Rivals might be set among Cotswold hedgerows, but let’s be honest – Somerset & Dorset both have plenty of space for scandal, seduction and steamy behaviour. With season two of the award-winning series arriving on Fri 15 May (clear your diary), we’ve matched the cast to real Somerset & Dorset properties!

The full Rupert Campbell-Black Georgian pile

rivals house somerset — Harptree Court is on the market with Knight Frank for £6.5m

If ever there were a house for Rupert Campbell-Black, this would be it. Harptree Court in East Harptree, North Somerset, is a full-throttle Georgian showstopper – Grade II-listed, dating back to 1797 and sprawling over nearly 12,000 square feet of very confident good taste. Grand proportions (steady), and a run of elegant reception rooms made for political plotting and post-polo entertaining. With eleven bedrooms and eight bathrooms, there’s more than enough space for house guests… and the inevitable overnight extensions.

Set in over 51 pristine acres, it’s basically Rupert’s playground: perfect for a spot of polo, the odd gallop across the lawn, a dip in the lake and, yes, even a game of naked tennis if the mood takes. Two kitchens keep things running smoothly at either end (no awkward run-ins), while the separate two-bed cottage is ideal for a little strategic discretion. It’s sophisticated, glamorous, and just the right side of outrageous – rather like the man himself.

The Lord Tony Baddingham country estate

rivals house dorset — St Catherine’s Court on sale with Savills for £12.5m

St Catherine’s Court, in a hidden valley on the outskirts of Bath, is a Grade I listed statement piece with serious heft – perfect for Lord Tony Baddingham. All polished grandeur with just enough theatrical flourish to remind visitors who’s in charge.

The grand exterior sets the tone – impressive and imposing. Inside, labyrinthine staircases and corridors, and five reception rooms, leave plenty of space for plotting revenge and avoiding awkward encounters Eleven bedrooms and seven bathrooms suggest a man who values both luxury and distance. Set in 14 acres with a Grade II listed tithe barn, separate three-bed and a five-bed houses and Grade I listed gardens, tennis court, stables, meadows and enough room to land a helicopter without so much as a raised eyebrow.

The Declan O’Hara country house

Where else could journalist, broadcaster and TV exec Declan O’Hara alternate between righteous fury, a stiff drink and an even stiffer moustache than in media-luvvie-filled Bruton? Coombe Hill, is a Grade II* listed late Georgian country house dating back to 1830, with sweeping drive, seven bedrooms, six bathrooms and five receptions set in nearly 10 acres of landscaped grounds with parklands and tennis courts.

It’s entirely capable of hosting one of Maud’s more memorable parties (camel appearances not entirely ruled out), maybe in the charming walled garden with a secluded swimming pool and terrace.

The Cameron Cook swanky townhouse

rivals house Bath somerset — Georgian townhouse is on the market with Hamptons for £2.25m

Cameron Cook would glide in with heels, close a deal over a power lunch and still have time to outmanoeuvre everyone in the room. This Grade I listed Georgian townhouse in the heart of Bath is very much reimagined for someone who likes their success with a side of style.

Behind the handsome facade, it’s all sleek modern confidence: a designer kitchen, generous living spaces and a lower ground floor that’s been smartly reworked into a self-contained studio. Upstairs, the second floor has been dedicated to a principal suite bringing full main-character energy with dressing room and en suite. Outside, a walled garden with gazebo, water feature and summer house. Sharp and stylish, it’s exactly the sort of townhouse for a woman who knows her worth… and probably your weaknesses too.

The Freddie Jones mega-money gaff

You can imagine Freddie Jones striding in, taking one look around, and deciding this is exactly what £10million of hard-earned success is supposed to feel like. Mulberry House, a recently built mansion of nearly 15,000 square feet in Canford Cliffs, with views towards Poole Harbour and Brownsea Island, is supercharged with modern ambition and absolutely no pretence otherwise.

Six bedrooms, seven bathrooms and six grand reception rooms offer plenty of space for entertaining, expanding, or simply enjoying the fact you no longer need to ask the price of anything. Outside, the triple garage with apartment above, swimming pool with pool house and its own gatehouse signals wealth, without needing to say a word. It’s big, it’s bold, and it knows exactly what it is: a very comfortable arrival at the top table.

The Sarah Stratton pleasure palace

This feels exactly like the sort of place where Sarah Stratton would know exactly what she’s doing – and exactly who she’s doing it for. The contemporary, award-winning pad in Throop Road, Bournemouth, provides an amazing life/work environment and generously suggests life here is intended to… thrive.

Inside, it’s all modern ease and confident design: light, generous proportions and just enough cosiness to make it feel like home – when she’s in it, at least. At the heart of the house is a big, sociable living space complete with aged limestone flooring, wood-burner and adjoining garden room, designed very much for entertaining, lingering and not asking too many questions about who’s staying over. A large outhouse has been remodelled to include triple office suite, gym and sauna. It’s a house that adapts as easily as Sarah does – polished enough for glossy TV life, relaxed enough for the inevitable complications behind it, and very much set up for a woman who’s always been good at keeping her options open.

The full Rupert Campbell-Black Georgian pile

The Lord Tony Baddingham country estate

The Declan O’Hara country house

The Cameron Cook swanky townhouse

The Freddie Jones mega-money gaff

The Sarah Stratton pleasure palace

IN THE MOOD FOR MORE?

If ‘Rivals’ moved to Somerset & Dorset, these are the houses the characters would live in

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