Famous TV drama locations to visit
There’s a special thrill to be gained from visiting a location where your favorite TV show was filmed, and we've put together a guide to help you get in on the action at the scenes of some of the most-popular dramas of recent years...
Visitors (and there are plenty of them) can enjoy a stroll around the remarkably well-preserved village, pop for a pint in the Goathland Hotel (aka the Aidensfield Arms), and buy stamps from the Goathland/Aidensfield Post Office – which featured in nearly every episode of the show.
Harry Potter fans may also wish to check out the railway station, which doubled as the stop for the Hogwarts Express in the movie series.
Visiting details: Goathland is situated between Whitby and Pickering and can be visited via steam train from either on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. There are also a variety of coach tours on offer, plus car parking in the village.
Sherlock (2010 onwards)
Euston (Copyright: REX)
Location: Euston, London
The decision to set the BBC’s current hit drama ‘Sherlock’ in present-day London must have saved the production crew a lot of headaches – and it also makes it easier for fans to spot some of the locations used.
While Benedict Cumberbatch’s Holmes still lives at 221b Baker Street, it was an address in nearby North Gower Street – close to Euston Station – which was used for exterior shots.
And if you’re in need of refreshment after your journey, you can pop into Speedy’s Sandwich Bar underneath the flat – which is renamed Mrs Hudson’s Snax in the show.
Take a quick journey south east and you can see the “Smithfield Infirmary” – which is in fact St Barthlomew’s Hospital and which features in the show’s update of the famous Reichenback Falls story.
Visiting details: The area is best-reached via train or tube to Euston or Warren Street stations.
[Euston Heathrow Taxis]
Doc Martin (2004 onwards)
Port Isaac (Copyright: REX)
Location: Port Isaac
Nestled in an attractive cove on the north coast of Cornwall, the Port Isaac is a picture-postcard perfect example of a Cornish fishing village – and it’s no wonder that the producers of ITV’s ‘Doc Martin’ opted to film the drama there.
Called Portwenn in the show – which stars Martin Clunes - the village is just along the coast from Padstow. If you go soon you might even see the sixth series being filmed, because production is due to take place between March 25 and July 26.
And if you can’t make it until afterwards, you could always console yourself by staying in self-catering two-bedroom Fern Cottage, which is used as the doctor’s surgery in the show.
Visiting details: There is a large car park on the outskirts of the village.
Life On Mars (2006 to 2007)
Manchester Metropolitan University’s famous “toast rack” building (Copyright: REX)Location: Ancoats, Manchester
Just as ‘The Sweeney’ utilised the disappearing industrial wastelands of London for many of its most-memorable scenes, postmodern noughties cop drama ‘Life On Mars’ made good use of some of Manchester’s less-glamorous locations.
Although Bolton, Stockport, Bury, Oldham and Salford were all used as locations in the show, it was the area around the Rochdale Canal at Ancoats – just to the east of Manchester city centre – which was most-favoured by producers.
The opening scene, where Sam Tyler (John Simm) comes round to find himself wearing a huge-collared shirt in 1973 was shot on a piece of waste ground in the vicinity.
Manchester to London Heathrow Cabs
Take a short journey south to Fallowfield and you can see Manchester Metropolitan University’s famous “toast rack” building – which doubled as the offices of a fictional beauty company in the show.
Visiting details: Ancoats is within easy walking distance of Manchester Piccadilly station. Fallowfield is a short train or bus ride from the city centre.
Downton Abbey (2011 onwards)
Highclere Castle (Copyright: REX)
Location: Highclere Castle
The fictional estate of ‘Downton Abbey’ might be located in Yorkshire, but its real-life counterpart Highclere Castle sits within 1,000 acres of beautiful Hampshire countryside.
The handsome stately home – the country seat of the Earl of Carnarvon - is used for all the exterior shots and most of the interior filming in the hugely popular ITV drama.
Visitors can enjoy the Capability Brown-designed gardens, be guided around the Jacobethan-style mansion and take in an exhibition of Egyptian relics dedicated to the 5th Earl of Carnarvon – who discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922.
Visiting details: Tickets must be booked in advance (often months ahead!) and admission to the castle and gardens is £11 for adults, with concessions available.
[Airport Cabs Gatwick from London]
Highclere Castle (Copyright: REX)Location: Highclere Castle
The fictional estate of ‘Downton Abbey’ might be located in Yorkshire, but its real-life counterpart Highclere Castle sits within 1,000 acres of beautiful Hampshire countryside.
The handsome stately home – the country seat of the Earl of Carnarvon - is used for all the exterior shots and most of the interior filming in the hugely popular ITV drama.
Visitors can enjoy the Capability Brown-designed gardens, be guided around the Jacobethan-style mansion and take in an exhibition of Egyptian relics dedicated to the 5th Earl of Carnarvon – who discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922.
Visiting details: Tickets must be booked in advance (often months ahead!) and admission to the castle and gardens is £11 for adults, with concessions available.
[Airport Cabs Gatwick from London]
Heartbeat (1992 to 2010)
Goathland (Copyright: REX)
Location: Goathland
Nick Berry’s name might have been the highest credit, but the biggest star of long-running drama ‘Heartbeat’ was the village of Goathland in the North York Moors – which played the fictional Aidensfield.Goathland (Copyright: REX)Location: Goathland
Visitors (and there are plenty of them) can enjoy a stroll around the remarkably well-preserved village, pop for a pint in the Goathland Hotel (aka the Aidensfield Arms), and buy stamps from the Goathland/Aidensfield Post Office – which featured in nearly every episode of the show.
Harry Potter fans may also wish to check out the railway station, which doubled as the stop for the Hogwarts Express in the movie series.
Visiting details: Goathland is situated between Whitby and Pickering and can be visited via steam train from either on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. There are also a variety of coach tours on offer, plus car parking in the village.
Sherlock (2010 onwards)
Euston (Copyright: REX)Location: Euston, London
The decision to set the BBC’s current hit drama ‘Sherlock’ in present-day London must have saved the production crew a lot of headaches – and it also makes it easier for fans to spot some of the locations used.
While Benedict Cumberbatch’s Holmes still lives at 221b Baker Street, it was an address in nearby North Gower Street – close to Euston Station – which was used for exterior shots.
And if you’re in need of refreshment after your journey, you can pop into Speedy’s Sandwich Bar underneath the flat – which is renamed Mrs Hudson’s Snax in the show.
Take a quick journey south east and you can see the “Smithfield Infirmary” – which is in fact St Barthlomew’s Hospital and which features in the show’s update of the famous Reichenback Falls story.
Visiting details: The area is best-reached via train or tube to Euston or Warren Street stations.
[Euston Heathrow Taxis]
Doc Martin (2004 onwards)
Port Isaac (Copyright: REX)Location: Port Isaac
Nestled in an attractive cove on the north coast of Cornwall, the Port Isaac is a picture-postcard perfect example of a Cornish fishing village – and it’s no wonder that the producers of ITV’s ‘Doc Martin’ opted to film the drama there.
Called Portwenn in the show – which stars Martin Clunes - the village is just along the coast from Padstow. If you go soon you might even see the sixth series being filmed, because production is due to take place between March 25 and July 26.
And if you can’t make it until afterwards, you could always console yourself by staying in self-catering two-bedroom Fern Cottage, which is used as the doctor’s surgery in the show.
Visiting details: There is a large car park on the outskirts of the village.
Life On Mars (2006 to 2007)
Manchester Metropolitan University’s famous “toast rack” building (Copyright: REX)Location: Ancoats, ManchesterJust as ‘The Sweeney’ utilised the disappearing industrial wastelands of London for many of its most-memorable scenes, postmodern noughties cop drama ‘Life On Mars’ made good use of some of Manchester’s less-glamorous locations.
Although Bolton, Stockport, Bury, Oldham and Salford were all used as locations in the show, it was the area around the Rochdale Canal at Ancoats – just to the east of Manchester city centre – which was most-favoured by producers.
The opening scene, where Sam Tyler (John Simm) comes round to find himself wearing a huge-collared shirt in 1973 was shot on a piece of waste ground in the vicinity.
Manchester to London Heathrow Cabs
Take a short journey south to Fallowfield and you can see Manchester Metropolitan University’s famous “toast rack” building – which doubled as the offices of a fictional beauty company in the show.
Visiting details: Ancoats is within easy walking distance of Manchester Piccadilly station. Fallowfield is a short train or bus ride from the city centre.
