The Blame on ITV: Crime drama is set in Wakestead, but real filming locations include an artificial island close to London

The crime drama introduces DI Emma Crane who works at Wakestead police station, but is it real?
Helen Fear
By Helen Fear

The Blame introduces Wakestead police’s DI Emma Crane, but does the town really exist, and what filming locations did cast and crew use for its new crime drama?

Michelle Keegan plays Emma Crane, who teams up with Douglas Booth’s DI Tom Radley to investigate a tragic murder. They quickly identify their main suspect but, as the case unfolds, an unexpected lead emerges.

Emma and Tom dig deeper and uncover a web of lies, institutional cover-ups and moral compromise. Their discoveries eventually force Emma to question the people closest to her.

ITV tells us: “Part propulsive mystery, part love story, The Blame will tackle big questions around policing. It will take an unflinching look at who we can really trust.”

But where does The Blame take place? Is Wakestead a real town, and which filming locations did The Blame production actually use? Here’s everything you need to know.

The Blame filming locations Wakestead Police Station
The Blame is set in and around Wakestead Police Station, but is it a real location? (Credit: ITV)

Where is The Blame set? Is it real?

The Blame centres on Wakestead Police Station, where Detective Inspector Emma Crane works alongside her largely male colleagues.

But Wakestead doesn’t actually exist. The drama places the fictional coastal town in the south of England.

Hertford, Walthamstow and Epping used as filming locations

The cast and crew of The Blame filmed across London and nearby Hertfordshire, including Hertford. The BBC One crime drama Ludwig also filmed at several locations in Hertfordshire, which sits conveniently close to London.

Hertford’s picturesque cobbled streets and period architecture regularly provide backdrops for major UK productions. Recent dramas and series filmed in the town include Silo, Grantchester, Code of Silence and Red Eye.

Emma’s house is located in Hertford, as is the street where Emma and Tom first kiss.

Production on The Blame ran through the summer and autumn of 2025 before wrapping in December. Around a year ago, the production team filmed scenes across north and east London.

Quay Street used elements of Hertford, Walthamstow and Epping for the look of Wakestead. For example, Tom’s apartment can be located in London’s Walthamstow Village. There are also scenes shot in St Mary’s Church in Walthamstow Village, East London.

Market Place in Hertford including Shire Hall and the Salisbury Arms
Market Place and The Salisbury Arms Hotel were used as filming locations in The Blame (Credit: ITV)

Folly Island used as a filming location in The Blame

Quay Street Productions also set camp in “picture-perfect” Folly Island, an artificial island formed by water channels in the centre of Hertford in Hertfordshire. It sits tucked between the River Lea, the River Beane, and the Lea Navigation canal. Locals know it for being a peaceful stretch of Hertford.

In the opening scene of episode 1, viewers can see Folly Island’s picturesque riverside brick cottages alongside a natural river.

Folly Island as featured in The Blame
The Blame uses the picturesque filming locations of Folly Island (Credit: ITV)

Other key filming locations used in The Blame on ITV

  • Market Place in the historic town centre of Hertford, Hertfordshire, features prominently as a filming location in The Blame on ITV. Locals will recognise the Grade II* listed Shire Hall. The large historic civic building has distinctive white arches, designed by the Adam brothers. The building was subsequently completed in 1771.
  • The historic Salisbury Arms Hotel on Fore Street can be seen directly at the end of the cobblestone street. It’s a recognisable landmark building in the heart of Hertford, and found right next to Shire Hall.
  • The building posing as Wakestead Police Station is a distinctive 1960s blue-accented office building at the Pentland Site off Squires Lane in Finchley, Barnet. It’s also known as The Lakeside Campus for film and TV production. The site has been proposed for future residential redevelopment into Finchley Lakeside.
  • In episode 1, Michelle Keegan’s character Emma can be seen on location in Parliament Square, Hertford.
  • The waterside pub where The Blame’s Emma and Lewis have a drink is The Old Barge, a filming location also in Hertford.
  • The forest where Sophie’s body was found was filmed in Epping Forest.
  • Cast and crew of The Blame recreated the police station at Pentland Centre in London’s Finchley.
  • The ice rink is located at Alexandra Palace, London.
  • The community police event where Sophie was last seen used elements of Hertford, Walthamstow, and Epping.
  • The hospital in episode 3 is actually Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax, West Yorkshire.

Read more: Michelle Keegan reunites with Harlan Coben for new thriller The Woods on Netflix about a missing girl and a family torn apart

The Blame airs on Sundays and Mondays from September 20, 2026, at 9pm on ITV1.