Hunting Alice Bell filming locations: Is Woodgate real, and what prison was Jason Nash really kept in?
Clue: It's not where it says it is!
Hunting Alice Bell centres on a ‘normal’ mum, living in suburban Britain, whose peaceful life is destroyed when she is targeted by a public witch hunt – but what filming locations were used?
Welsh actress Alexandra Roach plays Fran Da Silva in Channel 4’s new thriller. The story follows Fran, a woman accused of being Alice Bell, a former nurse who once served as the lover and accomplice of a notorious serial killer.
The public know that Alice now lives in the UK under a new identity. Although she served a short prison sentence for her crimes, online vigilantes refuse to let her move on. Instead, they hunt for Alice Bell, convinced that Fran Da Silva is the woman they seek. However, Fran isn’t the only target. The vigilantes also pursue half a dozen other women and falsely accuse them of being Alice.
The drama takes place in a town called Woodgate, but does it really exist? Here’s what we know about the filming locations for Hunting Alice Bell on Channel 4.
Where is Hunting Alice Bell on Channel 4 set?
The new Channel 4 thriller explores issues that remain very real in today’s society. The six-part series takes place in an English town called Woodgate, which features all the familiar sights of an ordinary town, including residential streets, schools, community halls and churches. Its assumed location is somewhere in the West Midlands, with Birmingham’s Bromford mentioned in a later episode.
But Woodgate doesn’t actually exist. The writers created the fictional town specifically for the series. It could represent almost any town in the UK, and that’s precisely the point.
No amount of bricks and mortar can protect you from online mob hatred when a misguided keyboard warrior decides to target you – even when they get the wrong person.
Fran’s husband sums up Woodgate perfectly when he jokingly compares it to “Salem”. You’ll probably know the American city of Salem best for its infamous witch trials in 1692. Authorities accused hundreds of people of witchcraft and executed 19 of them.
Where was the Channel 4 thriller actually filmed?
The cast and crew of Hunting Alice Bell actually filmed across the Irish Sea in Ireland.
Production took place in and around County Wicklow during 2025, with filming locations including Bray and Rathdrum. In fact, the aerial shot in the opening episode shows the town of Rathdrum in County Wicklow.
Bray is a coastal town in north County Wicklow, about 20km south of Dublin city centre on Ireland’s east coast. Known as Ireland’s oldest-established and largest seaside resort, Bray also serves as a major gateway to the “Garden of Ireland”.
Rathdrum is a smaller town in County Wicklow. It sits high on the western side of the Avonmore River valley, which runs through the Vale of Clara.
County Wicklow takes its name from its namesake mountains and attracts visitors with its Irish Sea coastline, country estates and scenic landscapes. The county also boasts the Wicklow Way walking trail and Wicklow Mountains National Park. The park features glacial lakes, rivers and Glendalough, where visitors can explore the remains of an early-medieval monastic settlement in a forested valley.
Cast and crew also filmed some scenes in Dublin.
What other shows have filmed in County Wicklow?
Period drama fans might recognise the Hunting Alice Bell filming locations from The Hardacres. The Channel 5 rags-to-riches tale also films in County Wicklow.
Detective drama Cooper & Fry also filmed series 1 in the Irish county, despite being set in the Peak District. Lynley, which is set in Norfolk, was also filmed in and around Dublin and County Wicklow.
County Wicklow is often called the “Hollywood of Ireland” because it is often used for filming both films and TV shows. This is largely due to its diverse landscapes, close proximity to Dublin and its airport, major studio infrastructure, and generous tax incentives…
The untamed Wicklow Mountains, glacial valleys, lakes, dense woodlands, and rugged coastlines can easily stand in for places like Scandinavia, as it did in Vikings.
It’s also home to the well-established production studios such as Ardmore Studios in Bray, and Ashford Studios in Ballyhenry, Ashford.
Talking about the Hunting Alice Bell filming locations, actress Alexandra Roach said: “It was my first time filming in Ireland, and I loved it. I had a little house by the sea and, on the heavy days, I’d finish work and run to jump into the sea. It was heavenly. There’s nothing like it to wash off a day’s work – though the Irish sea temperatures certainly humble you!”
Where is Julie’s house?
Julie, played by Amanda Abbington, lives in a rather plush white-painted house with gates. It was actually filmed in Annabasky Glen on Berryfield Avenue in Enniskerry, County Wicklow.
Annabasky Glen is a housing development of 12 luxury five-bedroom homes.These homes offer an “idyllic family setting”, complete with private gardens set in beautifully landscaped grounds.
The development also features the historic ruins of Annabasky Church.
Key filming locations used in Hunting Alice Bell on Channel 4
- In episode 1, Fran meets the ‘other Alice Bells’ in what is supposed to be Woodgate village hall. But it’s actually Church Lane community hall in Newcastle, County Wicklow. The community and parish venue is used for local activities, meetings, events, classes, and home to services like CastleKidz Playschool & Afterschool.
- Wondering in what prison Dr Jason Nash was kept? Well, obviously actor Simon Pegg wasn’t locked up for the role! Aerial views show HMP Wandsworth, a large Victorian-era Category B men’s prison located in South West London. It features a distinctive cruciform (cross-shaped) layout of cell blocks. But cast and crew actually filmed the prison scenes for the fictional Newbourne Prison in a studio.
- The five women later meet at Wicklow Harbour on the Packet Pier (Packet Quay) in Wicklow Town. Viewers will clearly see the large (now redundant) industrial cement silos that stand near the entrance of the harbour quay.
- Production filmed the funeral at Rathmichael Parish Church, a historic stone Church of Ireland building located in Shankill, County Dublin, Ireland. It is set on tranquil, historic grounds that include ancient ecclesiastical ruins and a nearby round tower site. In the show, it’s called St Benedict’s Church.
- In episode 3, the five accused women go away together to the city of Dublin, the Republic of Ireland capital, to attend a conference. And the cast did the same! Alex revealed: “It was lovely to shoot them letting their hair down, getting a bit tipsy and dancing – it felt as if we were in a completely different show. We were in Dublin having the time of our lives. It felt freeing, and like something to celebrate.”
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