Sex Education

Produced by: Netflix

Starring: Gillian Anderson, Asa Butterfield, Ncuti Gatwa, Emma Mackey, Aimee Lou Wood, Connor Swindells, James Purefoy

From its release in January 2019, Netflix’s Sex Education has become one of the streaming service’s biggest ever hits. The series reached over 40 million views in its opening week, has attracted rave reviews, won many awards, and captured a huge international audience, making stars of its young cast.

A British production, Sex Education was filmed entirely within the Wye Valley, Forest of Dean, and South Wales, in the counties of Gloucestershire and Herefordshire in England and Monmouthshire in Wales. There's no mistaking that this is the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley in all its glory!

Many easily identifiable locations are used throughout the series, from where they live, to their school, their journeys, and the places they hang out. We’ve been thrilled to see so much of this area on screen and know that it has attracted a whole new audience to our rural idyll. 

Top Sex Education Filming Locations

The distinctive red and white house below is Otis and Jean’s home in the show. The house is next to the River Wye at Symonds Yat East in Herefordshire, and its stunning views, especially from the balcony, feature heavily throughout the show. For the best views of the house from the other side, walk along the opposite bank of the River Wye and take in the scenery that is captured throughout the series.

Tintern and Llandogo in Monmouthshire feature heavily too, and there are many scenes of the characters walking and cycling along the Wye here throughout the series. The bridge that Otis and Eric cross to go to school is the old Wireworks Bridge at Tintern (pictured below); which is part of the Wye Valley Greenway, and allthough Tintern Abbey isn't shown, it is just down the river from here. The local shop at Llandogo, Browns Village Stores, also features in many scenes as the location where several of the characters work. With the shop’s original signage remaining in place for filming, they have reported many people coming in having recognised the location from the series.

Brockweir Bridge, just north of Tintern, also features in several scenes, and many scenes were shot in Fedw Wood near Devauden, Monmouthshire, just a few miles away. Other filming locations include Bigsweir House (private property) in Gloucestershire, which is Aimee’s home and the venue for a party in the first season, and a local caravan park near Ross-on-Wye (a private site), which is where Maeve lives. Although not within the Dean Wye, the old University of Wales campus at Caerleon, near Newport, features as Moordale High.

Sex Education Season Two Filming Locations 

This fabulous painting promoting the second season of Sex Education features the stunning Wye Valley as a backdrop:

Season 2 premiered on 17 January 2020, with the storyline following Otis’s ‘coming of age’ (pun intended), and with even more of the region’s beauty spots starring. In this season, there are many more woodland scenes featuring the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley, including a camping trip which of course ends in disaster. There are also some key tourist locations included too.

Whitestone, Bargain Wood. and the hills around Llandogo feature heavily, with the steep wooden slopes easily recognisable. There are also several scenes featuring The Dean Forest Railway in Season 2, which many of the main characters visit. Redbrook Bridge (pictured below), which crosses the River Wye with England on one side and Wales on the other, is used in a scene involving Jackson and Viv.

Monmouth features in Season 2 several times. with the fairground scenes being shot on local playing fields (Vauxhall Fields) and a high street scene being shot at a local games shop. The arcade which Eric and Rahim visit is the leisure park at Symonds Yat West. There is also a scene at St Briavels Castle where Jackson and his mum enjoy views of the Wye from a park bench (pictured below) while having a heart-to-heart.

Sex Education Season Three Filming Locations

Season 3 began filming in early 2020 but unfortunately, due to COVID-19, was heavily delayed, with long gaps between filming and the different restrictions between Wales and England causing additional headaches. So we were all thrilled when the season was finally released on 17th September 2021. All of the regular filming locations which were used in Seasons 1 and 2 are included of course, as well as a few new ones... 

As they couldn't film abroad, the Forest of Dean stepped in to serve as France when the school goes on a coach trip. Mallards Pike is used in several key scenes (see below for some behind the scenes photos from Forestry England); a picturesque lake with picnic benches and cafe in the heart of the Forest of Dean, it was set up as a French petrol station! Signage was spotted by locals while the site was closed to the public for filming in 2020, but we weren't sure of the storyline until we watched the series ourselves. The conversation between Otis and Maeve about the answerphone message which was left and deleted at the end of Season 2 occurs here. Mallards Pike also appears in the trailer quite clearly and there are some extra-curricular activities going on too... Don't worry, we're sure they sanitised the bench afterwards!

The road between The Speech House Hotel and Mallards Pike is used in a key scene, also supposed to be in France, when a hairy bus ride through the forest occurs. Beautiful wintry scenes of the Forest of Dean can also be spotted.

Wintour's Leap is used in a scene where Jackson and new character Cal sit on the rocks looking out over the Wye in Gloucestershire towards the Welsh side of the valley. A stunning viewpoint, there is absolutely no mistaking it and, as it is west facing, it's a wonderful spot to view the sunset. They also walk along the cliffs below a little, a popular climbing spot.

Redbrook Bridge features again too; this time mid-winter, with the raging Wye high against the banks.

Season 3 doesn't disappoint, again a hilarious, poignant, and beautifully written production, and we can't wait to watch Season 4! We've loved following the progression of the characters over the three seasons, and look forward to seeing what happens to Otis, Maeve, Eric, Connor, Aimee, Jackson, Viv, Jean, Jakob, Ola, Lily, and new baby Joy in Season 4. And, of course, we can't wait to see which Forest of Dean and Wye Valley locations they use in the next season!

Watch Visit Wales' film about the Welsh locations used in Sex Education here:

Watch Sex Education on Netflix here.