Filmed at: St Clement Danes Church, Strand

The third Bridget Jones film has a rather sombre opening, with Jones attending the funeral of Daniel Cleaver, who has supposedly died in a plane crash. The funeral is filmed against the opulent black and gold interior of St Clement Danes Church on the Strand: the dedicated church for the Royal Air Force to commemorate those who have died in service.

The Hard News office

Filmed at: Kingdom Street, Paddington

The previous films documented Jones’s rise and fall as a publisher and then television producer, and during the third film, she is still climbing the media career ladder at fictional company, Hard News. Regus Studios on Kingdom Street in Paddington stands in for the media company’s HQ. 

Bridget Jones’ pre-natal birthing classes

Filmed at: London Aquatics Centre, Stratford

After finding out she is pregnant, Jones takes up pre-natal birthing classes, with Qwant and Darcy vying for her attention and taking turns to accompany her. These sessions take place at the London Aquatics Centre in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which is now open for anyone and everyone to take a dip. 

The hospital

Filmed at: University College Hospital, Bloomsbury

Jones’ ob-gyn Dr Rawlings is played by the brilliant Emma Thompson, and all of her midwifery appointments and the baby’s delivery were filmed at University College Hospital in Bloomsbury – even when she’s carried rather uncomfortably through the turnstile doors by both Qwant and Darcy. 

Filming locations for Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (2025)

Only announced last April, the fourth and final Bridget Jones film arrived nine years after Bridget Jones’s Baby, picking up from the moment she married Mark Darcy and became mother to their baby boy. Happiness at last. 

But in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, she is alone once again, widowed four years previously, when Darcy was killed on a humanitarian mission in Sudan. She's now a single mother to 10-year-old Billy and six-year-old Mabel, raising her children with help of loyal friends, including former lover, the definitely not dead Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant returns). Pressured to forge a new path in life and love, Jones goes back to work and even tries out dating apps, where she’s soon pursued by a younger man, Roxster (Leo Woodall). Landing in cinemas on Valentine’s Day 2025, many of the filming locations are still under wraps but here’s where Zellweger – and Woodall – have been spotted filming over the past year or two… 

Hampstead Heath

It seems many filming hotspots for Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy were located in north London, with cast and crew spotted in various locales in Hampstead, including the Heath,Haverstock Hill, florist Sayeh and Galton Flowers in Flask Walk, and French restaurant La Cage Imaginaire, which set the stage for a date night. 

Moor House, The City

Having left her post at Hard News behind, Jones’ new position as a screenwriter at the fictional Better Women sees her making the commute to Moor House in The City. 

Electric Cinema, Notting Hill

Another date night spot for Jones and Roxster, the duo were spotted getting cosy at Electric Cinema in Notting Hill while the cameras were rolling. Another London institution, it’s also the perfect spot to catch the latest Bridget Jones’ installation with your own other half.

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