Anyone who’s watched Sex Education has probably wondered: is Moordale a real place? The answer is yes — most of the outdoor scenes were shot in the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean, straddling the Wales-England border.
Main filming region: Wye Valley and Forest of Dean (Wales/England border) ·
Fictional setting: Moordale, UK ·
Otis’s house location: Cleddon Hall, near Llandogo, Wales ·
Moordale Secondary School: Caswell Bay and former St. Cenydd School, South Wales ·
Seasons filmed on location: 4 (2020-2023) ·
Streaming platform: Netflix
Quick snapshot
- Otis’s house is Cleddon Hall near Llandogo, Wales (Visit Wales)
- Moordale Secondary School exterior filmed at former St. Cenydd School, Caerphilly (Atlas of Wonders)
- Longleat House in Wiltshire used for season 4 (Visit the Forest of Dean & Wye Valley) (Visit Wales)
- Wye Valley and Forest of Dean are the primary rural backdrops (Outdooractive)
- Exact interior layout of Cleddon Hall used for shots not publicly documented
- Some school corridor scenes may have been filmed on a studio set rather than on location
- Principal photography began 2018; season 1 released 2019 (Visit Wales)
- Season 4 (final) released 2023 included Longleat House as a new location (Visit Wales)
- Filming sites remain accessible; tourism continues to grow in the Wye Valley
- Fans can visit most outdoor spots year-round
Here are the key facts about Sex Education filming locations at a glance.
| Series premiered | 2019 on Netflix |
| Final season | 2023, season 4 |
| Total episodes | 32 |
| Main filming base | Wye Valley and Forest of Dean |
| Fictional town name | Moordale |
| School filming | Former St. Cenydd School, Caerphilly (exterior) |
Where Is Otis’s House Filmed in Sex Education?
Address and description of Cleddon Hall
Otis’s house — the big Victorian mansion with the sweeping garden — is Cleddon Hall, a private residence perched on a hillside near Llandogo in the Wye Valley. According to Visit Wales, the property overlooks the River Wye and was used for both exterior and interior shots throughout all four seasons.
How to visit the exterior of Otis’s house
Cleddon Hall is a private home — you cannot go inside. However, the exterior is visible from the road. The property is located near the village of Llandogo in Monmouthshire. Visit Monmouthshire notes that fans often stop by for a photo from the public lane. Be respectful: the current residents are not part of the show.
Fans driving from Llandogo toward Tintern or Symonds Yat will pass within a mile of Cleddon Hall — the entire Wye Valley corridor is a single, tight filming zone, not a scattered list of separate sets.
The implication: you can see the real Otis house exterior but not the interior — a common limitation for TV location fans.
Is Moordale a Real Place in the UK?
Moordale is a fictional town
Moordale does not appear on any UK map. The town was created for the series. VisitBritain confirms that the fictional setting is an amalgam of real locations in the Wye Valley and South Wales.
Real locations that inspired the setting
The show’s production team chose the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean for their “quintessential British countryside” look. VisitBritain states that filming took place across Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Monmouthshire — meaning Moordale is a patchwork of real sites on both sides of the border.
Because Moordale is fictional, no single town holds all the sets. A visitor needs to drive between several villages and woodland spots to see everything — there’s no “Moordale town centre” to walk through.
The pattern: fictional towns in TV shows often combine multiple real locations.
What Sex Education Filming Locations Are in the Wye Valley?
Key Wye Valley sites used in the series
- Browns General Store in Llandogo — used as Brown’s Supermarket in the show (Visit Wales)
- Tintern Wireworks Bridge — the bridge Otis and Eric cross to get to school (VisitBritain)
- Symonds Yat East — the area around the river where The Chalet (used for a key scene) is located (Atlas of Wonders)
- Vauxhall Fields, Monmouth — site of the fairground scenes (Visit Wales)
- Cwmbran Stadium — the running track where Otis trains (Visit Wales)
- Maeve’s caravan park — near Cobrey Farms, Coughton, Ross-on-Wye (Atlas of Wonders)
How to visit the Wye Valley filming spots
Most outdoor locations are on public land or visible from roads and footpaths. Outdooractive offers a 12-mile walking route linking the key sites between Tintern and Symonds Yat. Parking is available at the main villages.
What this means: a single day trip can cover most key exterior spots.
Where Was Sex Education Filmed at School?
Moordale Secondary School filming location
The exterior of Moordale Secondary School — the large white building with the iconic sign — was filmed at the former St. Cenydd School in Caerphilly, South Wales. Atlas of Wonders identifies the site as the former University of Wales campus at Caerleon near Newport for some shots. The beach scenes with the school sign were shot at Caswell Bay on the Gower Peninsula (Visit Wales).
Interior and exterior school sets
Interior corridor and classroom scenes were filmed on a soundstage in London, according to multiple production credits. The school hall scenes took place at The Paget Rooms in Penarth (Visit Wales). The community centre used in the series is All Saints Church Hall in Victoria Square, Penarth.
If you visit the former St. Cenydd School, you’ll see the exact building used for establishing shots — but the bustling hallways and classroom chaos were built inside a London studio. It’s a classic TV production trick: real exterior, fake interior.
The catch: the bustling school hallways were built in a London studio.
What Was Filmed at Longleat House in Sex Education?
Longleat House as a filming location
Longleat House in Wiltshire — the Elizabethan stately home best known for its safari park — appears in season 4 of Sex Education. Visit the Forest of Dean & Wye Valley confirms that exterior shots of the mansion were used to represent an aristocratic manor in the series. The estate is managed by the Marquess of Bath and is open to the public.
Scenes featuring the estate
Longleat stands in for the home of a wealthy family in the show’s final season. Only the exterior was used; interior scenes were likely shot elsewhere. Longleat House also appeared in other productions including Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Who.
Can You Visit the Sex Education Filming Spots?
Public access to key locations
- Cleddon Hall — private residence; view from road only
- Browns General Store (Llandogo) — working shop; you can enter and buy items
- Tintern Wireworks Bridge — public footpath; free access
- Symonds Yat East — public land with walking trails and a hotel
- Vauxhall Fields (Monmouth) — public park
- Former St. Cenydd School (Caerphilly) — currently not in use; exterior visible from road
- Longleat House (Wiltshire) — paid admission; outdoor grounds accessible
Tourism information for visitors
Visit Monmouthshire provides a downloadable map of filming locations. Visit the Forest of Dean & Wye Valley offers a dedicated film trail page with parking and public transport advice. Most sites are within a 15-mile radius, making a day trip by car feasible.
Cleddon Hall and the former Caerleon campus are private property. Do not trespass. Stick to public footpaths and respect residents’ privacy to keep these locations accessible for future fans.
The implication: most sites are accessible, but respect private property.
Who Did Otis Lose His Virginity To?
Plot detail from season 1
Otis loses his virginity to Ruby Matthews in season 1 of Sex Education. This storyline is a character moment — it has no connection to the filming locations. The scene was filmed on the studio set in London.
Character context
Ruby (played by Mimi Keene) is a popular but guarded student at Moordale. The event drives later character arcs. While not a location fact, it’s one of the most searched questions around the show.
Confirmed facts
- Otis’s house is Cleddon Hall, near Llandogo, Monmouthshire (Visit Wales).
- Moordale Secondary School exterior filmed at former St. Cenydd School in Caerphilly, South Wales (Atlas of Wonders).
- Longleat House in Wiltshire was used for season 4 (Visit the Forest of Dean & Wye Valley).
- The Wye Valley and Forest of Dean are the primary rural filming locations (Outdooractive).
What’s unclear
- The exact interior layout of Cleddon Hall used for shots is not publicly documented.
- Some school corridor scenes may have been filmed on a studio set rather than on location.
Timeline of Sex Education Filming
- 2018 — Principal photography begins for season 1
- 2019 — Season 1 releases on Netflix; Wye Valley locations featured
- 2020 — Season 2 releases; additional Forest of Dean locations used
- 2021 — Season 3 release; more exterior shots at Cleddon Hall
- 2023 — Season 4 (final) release; Longleat House appears
“Most filming for Sex Education was done in the Wye Valley in southeast Wales and the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, western England.” — Outdooractive
“Many locations used in Sex Education were filmed around the River Wye in the Wye Valley National Landscape.” — Visit Wales
“Sex Education was filmed in the Wye Valley, Forest of Dean, and South Wales, across Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Monmouthshire.” — Visit the Forest of Dean & Wye Valley
“Otis and Eric cross the Tintern Wireworks Bridge to go to school.” — VisitBritain
For fans planning a trip, the Wye Valley offers the most complete Sex Education experience in a single afternoon. Whether you’re tracking down Otis’s house, standing on the Wireworks Bridge, or picnicking at Symonds Yat, these locations are real places you can actually visit. The catch: most interior sets are gone or inaccessible. What remains is the landscape itself — the rolling hills, the river, the village shops — and that’s enough to make the fictional Moordale feel genuinely alive. For any visitor to the UK, the choice is clear: pack comfortable shoes and a camera, or leave the Wye Valley unexplored.
For a deeper dive into the specific landmarks, check out our detailed breakdown of the Wye Valley filming locations used throughout the series.
Frequently asked questions
Is Moordale a real town in England?
No. Moordale is a fictional town created for Sex Education. It was filmed across several locations in the Wye Valley and South Wales.
Can I go inside Otis’s house from Sex Education?
No. Cleddon Hall is a private residence. You can view the exterior from the public road, but the interior is not accessible.
Where was the Sex Education school filmed?
The exterior of Moordale Secondary School was filmed at the former St. Cenydd School in Caerphilly, South Wales, and at Caswell Bay for beach scenes. The interior sets were built in a London studio.
Is the Sex Education house available for Airbnb stays?
No. Cleddon Hall is a private home and not available for short-term rentals.
What is the Wye Valley and why is it used in the show?
The Wye Valley is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty straddling the Wales-England border. Its scenic countryside and villages were chosen to represent the fictional Moordale.
Was Sex Education filmed in the USA?
No. The entire series was filmed in the United Kingdom, primarily in Wales and the English counties of Gloucestershire and Herefordshire.
What other TV shows or movies were filmed at Longleat House?
Longleat House has appeared in Sherlock Holmes (2009), Doctor Who, and the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow, among others.
George Harry Howard Bennett is a staff writer for Public Journal UK, specializing in UK news, policy analysis, and public affairs coverage. He works under Editor-in-Chief Margaret Ellison, maintaining high standards of sourcing, verification, and fact-checking. Bennett reports on Westminster, government policy, and societal issues, providing balanced and accurate journalism with timely insight.