Where was Down Cemetery Road Season 1 filmed? All filming locations explored

Down Cemetery Road is an eight-part British thriller series based on Mick Herron's 2003 novel. Adapted by Morwenna Banks with lead director Natalie Bailey, it's produced by 60Forty Films for Apple TV+. The story follows Sarah Tucker, a suburban wife who enlists private investigator Zoë Boehm after a house explosion and a girl's disappearance, unraveling a conspiracy of hidden deaths and resurrections. It premiered on October 29, 2025, with two episodes weekly through December 10.

Emma Thompson stars as the sharp-witted Zoë Boehm. Ruth Wilson plays the determined Sarah Tucker. Adeel Akhtar portrays Hamza, Nathan Stewart Jarrett plays Downey, Tom Goodman Hill assumes the role of Gerard, Darren Boyd is C, Tom Riley portrays Mark, Adam Godley plays Joe Silverman, and Sinead Matthews is Denise "Wigwam". Ken Nwosu as Rufus and Fehinti Balogun as Amos. Aiysha Hart as Paula and Steven Cree as Bob Poland.

Filming occurred between June 2024 and February 2025, under the working title Larkin. The shoot utilized the South West of England's varied locations to represent an Oxford suburb. Bristol served as the urban core, with Somerset for historic touches and Cornwall for coastal scenes. Over 250 local crew members worked on it, boosting the regional economy by £46 million. The Bottle Yard Studios in Bristol handled interiors.

Down Cemetery Road season 1: All filming locations explored

Bristol formed the series' main filming hub. Production began there in June 2024, utilizing the city's mix of historic and modern locations to capture the suburban Oxford vibe. Key sites included St Nicholas Market on Corn Street with its bustling pedestrian lanes and independent shops.

These areas doubled as busy town streets for chase scenes and tense walks. The University of Bristol campus, particularly the Arts & Social Sciences Library on Tyndall Avenue, provided academic interiors and exteriors. Its grand buildings fit scenes of intellectual pursuit and hidden meetings. Baltic Wharf hosted green screen work for larger set pieces.

The Bottle Yard Studios in Bristol served as the production base. Opened in 2010, it's a key UK facility for TV dramas. TBY2 housed the crew for 12 months, allowing for control over lighting and sound for interior shots, such as investigations and family homes. Local support from Bristol Film Office helped with permits and logistics. Over 250 regional crew joined from prep to wrap.

Somerset added rural and historic layers. Filming moved there in September 2024. Bishops Lydeard Railway Station on the West Somerset Railway was a standout. Its restored Victorian platforms and tracks created timeless tension for key sequences. The crew redecorated it to give it a Scottish feel in one episode, although most episodes stayed true to the English setting. Street featured the Wessex Hotel for intimate dialogues. Low-key roads and period buildings around Taunton amplified the conspiracy's creeping dread. These spots were wrapped in January 2025.

Cornwall brought coastal isolation. Polperro a fishing village near Looe was Emma Thompson's favorite. Its cobblestone high street, stone cottages, and harbor views served exterior shots of escape and reflection. The Blue Peter pub appeared in scenes featuring its real ale and seafood, drawing praise from the crew. Holywell Bay near Newquay added dramatic beaches for climactic moments. Bath contributed elegant townhouses for upscale contrasts.

Production notes highlight community impact. 60Forty Films engaged the BFI-funded All Set West program. It trained 19 underrepresented locals at The Bottle Yard. Director Bailey and writer Banks drew from Herron's Oxford roots but chose Southwest spots for practical access and authentic grit.

Down Cemetery Road season 1: Plot insights

The series opens with a gas explosion leveling a quiet Oxford home. Sarah witnesses it and learns that a young girl vanished in the chaos. Obsessed she hires Zoë a jaded PI scraping by on small cases. What starts as a missing person spirals into government cover-ups, chemical attacks, and resurrections of the dead. Herron's novel blends domestic suspense with espionage nods to his Slough House books.

Banks' adaptation keeps the wry British tone. Episodes like "Almost True" and "A Kind of Grief" tease clues through Sarah's unraveling life and Zoë's dogged digs. Later ones ramp up chases and betrayals. Thompson's Zoë mixes charm with steel. Wilson's Sarah shifts from poised housewife to relentless seeker.

Filming wrapped in February 2025, after delays due to weather and strikes.

Stream Down Cemetery Road Season 1 on Apple TV+ now. 

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