Visit the scene crime! of the
We’re all thinking about staycations with a difference this Summer, so why not visit one of the locations for some of our favourite TV shows?
BROADCHURCH
If you fancy ticking off the main places seen in the seaside drama, follow the Broadchurch trail, visitdorset.com. You’ll spot the blue chalet where DI Alec Hardy lived in series two, the police station (actually a block of modern apartments called The Folly), the wooden East Pier, and the Sea Brigade Hall (really an old Methodist church). You can also take a walk along West Cliff, for amazing views over the coast. In nearby Bridport is the Freshwater Beach Holiday Park, where you’ll find caravans like the one Pauline Quirke’s character, Susan Wright, lived in. The backdrop to the scene of the crime in the first series was Harbour Cliff Beach, where Danny Latimer was found. To book a quiet cottage not too far from West Bay, try Shepherd Oak in Upwey, 25 minutes’ drive away, at sykescottages.co.uk.
PEAKY BLINDERS
Although the actual series is set in Birmingham, lots of the filming locations can be found in Liverpool, thanks to its well-preserved Victorian industrial architecture.
The Official Peaky Blinders Tour, £35, britmovietours.com, includes a visit to the Garrison location, the Epsom racecourse and Polly and Ada’s homes. You’ll also have the opportunity to get off the bus and check out where Tommy was nearly killed by Father Hughes’ henchmen! When the tour is finished, head to the Peaky Blinders Bar in Liverpool. The venue has a Twenties feel and is a great place to enjoy a well-deserved tipple. Go to peakyblindersliverpool.co.uk for opening details and Covid restrictions. A full-day tour, £60, will also take in Cheshire’s Arley Hall, the stately home used for Tommy’s house.
There are lots of places to stay in Liverpool but the city centre Hampton by Hilton is just half a mile from the Peaky Blinders Bar and costs from £99 including breakfast a night. For more, visit hilton.com.
INSPECTOR MORSE
Fans of the classic TV drama should definitely take a trip to Oxford. You can follow in the footsteps of Inspector Morse and prequel Endeavour by taking part in a walking tour of the city – it takes around two hours and covers locations featured on the show such as the Bodleian Library and Radcliffe Camera. Tickets cost from £22 and are available from www.oxfordofficialwalkingtours.org.
Stay overnight and check into the super-stylish Malmaison Oxford, which is actually converted prison and appeared as a location in Lewis. Weekend breaks start from £244 per person and include breakfast, dinner on the first night and a cocktail. See malmaison.com/locations/oxford.