Ludwig series 2 filming locations include iconic university city and a stunning Grade I listed Elizabethan-style mansion in Herts
The David Mitchell comedy drama returns with some iconic backdrops
Ludwig returns to BBC One with a long-awaited series 2 and, once again, part of the addictive charm of the comedy drama is the beautiful UK filming locations.
The first series secured an army of fans in October 2024. We all fell for the eccentric, socially-awkward John ‘Ludwig’ Taylor, a highly intelligent, hermit-like puzzler-setter whose life turned upside down when his identical twin brother disappeared.
In a bid to find out what happened to him, John posed as his brother James. Before he vanished, he’d been a respected DCI in Cambridge’s major crimes squad. Series 2 will continue to follow John in his new role as the consultant for the Cambridgeshire Police.
And that is us giving you a rather large clue as to where production filmed the majority of Ludwig. But, this season, cast and crew set camp in some other stunning UK locations, too. Here’s everything you need to know.
Where is Ludwig set?
Ludwig is set in Cambridgeshire. In series 1, John Taylor infiltrated Cambridgeshire Police posing as his identical twin brother James.
As a fake cop, he used his pedantic puzzle-solving nature to crack crimes that happened in and around Cambridge. An oddball with a heart, John managed to convince those around him that he was his brother James – all while solving some truly complex murders.
Of course, Cambridge is the perfect setting for John Taylor’s highly-intelligent musings. The historic city on the River Cam in the county of Cambridgeshire is known for its elite university. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is consistently ranked among the top global universities.
Ludwig series 2 filming locations: ‘I’m delighted that it’s set in Cambridge’
Unsurprisingly, actor David Mitchell – who is also known for his intellect – went to the university of Cambridge in 1993 to study history. While there, he joined the famous Cambridge Footlights dramatic club. This is also where he met his long-time comedy partner Robert Webb.
Talking about filming in Cambridge, David Mitchell said ahead of the first series: “Yes, I was a student there, and I love Cambridge. I’m delighted that it was set in Cambridge. Because I genuinely feel that having a picturesque context is such a key part of the genre.”
He added: “Obviously, Inspector Morse was set in Oxford. Miss Marple was set variously in different villages. Poirot and Sherlock Holmes were both set in the past. We all know the past is more aesthetically pleasing, despite the horrible time people had living through it.”
Where was Ludwig actually filmed?
The BBC One comedy drama Ludwig is primarily set and filmed in Cambridge. Viewers get to see the iconic university and historic city backdrops, including the the River Cam and Millpond, St John’s College features historic courts and the famous Bridge of Sighs, and Queens’ College and The Mathematical Bridge.
In series 1, fans saw scened filmed in Silver Street and Silver Street Bridge, and Queen’s Lane and West Lane, famous for its picturesque cobbled streets.
Cast and crew also filmed in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, in both series 1 and 2. Filming locations included the striking stately home of Moor Park Golf Club in Rickmansworth, and some of the surrounding streets such as The Drive.
We know that the series also shot scenes at various locations in and around London. These include Ham Yard Hotel in London. Production staged the hotel as the mid-century residential home of character Lucy Betts-Taylor.
What is the police station in Ludwig?
The fictional Cambridge Police Authority station in Ludwig was filmed in outer London. Cast and crew of the BBC One comedy drama set camp at 2 The Square, Stockley Park.
While the show is set in Cambridge and features exterior location shots around the city, the main police station scenes use this glass-fronted modern business park building in Middlesex.
Stockley Park provides offices and co-working spaces near Stockley Park Business Centre. It’s a contemporary, multi-story corporate office building and atrium which is often used as a filming location for TV and film.
Key filming locations used in Ludwig series 2
- MP Joanne Kemper lives in a luxury house which can actually be found in a leafy suburb of Rickmansworth. The huge contemporary house, by Gregory Phillips Architects, includes an indoor swimming pool and modern interiors made from a muted palette of greys and soft Scandinavian tones. According to the architects, it has a budget range of £2m to £7m, so someone is paying that MP too much money.
- The wedding in episode 2 was filmed at North Mymms Park. It’s a Grade I listed Elizabethan-style mansion located in the Hertfordshire countryside near Hatfield. Built in the late 16th century (circa 1576) for Sir Ralph Coningsby, it is renowned as one of Britain’s finest Jacobean manor houses. It now operates as an exclusive-use venue for weddings, corporate events, and period-drama filming. Netflix also used the stunning house for their hit series The Crown and Bridgerton.
- Cast and crew also filmed at Pentland site, off Squires Lane in London. This is where the rather grim offices of the fictional East Anglia Advertiser (not a real newspaper) can be found. Mark Bonnar’s character Gareth Fisher works in the distinctive blue 1960s building, part of the Pentland group, It’s just visible from the tube between Finchley Central and East Finchley stations and from Squires Lane. The building is currently set for redevelopment.
Read more: Ludwig’s ‘brilliantly bonkers’ series 1 ending explained
