"John Dee, you are a very wise man." "And you are a very great Lady." The Golden Age, the sequel to the 1998 award winning film Elizabeth made by Working Title , is an historical thriller set against the backdrop of the religious fanaticism of the late 16th Century and the Virgin Queen in the middle years of her reign.

Burghley portrayed the home of Dr John Dee, personal astrologer and advisor to Queen Elizabeth. The filming gave a wonderful opportunity to shoot scenes on the elaborate roofline, with John Dee, played by David Threlfall, standing amidst towering chimneys. The royal barge is also seen moored at the edge of Burghley Lake as Queen Elizabeth and Sir Walter Raleigh walk towards the house lit by flaming torches at dusk.