Harrogate Ladies’ College Pupils in Jane Eyre (1970)
This recently rediscovered photograph shows Harrogate Ladies’ College (then known as Harrogate College) pupils who appeared as extras in the 1970 film adaptation of Jane Eyre, starring Susannah York and George C. Scott. The pupils were cast as the orphan girls of Lowood School, the harsh charity school where Jane spends part of her childhood.
Although Harrogate College itself was not used as a filming location, the production made extensive use of the dramatic landscapes and historic sites of North Yorkshire. Nearby locations included Ripley Castle (used for exterior shots of Thornfield Hall), Brimham Rocks, Tan Hill Inn in Swaledale and village scenes filmed around Grinton, Downholme Church and Pateley Bridge. Blubberhouses Moor also provided the bleak moorland backdrop that helped capture the novel’s gothic atmosphere.
For the pupils involved, it must have been an unusual and memorable experience – a chance to be part of a major film production while representing the college on screen.
Harrogate College pupils as orphans in the 1970 film Jane Eyre.
Mr John MacNamara
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