Keen to See Where ‘Grantchester’ Is Filmed? Here’s What You Need to Know
ITV and PBS Masterpiece’s cozy British mystery series Grantchester has taken the world by storm for nine seasons—and Grantchester season 10 is already in the works.
Though the vicars may come and go, as Grantchester season 9 will introduce the show’s third Reverend, Alphy Kotteram (Rishi Nair), the sets and locations have remained the same, giving the show an authentic and familiar quality that keeps viewers coming back for more. And unlike many other fan-favorite cozy murder mystery shows, which are often set in fictional villages or towns (think Death in Paradise, Midsomer Murders, and more), Grantchester is an actual, real-life town—and much of the show is filmed there.
Like so many other small villages in the U.K., Grantchester is a well-preserved, historical postcard, with gorgeous cottages, thatched roofs, numerous local pubs, a village green, and a picturesque medieval church. Because it’s situated about an hour from London and even closer to Cambridge, it’s the perfect filming location for the series. If you’re ever visiting England and you’re headed down to Cambridgeshire to see the colleges and the countryside, why not stop over in Grantchester for a quick pint, too?
The church
Any scene that takes place in the church or the church’s sanctuary is filmed at Grantchester’s real-life 14th-century church, the Church of St. Andrew and St. Mary. So if you ever want to see where Sidney (James Norton), Will (Tom Brittney), or Alphy give their sermons, you can pay a visit to the church grounds and discover where the magic happens. According to David Halstead, Grantchester’s locations manager, the cast seems to feel particularly at ease and comfortable when filming scenes in the church, and it has recently started welcoming tourists, too.
The vicarage
For any exterior shots of the vicar’s house, the genuine vicarage located in the village of Grantchester is used. The building, which is traditionally also inhabited by the residing vicar, is estimated to be about 300 years old and sits right next to the church grounds. Anyone hoping to take a tour of the inside might be disappointed, however—Halstead explained that any scenes set within the confines of the vicarage are filmed on a separate set, in an old farm building that they’ve been able to rent on an annual basis.
The pub
Of course, an episode of Grantchester wouldn’t be complete without Geordie, Sidney, Will, or Alphy taking a trip down to the local pub. Though Grantchester currently boasts three working pubs—the 600 or so residents in Grantchester will at least never be thirsty—The Green Man pub is visited by the show most often, with Geordie and his friends discussing cases and their personal lives there over a pint and a game of backgammon. Sadly, The Green Man is the one pub in the village that was forced to shut down as a result of the pandemic, though the show still films exterior shots there. Interior shots in the pub were previously shot in pubs and bars in both Cambridge and London, but Covid made filming there more difficult as well. In the end, quite a few pub scenes were filmed on a brand-new set built in an old stately home.
Grantchester Meadows
Now, the inhabitants of Grantchester deal with their fair share of personal problems; where better to think about them and come to a solution than the gorgeous nature found in Grantchester Meadows? It’s also the perfect place for romantic picnic dates and leisurely walks with the dog, even if the occasional dead body has been found there, too. When he spoke to PBS Masterpiece, Headland explained that though the cast loves filming there, it does pose a significant challenge for the crew. Cars can’t get very far, and the Meadows can become fairly busy with university students and other ramblers, making it harder to film scenes later in the day.
Cambridge
According to Google Maps, Cambridge is only a 15-minute drive away from Grantchester, so it’s no surprise that so many scenes that take place in the show are shot there, too. Cambridge’s gorgeous, historic city center and the impressive colleges scattered all across the city make it a particularly stunning place to visit, and many of the streets require minimal set dressing to fit into Grantchester’s 1950s aesthetic. If you want to visit specific filming locations, head to King’s College campus, King’s Parade, Trinity Lane, and Senate House Passage. Just make sure you watch out for the cyclists—they’re everywhere!
New episodes of Grantchester season 9 drop weekly on Sundays on PBS Masterpiece in the U.S. A U.K. release date has yet to be confirmed.
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