‘Bridgerton’ fans flock to filming location where locals live

By Filipa Gaspar

Residents on one of Britain's most iconic streets say they love living there - but Bridgerton-loving tourists sometimes just "walk in their homes."

The Royal Crescent is a row of 30 Grade I Listed terrace houses laid out in a sweeping crescent in the city of Bath, Somerset.

It was built between 1767 and 1775 and has become one of Britain's most beautiful landmarks appearing in countless scenes of the Netflix drama, which returns to screens Jan. 29.

The Royal Crescent features in many scene-setting shots for the show, and No. I Royal Crescent is used as the Featheringtons’ London home.

It was the backdrop to a horseback in series one and many scenes in series three.

The street attracts millions of tourists every year keen to get a photos of its stunning multi-million dolloar homes.

Locals expressed their love of living in the iconic street but said that tourists often go inside their houses - or peak through the doors to take pics.

They also say many have become second homes - so are often empty.

Bridgerton season four part one premieres today (29), so the flow of TV tourists is not expected to stop anytime soon.

Michelle Little, 54, moved to the house in 1997 from central London when she met her husband in a taxi in Bath.

She has a bright yellow door and says she's had tourists entering her property on a regular basis.

Often they also have tourists peaking through the doors and taking pictures.

She said: "The thing that threw me when I first moved here and I've got quite used to it and quite complacent is you could be unloading your car at the front and tourists will just walk in and walk around.

"It happened loads of time to the point that my sons were trained to get tourists to come out.

"It is quite an interesting thing that tourists have that sense of ownership of the building.

''I understand that there is that curiosity but I can't imagine anywhere in London or other cities where if a front door was open you would just walk in.

"Then you find yourself having this polite argument with a total stranger in your home."

She added that she even had a phase of Americans asking them "repeatedly" whether they had running water and electricity.

Michelle added: "I had an American guy who was walking up the star case and I said 'what are you doing' and he said 'just checking you have got electricity.

"You have lots of eccentric people living in the street. You have a lot of people who struggle with the number of tourists - I personally don't."

When asked what she thinks of living in the Crescent since the 90's she explained that it is an "interesting place" to live.

"The street is a bit like I village - it is just condensed into one street," she said.

"The age ranges of population of people who live here have changed dramatically - it is the youngest it has ever been."

Jack Betenson, 40, who runs an events company in Bath and across the UK has been living in a flat there for over two years.

He explained how much he enjoys seeing tourists around his street - despite his fiancée not being a big fan of their presence.

He said: "My fiancée doesn't like it but she is less of a people person. I really enjoy it I like being around people - it feels busy and for me it is quite exciting.

"It is not for everybody I can appreciate that and especially where we live here is the busy end so this is where they all come to. If you are around the other end you don't really notice it."

Jack decided to move to the Crescent when the flat came up on the market as for him it is an 'opportunity to live somewhere fun and cool'.

He said: "I love it - it is super easy to get to town but it is also really quiet. You are in the middle of the town centre but also probably one of the nicest addresses certainly in the UK and in the world depending on what you like.

"There is a nice community here as well - you get to know the people who live around.

"I needed to move out and I wanted to get a flat by myself and it just happened to come up and I thought 'I'm not gonna want to live here the whole of my life' but it is an opportunity to to say that I live somewhere quite fun, quite cool and I just went for it."

Elizabeth Pickett, 82, retired has been in the Crescent for seven years after inheriting the property from her grandfather.

She said: "I had been living abroad in France and then I came here. It was a ski resort and I thought that at 80 it was not the best place to be.

"You have got a nice view and it is facing the sun. I haven't got a car so it is a good reason for me being here because I can walk to town.

"I find it quite interesting seeing all the different nationalities.

"The trouble is that most of the flats are second homes so an awful lot of them are empty."

Another resident said that she feels "very lucky" to live in the Crescent for seven years with her husband.

She said: "There are a lot of tourists that go past everyday. I don't mind it, it doesn't bother me.

"We put a sculpture outside and catches people's eyes and makes people smile. I like watching out and see people smiling.

"It is very peaceful and a very quiet street to live on and I love looking out at the park because everyone is happy in the park. It is a happy place to live."