RESIDENTS of a town made famous by Saltburn have told how influencers now bombard their village to take selfies.
Drayton House, nestled in a hideaway Northamptonshire village, has become the “go-to place” for fans of the hit movie after an influencer posted the secret location online.
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Fans of Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike and Richard E. Grant have been flocking to the home after the shocking black comedy psychological drama directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Emerald Fennell hit screens last month.
Saltburn tells the story of a university student who invites a classmate back to his eccentric family’s estate when he becomes obsessed with him.
While the film was critically-acclaimed and was recognised in the Oscar nominations, certain parts of it – including the much talked-about ‘bath scene’ – have left viewers disgusted.
Now visitors have been taking selfies and videos in front of the grand mansion – not open to the public – to post to TikTok.
While they were posing, residents out walking along the lengthy public footpath leading to the 14th century listed building – some with their dogs – were left fuming.
One resident, a gran, who declined to be named, told The Sun: “We’re used to no one being here, and now we’re inundated with people.
“They come up to see the house, often with their dogs which they let off the lead and shouldn’t do so, and let them poo in the grounds.”
The woman, walking her two French Bulldogs on her daily trip around the huge home and grounds, said: “All these people are suddenly here. It is ridiculous!
“In fact it is quite rude and our message to them is “Please just go away!’
“It has always been so peaceful and quiet here, even during filming last year, and then this week some stupid Instagrammer and TikToker with lots of followers posted about the house being in a quiet Northants village with a pinpoint saying ‘It’s here!’
“Now we’ve got everybody coming up to have a nose around. Locals are furious. She was an idiot for posting, sorry!”
The disgruntled local added: “We were fine with the filming being during last summer, and we often saw cast and crew members were seen our in one and only pub.
“But it wasn’t overwhelming and they were here doing a job.
“The family who own the house are very nice, and down to earth.”
She said: “I’ve seen Saltburn, it is very weird, and now fans are bombarding our village.
“There have been problems with parking in the village and cramming outside the main gate as people to walk up to the house.”
The 127-room property lies a quarter of a mile from Lowick – which boast justs one pub, The Snooty Fox, and a village hall with a tea room.
The exasperated woman continued: “These new people are here all day doing their TikTok videos to post to their friends and followers.
“I get that they want to see the house, but whoa it is only a film and a building and none if the stars are here.
“No one came here when they were filming because it was kept a secret and has only now leaked out,
“We villagers do moan, we are very privileged to have a rare and quiet place to live and walk around, and now it’s being swamped by outsiders.`’
“We’re in the middle of nowhere and now we’re everywhere on social media. That’s a shame and it doesn’t fit right with some of us.”
A fellow resident, echoing the same sentiments, said: “Drayton House is a huge property and is needs to earn its keep.
“None of the residents have any complaints about the filming there, over many weeks last summer but all the visitors are now being drawn here is overwhelming.”
The man, who refused to be identified foe fear of upsetting the owners and other villagers, admitted: “No one want to be seen to be complaining.
“The family living there are very well respected in the village, so we have no problem with them allowing it to be used for a movie shoot.
“The problem is all the people who have turned up since the film was released and the identity of the house made known.
“We are quietly objecting to that but don’t want to cause a big fuss. It is a small, very close knit village.”
Among many fans who have been dancing to the tune of “Murder on the Dance Floor” by renewed chart topper Sophie Ellis-Bextor is Dani Furness.
The NHS worker from Northampton said: “It’s a really good film very different from anything I’ve ever seen but it was contentious.
“We had no idea the house featured is in our home county until I saw someone post about it on social media. It’s caused quite a buzz.”
The mum-of-three added: “It looked like a nice building and because of all the hype we decided to have a family day out seeing it for real.”
She was visiting with her children, aged eight, six and four, and husband who was too coy to talk about the film or his reasons for visiting.
It is quite rude and our message to them is ‘Please just go away!’
Local resident
Emma Edwards, 23, from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, said: “It is an amazing place, we wanted to come and see it. The house is lovely.
“The film was a bit raunchy at times and I had to cover my eyes at a few bits.”
The property administrator confessed: “I bet the locals don’t like it with all us in intruding into their village like this. There are so many people around today.”
Visitor Brittany Jackson, 26, an assistant psychologist from Northampton, said: “We watched the film, it was brilliant, and we heard on TikTok it was just up the road.
“So we had to come and have a look, and be at the spot.””
Nurse Abi Brookbanks, 25, from Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, told our team: “It’s an amazing film and couldn’t believe the house where it was filmed was just a 40-minute drive away so we visited and couldn’t believe we got so close.
“I can imagine the locals are not very happy with all the sudden interest.”
Pub boss Steven Hyare (crct) said: “The village is manic and we can just about cope!
“They were filming for 16 weeks last year which was all very exciting for the village. The crew and cast visited the pub, they were a good bunch and even had their wrap party here.”
Steven, assistant manager of The Snooty – Lowick’s sole village pub – explained to The Sun Online: “With social media posts and video, naming the place this week it went vital and we’re full of Saltburn tourists, We’ve been bombarded with people!
“It’s been brilliant for business, but we’re always a busy pub, and now we’re crazily busy.
“We had 30 bookings for lunch and ended up doing 65 covers today.
“Lowick has always been an isolated place, and would’t know the pub existed unless you put it on the map.”
Saltburn writer and director Emerald Fennell, speaking about Drayton House, which has never featured on screen before, has said: “A place as unreal as Saltburn always had to feel real.
“The house was so important, and it needed to be something that hadn’t been used before. This hadn’t been photographed even, let alone put on film. We always wanted the exact sense that it is a real place.”
Drayton House, owned by the super-rich Stopford-Sackville family, is known as “one of the best-kept secrets of the English country-house world,” remaining “hidden, mysterious, rarely open.”
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