Along with dazzling destinations, armed henchmen and witty one-liners, spectacular buildings are essential ingredients of any Bond film.
From baronial mansions to magnificent Mediterranean villas and glamourous ‘Bond-villain lairs’, we’ve brought together a selection of show-stopping properties that featured in the films or have an undeniable connection to James Bond.
Click or scroll on for more but beware, there may be spoilers ahead…
The Elrod House in Diamonds are Forever
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The otherworldly Elrod House was designed by architect John Lautner for interior designer Arthur Elrod. You can see it here, almost hidden on a craggy Californian hilltop, in Diamonds are Forever – a Sean Connery classic from 1971.
The Elrod House, California, USA
TCD / Prod.DB / Alamy Stock Photo
Built in 1968, the luxurious concrete residence with its conical dome is perched on a hillside a mile outside of Palm Springs – the perfect viewpoint for Blofeld’s stooges to spot an incoming Bond.
The Elrod House, California, USA
TCD / Prod.DB / Alamy Stock Photo
Beneath the iconic dome, a dramatic 60-foot circular living room oozes elegance and style, with a black herringbone floor and atmospheric rock formations that come right into the room.
Swathes of glass frame sweeping views of the breathtaking valley below – as we can see from this scene in which Bond attempts to fight off two of Blofeld’s henchwomen.
The Elrod House, California, USA
TCD / Prod.DB / Alamy Stock Photo
Bond was less than impressed at being thrown into the pool, but we’d love to take a dip in the circular structure – particularly with that incredible view!
Elsewhere, there are five bedrooms and a separate guest house, so there’s ample space to host sophisticated soirees.
The Elrod House, California, USA
Anwar Hussein / Getty Images
Back in 1971, Connery was snapped between takes relaxing in the home’s iconic living room. He’s sitting in a classic 1969 Gaetano Pesce ‘Up’ chair.
These days there’s a state-of-the-art gym adjacent to the main living space, which leads out onto a concrete terrace flanked by palm trees. We can’t imagine a more idyllic place to work out.
M’s office in Live and Let Die and Man with the Golden Gun
Knight Frank
Perched on the outskirts of London in the sleepy village of Denham in Buckinghamshire, this magnificent late 17th-century stately home boasts a pedigree of ownership nearly as impressive as its imposing colonial brick façade. In both the 1973 Live and Let Die and the 1974 Man with the Golden Gun, the home’s spectacular library featured as the office of MI6 Chief ‘M’.
Last listed for an incredible £75 million ($95.6m), the imposing home has played host to the likes of J.P. Morgan, the Bonaparte royal family, and the High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire. That alone is sufficient to put the estate on the map, but the house has some silver screen clout as well…
Denham Place, Buckinghamshire, England
Knight Frank
The conversion from stately home to Hollywood film set would have been easy enough to coordinate, as, at the time, the house was under the ownership of the film’s producer, Harry Saltzman. It’s not hard to imagine the imposing Secret Intelligence Service director holding court in this room, giving Bond a good telling-off!
Denham Place, Buckinghamshire, England
Knight Frank
The Grade I-listed manor house boasts a jaw-dropping 28,500 square feet of space, including 12 reception rooms, 12 bedroom suites, 14 bathrooms, family and catering kitchens, a private chapel, two staircases and an elevator.
A particular standout is the drawing room, which comes complete with a hand-painted ceiling fresco, custom crystal chandeliers, silk wall panels and curtains, and a handwoven carpet inspired by one in Buckingham Palace, according to the listing.
Denham Place, Buckinghamshire, England
Knight Frank
While the home was used as a business headquarters between 1980 and 2000 because of its location a convenient 30-minute drive from central London, it is clearly designed for extravagant living and entertaining.
With amenities including a cocktail bar, theatre, wine cellar, cigar room and formal dining room with an Italian Calacatta marble fireplace, we can only imagine the glamourous parties this palace is destined to host.
Denham Place, Buckinghamshire, England
Knight Frank
In addition to the main home, the property also includes a spectacular 43 acres of parkland designed by renowned 18th-century landscape architect Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, which boasts a range of amenities including gardens, a meadow, an orchard and a lake.
There is also a coach house which the current owner has acquired the planning permission to turn into a spectacular spa complete with gym, changing rooms, a sauna, a steam room, three treatment rooms and an outdoor pool.
Ian Fleming’s GoldenEye home
Masheter Movie Archive / Alamy Stock Photo
What could be more iconic than the home of James Bond’s creator, Ian Fleming? The author’s Jamaican paradise, known as the GoldenEye estate, is the idyllic location in which Fleming penned every one of the 14 James Bond books and you can actually stay there…
Fleming Villa, St Mary, Jamaica
Banjoman1 / Wikimedia Commons [CC BY-SA 3.0]
Named after a naval operation Fleming was part of in 1942, the GoldenEye villa was imagined just four years later when he discovered the picturesque town of Oracabessa Bay in Jamaica.
Fleming is said to have sketched his ‘dream villa’ on a desk blotter and so the island paradise inspired three James Bond books – Dr. No, Live and Let Die, and The Man with the Golden Gun – all set in Jamaica.
Fleming Villa, St Mary, Jamaica
robertharding / Alamy Stock Photo
Fleming’s original villa boasts three bedrooms, each with a tropical garden bath area and a garden shower, a private pool, a private beach and tropical gardens.
Visitors will also be treated to a dedicated staff—which includes a butler, housekeeper and a cook—for the ultimate carefree Bond experience.
Fleming Villa, St Mary, Jamaica
robertharding / Alamy Stock Photo
Following Fleming’s death in 1964, Chris Blackwell – Island Records founder and location scout for Dr. No – bought GoldenEye.
Blackwell has since added 25 acres to the original estate, including several stunning beach-front villas, private lagoon huts and numerous lagoon cottages – all with king-size beds, ensuite bathrooms and garden showers and bathtubs.
Fleming Villa, St Mary, Jamaica
dpa picture alliance / Alamy Stock Photo
It’s easy to see why GoldenEye has attracted creatives of all types, including Noel Coward, Sting and Bono, who wrote the theme song to the GoldenEye film while staying at the resort.
Fleming himself is said to have suffered from writer’s block, but we can certainly see how he found inspiration for Bond’s exotic adventures while kicking back on his own secluded Caribbean beach.
Sassi ‘cave houses’ of Matera in No Time to Die
LANDMARK MEDIA / Alamy Stock Photo
Without doubt, the stand-out location in James Bond’s most recent adventure No Time to Die is the historic Italian town of Matera.
Among the high-octane car chases and exploding memorials, you’d be forgiven for becoming distracted by the breathtaking Basilicata town with its curious Sassi ‘cave houses’, thought to be the first human dwellings in Italy, dating back some 9,000 years according to The Guardian.
L’Hotel in Pietra, Matera, Italy
Wieslaw Jarek / Alamy Stock Photo
In No Time to Die, James Bond and Dr Madeleine Swann – played by Léa Seydoux – stay in an incredible cave suite in the historic city. Sadly for fans of the film, the luxurious abode was a set, constructed near the Piazzetta Pascoli in the Sassi area of Matera.
L’Hotel in Pietra, Matera, Italy
L’Hotel in Pietra
Once home to the poorest residents, many of these amazing dwellings carved into the hillside have been transformed into atmospheric pockets of luxury.
Even before James Bond sped his Aston Martin through its dusty streets, by 2017 a quarter of houses in the town were available to rent on Airbnb, according to the University of Siena. L’Hotel in Pietra, pictured, is fit for any billionaire Bond villain in search of secure underground headquarters.
L’Hotel in Pietra, Matera, Italy
L’Hotel in Pietra
Despite its rustic construction, each of the boutique hotel’s six stone-carved rooms offers a surprising softness. Perhaps credited to the simple modernity of the décor, with white linen-draped four-poster beds, in-room whirlpool tubs and mood lighting that conjures an air of intimacy and romance.
The hotel even offers a ‘wellness’ suite, entirely carved into the rock on two levels. The top floor is home to a king-size bed, writing desk and designer furniture, while the lower level is equipped with a hot tub and a sauna – ideal for pampering after a gruelling MI6 mission.
L’Hotel in Pietra, Matera, Italy
Nicola Simeoni / Alamy Stock Photo
The town itself is perfect for fans of the franchise to explore even more striking locations featured in Daniel Craig’s last-ever appearance as Fleming’s Bond.
Gravina in Puglia is home to the famous Roman bridge that James jumps off during the movie, while Sapri in the south-west of Italy offers a change of pace with the Spiaggia Aell’Arco Magnp beach, where filming of No Time to Die reportedly took place over two days.
Château d’Anet in Thunderball
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At the beginning of the 1965 James Bond film Thunderball, Sean Connery as 007 makes a daring pursuit of the SPECTRE operative Colonel Jacques Bouvar, using a jetpack and his trusty Aston Martin DB5.
The chase takes place in and around a sumptuous French castle, which gives us a good insight into the wealth and influence of this global criminal organisation.
Château d’Anet, Dreux, France
Francois BOIZOT / Shutterstock
Steeped in history and built by fine craftsmen, the castle is as beautiful today as it has ever been. The spectacular 16th-century Château d’Anet in northern France was built by King Henri II for his mistress Diane de Poitiers in 1548.
Château d’Anet, Dreux, France
Binche / Wikimedia Commons [CC BY-SA 3.0] ; Bulo78 / Wikimedia Commons [CC BY-SA 3.0]
The exquisite chateau is a prime example of French Renaissance architecture and was built and designed by famed architect Philibert de l’Orme.
The chapel houses the tomb of Diane de Poitiers and its magnificent interior hints at the grandeur of the chateau.
Château d’Anet, Dreux, France
Natalia Bratslavsky / Shutterstock
Today, the magnificent building is a tourist attraction rather than a stately residence. After sections of the château were demolished in the late 18th century, only one wing remains.
Luckily, other buildings on the site survive, including the royal chapel, the imposing main gate featuring a fascinating clock that shows the phases of the moon and the funeral chapel where Diane is laid to rest.
Château d’Anet, Dreux, France
Binche / Wikimedia Commons [CC BY-SA 3.0]
The exterior has beautiful rolling gardens designed by Jacques Mollet of the famous French gardening dynasty, along with intricate statues, including this one depicting Diane de Poitiers as Diana, the Roman goddess of hunting and nature. References to the deity appear repeatedly throughout the estate.
Thunderball isn’t the château’s only starring film role – it also featured in The Pink Panther Strikes Again in 1976.
Villa Sylva in For Your Eyes Only
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The pool and gardens of the luxurious Villa Sylva appeared in the 1981 James Bond film For Your Eyes Only.
Roger Moore as 007 observes the enemy by the pool in the villa before he’s caught by armed henchmen and escorted to meet the boss, Cuban hitman Hector Gonzales. Of course, it’s less than a minute before he’s fought his way out using little more than his MI6 training and a parasol.
Villa Sylva, Corfu, Greece
Villa Sylva / Emily Carlsson
On the silver screen, the villa was located in Spain. In reality, however, the property is found on the tranquil east coast of Corfu. You can play at being a Bond villain yourself as the lavish residence is available to rent as a holiday home.
Villa Sylva, Corfu, Greece
Villa Sylva / Emily Carlsson
The movie home is in a spectacular location with uninterrupted views of the Ionian Sea and the island of Pontikonisi.
If you want to make a quick getaway, Corfu Town with its airport and harbour is only 10 minutes away, plus you’ll find a myriad of restaurants and cafes a stone’s throw away from the property’s front door.
Villa Sylva, Corfu, Greece
Villa Sylva / Emily Carlsson
For entertaining your friends – or perhaps your enemies – there’s this fabulous 753-square-foot terrace where you can enjoy a meal or cocktails over tranquil vistas of the sea.
There’s also a guest house, three gardens and a private 52-foot-long pier – ideal for making a speedy escape when the henchman close in.
Villa Sylva, Corfu, Greece
Villa Sylva / Emily Carlsson
Inside the main house, you’ll find two master bedrooms and four twins – all with ensuite bathrooms – a large open-plan living and dining area, plus a reading room where you can plan your next move.
The guest house offers a further double bedroom and twin, both with private bathrooms. No stranger to the big screen, the house also featured in The Executioner starring George Peppard and Joan Collins in 1970.
M’s apartment in Casino Royale
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In Daniel Craig’s first outing as Bond in the 2006 hit Casino Royale, the secret agent surprises his boss M – played by Judi Dench – by breaking into her home for a covert fireside chat.
Luckily for budding spy chiefs, there’s a palatial apartment for sale in the very building that was once the home of Sir Mansfield Smith-Cumming, MI6’s inaugural chief and the inspiration for Fleming’s famous ‘M’.
Whitehall Court, London, England
Knight Frank
Designed to evoke the magnificent French châteaux of the Loire Valley, this palatial Thames-side building, known as Whitehall Court, was for decades the home base of the Secret Intelligence Service, better known as MI6.
While Smith-Cumming’s bomb-proof, two-storey penthouse went up for sale for £5.5 million ($6.9m) three years ago, another of the prestigious building’s flats is now on the market, ready for a buyer with an ambitious vision and deep pockets…
Whitehall Court, London, England
Knight Frank
Most recently listed with Knight Frank for £4.85 million ($6.2m), this stripped-to-the-studs space offers new owners the chance to “create their ideal flat” in Whitehall Court, according to the listing.
While there is clearly plenty of work still to be done, the property boasts an array of beguiling features including high ceilings, an original fireplace, six sets of French doors, and views of the river and the London Eye.
Whitehall Court, London, England
Knight Frank
The 19th-century flat, fortunately, includes new electrics and plumbing, with planning permission in place to remodel the interior layout to include an open plan kitchen and living room, a dining room, two spacious bedrooms with dressing rooms and walk-in wardrobes, two bathrooms and a separate powder room.
The entire flat offers more than 2,500 square feet of living space, promising plenty of flexibility when designing a new floor plan.
Whitehall Court, London, England
Knight Frank
In addition to construction and refurbishment costs, the buyer must cover an eye-watering £28,000 ($35.7k) annual service charge. However, this fee does grant owners automatic access to the Farmers Club, a private members club located within the building, which dates back to 1842.
Owners also get to add their name to the prestigious roster of previous Whitehall Court tenants, who include political titans such as William Gladstone and Lord Kitchener, alongside literary luminaries like H.G Wells and George Bernard Shaw.
Hankley Common as James Bond’s family home in Skyfall
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When you think of Skyfall, this iconic stag statue will likely spring to mind. It stood majestically on the stone gate post at the entrance to the long drive approaching James Bond’s ancestral home in the franchise’s 23rd film.
Known in the film as Skyfall Lodge, the imposing home stands shrouded in mist on the shores of a loch in the Scottish Highlands. Except… it doesn’t. The house was actually a set built on Hankley Common in Surrey, England – almost 600 miles from the Highlands.
Hankley Common, Surrey, UK
TCD / Prod.DB / Alamy Stock Photo
In Skyfall, Bond and M drive to the spy’s childhood home in his iconic silver Aston Martin DB5. Having fallen into disrepair since the death of his parents, the house is solely inhabited by a gruff caretaker, Kincaid, played by the late Albert Finney.
Despite its foreboding exterior, you could imagine with a bit of love and in better weather, the mansion would be a dream home to escape to.
Hankley Common, Surrey, UK
Eon Productions / Sony Pictures Releasing
When Bond and M step inside, you’d be forgiven for wishing the house was real. Despite the dust, its large rooms, grand stonework and wood-panelled walls leave a lasting impression.
As Bond makes his way around the house, we see enormous open fireplaces, a baronial dining table, an abandoned piano and – most intriguing of all – a system of secret underground passageways.
Hankley Common, Surrey, UK
Eon Productions / Sony Pictures Releasing
Eventually, the supervillain Raoul Silva – played by Javier Bardem – catches up with the pair, leading to a showdown at Skyfall Lodge.
The sequence ends with the old house going up in flames, so we can see why director Sam Mendes chose to build a set rather than film at a real house – the owners might have had something to say about it being burned down.
Hankley Common, Surrey, UK
Walking Munch / Flickr [CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED]
Covered in heather and somewhat bleak, you can see why Hankley Common was a good substitute for a wild Scottish moor. The 1,384-acre site is part of a larger Special Area of Conservation and Scientific Interest and is home to numerous walking trails.
Aside from Skyfall, the common has appeared in two further Bond films – The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day, both starring Pierce Brosnan.