Sanditon, Set in Stone

Recreating Regency England: Pattern Imprinted Concrete for ITV’s Sanditon

Bringing a period drama to life is all about the details. When working on ITV’s Sanditon—a lavish Regency-era drama set in the early 1800s—authenticity was everything. Our role was to create exterior surfaces that looked historically accurate on camera, while being strong enough to meet the practical demands of a modern film set.

That meant one thing: combining traditional aesthetics with modern construction techniques.

Authentic Surfaces for a Period World

For Sanditon, we were tasked with recreating the look and feel of 19th-century streets and pathways. Using pattern imprinted concrete, we produced a range of surfaces including cobbled streets and flagstone paths, all finished in carefully selected plain, natural colours to reflect the materials available during the period.

The goal was to ensure that every surface looked as though it had been part of the town for generations—weathered, believable, and completely in keeping with the Regency setting.

Why Pattern Imprinted Concrete?

Pattern imprinted concrete is uniquely suited to period drama sets. It allows for:

• Highly realistic textures that convincingly replicate traditional cobbles and stone flags

• Consistent finishes across large areas, essential for continuity during filming

• Durability and strength far beyond what traditional materials could offer in this context

While the finished result appears centuries old, beneath the surface lies a modern concrete base designed to withstand intense use.

Built for Film—and for Horses and Carts

Film sets place unusual demands on exterior surfaces. For Sanditon, the streets needed to support not just foot traffic and filming equipment, but also horses and carts moving repeatedly through scenes.

Our concrete installations were engineered with this in mind—robust enough to handle significant loads without compromising the visual integrity of the set. The result was a surface that performers and crew could rely on, while still looking perfectly at home in the early 1800s.

Colour and Finish: Keeping It Believable

Rather than using modern, vibrant tones, we worked with subtle, plain colouring to reflect the muted palette of historic stone. This helped the surfaces sit naturally within the set and respond beautifully to natural light and camera angles—crucial for a high-end television production.

The final effect blended seamlessly with surrounding architecture and set dressing, enhancing the realism without ever drawing attention to the modern methods behind it.

A Perfect Balance of History and Innovation

Working on Sanditon was a fantastic opportunity to showcase how modern construction techniques can support historical storytelling. Our pattern imprinted concrete delivered the visual authenticity of cobbled streets and flagstone paths, paired with the strength and reliability required for a busy film set.

It’s a perfect example of how traditional appearance and contemporary performance can work hand in hand—helping transport viewers back to Regency England, one step at a time.