Forever Home: Channel 5 adaptation of Graham Norton's novel relocates drama and uses Vera filming location
It's a major plot change from the book
Forever Home, another star-filled thriller from Channel 5, is an adaptation of Graham Norton’s novel of the same name, but fans will notice that the filming locations are a major change from the original.
While the fictional book Forever Home is set in a small Irish town in County Cork, the new six-parter is set and filmed in England.
For the purposes of the series, the Channel 5 adaption was moved from Ireland to England’s north-east coast. Writer Graham admits the relocation has “opened up” the story.
So why was it moved, and what filming locations were really used for the Channel 5 thriller Forever Home?
Where is Forever Home on Channel 5 set?
Graham Norton’s murder mystery novel was set in the fictional town of Ballytoor in his native Ireland. But it has been relocated to Northumberland in the north-east for the purposes of the TV drama.
The windswept beaches and market towns of Northumberland take centre stage in the Channel 5 series. This doesn’t change the spirit of the book, what happens in a small rural community. Forever Home is set in Allentown in the market town of Hexham.
Of course, the number one reason for changing the filming location was cost. Forever Home benefitted from the North East Production Fund. The Fortune and The Feud were also based on the north-east.
Gayle Woodruffe, Operations Director at North East Screen, explained why the location of the series is so important. She said: “Forever Home is our 15th production supported by the North East Production Fund, a fund which is helping to attract more production to the North East of England and has invested £2.37m in productions so far.
“We’re delighted to be working in partnership with FilmNation and 5 and are looking forward to welcoming the production team to Northumberland, a county which has the perfect locations to suit the story.”
Where was it actually filmed? Is Allentown a real place?
Unlike many Channel 5 thriller, such as The Game and The Teacher, Forever Home was actually filmed where it’s set – in Northumberland in the north-east of England. Although the town of Allentown is purely fictional.
Talking about the change of filming location, Forever Home author Graham Norton said: “Relocating the story from Ireland to Britain seems to have opened it up somehow. The canvas feels bigger. And, for me, it made the whole story completely fresh, with new scenery, and voices that have a different music to them.”
Forever Home filming locations: Broomley Grange used as No.7 Stable Row and care home
Broomley Grange, a former hotel and outward bound centre near Stocksfield, was used as the family home in the Channel 5 thriller. It was also used as the care home Gatewick Lodge.
It’s actually a 64-bedroom Victorian manor which was given a major conversion to create interiors matching the exterior of a house in nearby Hexham, which serves as the façade of the family home.
Broomley Grange is situated in the heart of Northumberland, providing outdoor experiential learning activities to young people and adults. Built in 1897 by the Swan family from Newcastle, it has been in many hands until it was acquired by The Boys’ Brigade in 1976. It’s found within 22 acres of beautiful Northumbrian land.
Broomley Grange was also used as a filming location on Vera. Talking about the location of Stable Row, actress Amy Nuttall – who plays Carol Crottie – said: “It was all filmed in Northumberland. For the interior scenes at No.7 they built a studio inside an old building. They did an incredible job. It’s such a beautiful backdrop, the landscape, the coastline.
“The streets and the house all have a very lived-in feel, which works so well for what is essentially a family drama. It’s about family, love and loss, and connection. Northumberland felt like the perfect backdrop. There’s a real sense of community. You can feel the many generations that have lived there.
Cast and crew stayed in Hexham while filming Forever Home
Lancashire-born Amy Nuttall also revealed that the cast and crew stayed in Hexham, which is where the story is based. She told us: “I absolutely loved it there. Hexham became a home from home. It was delightful. It’s always lovely when you see on the call sheet that everyone is in so we can arrange a meal. We went through all the restaurants in Hexham together.”
Tynemouth-born Denise Welch, who plays Moira Crottie, had a personal connection to the filming locations of Forever Home. She explained: “When they said we were filming in Northumberland, that’s a big place. But the location for a lot of the indoor Stable Row shoot and the unit base was Broomley Grange. My son Matthew [Matty Healy from The 1975] went to school at Broomley School up until he was about six. That’s how near we were to where I knew.
“And the next village is Hedley, where my sister lives only five miles from where mum and dad lived. They put us in a lovely hotel in Hexham, which is lovely. So, I was able to see my sister some nights and all my mates from around there could come and have lunch with me.”
Forever Home filming locations include “spots with some amazing views”
Meanwhile, Hartlepool’s Lewis Cope – aka Kaden Barrie in the series – loved being near home. The actor, who grew up in the north-east, told us: “It was so nice being back in the north-east filming, and being able to pop home and see family whilst I was there. But that was still a good one hour 20 drive from me.
“The locations weren’t places that I had been to before. They found spots with some amazing views.”
Other key filming locations used in Forever Home
- Episode 1 sees Carol Crottie visit Wentworth Leisure Centre where Sally works in the thriller. The sports facility features a swimming pool, fitness gym, and sports courts. It’s actually ranked third in the country!
- We also see Carol and Robert sitting by Hexham Bridge, which spans the River Tyne in Northumberland, England, connecting the historic market town of Hexham with the North Tyne valley. The stone arch bridge dates back to 1793.
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In episode 2, Lewis Cope’s character is seen outside Market Place in Hexham, outside the distinctive gothic facade of the famous Hexham Abbey. The town centre frequently served as a backdrop for long-running crime drama Vera, where Hexham doubled as the fictional town of Bentham.
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Hexham Rowing Club at Tyne Green also features, as does Consett. Meanwhile, cast and crew also filmed multiple scenes at Hexham’s Tynedale Terrace, near Queen Elizabeth High School (QEHS).
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Market Place, Hexham Abbey, and the historic market The Shambles also appear frequently throughout the series. The Shambles in Hexham is a Grade II* listed, 18th-century covered market building located in the historic heart of the town’s Market Place.
- The A&E hospital is actually The Fuse Media Centre, situated on Moor Road in Prudhoe, Northumberland. The glass-fronted building contains state of the art TV, radio and recording studios. The multi-million pound media centre – built just 15 years ago – is set to be repurposed as a base for children with additional needs.
- Episode 6 shows an aerial view of the EGGER UK chipboard factory located on the outskirts of Hexham. The industrial plant sits next to the River Tyne, near the the stone-arched Hexham Bridge.
