Where is Grantchester filmed, and is the picturesque Cambridgeshire village a real place?
ITV detective drama Grantchester is returning for its sixth season, which will come as no surprise to loyal viewers — the drama has all the ingredients of a cosy British crime series, including much-loved complex characters and, of course, the leafy countryside.
Robson Green and Tom Brittney play the central (and unlikely) crime-solving duo, DI Geordie Keating and the motorcycling vicar Reverend Will Davenport.
Set in 1958, the sixth season kicks off with an episode filmed at a fictional British holiday camp, Merries, before returning the action to the titular Cambridgeshire village Grantchester.
Like Midsomer Murders and other crime series, the beautiful English landscape provides a backdrop for multiple crimes. But where is the drama filmed, and is the village Grantchester a real-life location?
Where is Grantchester filmed?
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Like many period dramas shot on location, filming resumed on Grantchester season six during the pandemic. You can read our deep dive into how the National Trust made TV shoots work despite COVID.
Grantchester resumed production back in October 2020, and PBS (the home for Grantchester in the US) celebrated the news with a compilation video of cast members’ experiences of adapting to their COVID-safe working environment while filming.
Grantchester is filmed in various picturesque locations, including in and around the village of Grantchester itself. Other filming sites are dotted across the Cambridgeshire area, including the nearby city of Cambridge, and various Cambridge University spots, like The King’s College campus.
Speaking ahead of season six, Tessa Peake-Jones, who plays Mrs Champan, said: “I think the viewers love the 1950s, it gives some of the audience a chance to reminisce on that time. It’s colourful, the costumes are beautiful, Grantchester itself and Cambridge, the buildings and the scenery are so picturesque.
She continued: “The production made it feel like such a safe and secure place, it didn’t matter how impractical the protocols were, it just felt great to know we were filming something that would bring happiness to the audience. It also made us realise that entertainment was a real source of escapism for people during lockdown.”
Asked about season six holiday camp Merries, Robson Green revealed that the camp wasn’t real at all, but entirely designed by the Grantchester production team. “I was receiving phone calls from the production team who weren’t on set asking ‘Where is that place, I want to take my kids there!’ and that’s testament to the design team, they made it look amazing.”
He continued: “Although we were filming outside of Grantchester, it really is our happy place. I love filming there for all of the space it has, it’s always good to be there and before we even start filming I always want to know if we will be filming in Grantchester even if sometimes it’s only for a couple of days, and if it’s for a few weeks it’s such a joy!”
Is Grantchester a real place?
Yes, Cambridgeshire village Grantchester is a real location, and can be found two miles away from Cambridge itself.
The ITV series Grantchester mainly films on location in and around its namesake. Eagle-eyed viewers will note that Grantchester’s church, Church of St Mary and St Andrew, features prominently in the TV series. According to the church’s website, the oldest parts of the building date back to the 14th century.
Adapted from the fictional Grantchester Mysteries novels by James Runcie (set in the real-life village Grantchester), the series has already been renewed for series seven.
Grantchester will return to ITV on Friday 3rd September. You can order the Grantchester Mysteries books from Amazon.
Check out what else is on with our TV Guide, or visit our Drama hub for more news and features.