The Northumbria Mysteries on BBC One: Filming locations include a Gothic monastery and ruins of a 14th-century castle
The cast and crew called the UK countryside "stunning" and "glorious"
The Northumbria Mysteries filming locations are a place very close to lead actor Robson Green’s heart – and he didn’t have to travel very far to get to work either…
Coming this October, the eight-part crime drama is set in the glorious Northumberland countryside. At the heart of the show is unlikely crime-solving duo, ex-con Joe Ruby (Robson Green) and Oxford-educated DI Rose O’Connell (Liz White).
Rose is an intellectual with an ice-cool disposition. While Joe “has been on the wrong side of the law for much of his life”. But he is now trying to make amends and move to the right side.
Joe volunteers at a local priory, tending the grounds as he seeks forgiveness and tries to start a new life. However, when someone discovers a monk’s body hastily buried in a remote part of the priory grounds, super-smart DI Rose O’Connell and her second-in-command, DS Raj Singh (Gurjeet Singh), investigate the case.
So what filming locations did cast and crew use in the eight-part crime drama The Northumbria Mysteries? Here’s everything you need to know…
Where is it set and filmed?
Well, the BBC isn’t tricking you with the name of the show. It is, in fact, set and filmed in and across the “glorious” sweeping Northumberland coastline and its surrounding market towns.
Northumbria is an historic region and former Anglo-Saxon kingdom located in Northeast England and southeastern Scotland. It stretches from the River Humber up to the Firth of Forth.
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county in North East England. It borders Scotland to the north and west, the North Sea to the east, and Tyne and Wear and County Durham to the south. Locals know the area for its dramatic coastal scenery, medieval fortresses, Roman ruins, and vast dark skies.
The show is part of the BBC’s North East Creative Cluster, a programme designed to strengthen production and skills in the region.
Helen Munson, Commissioning Editor for BBC Daytime, commented: “Set along the coastline and in the countryside of beautiful Northumberland, expect murder, intrigue, and a reluctant duo who just can’t help getting in each other’s way.”
‘The landscapes of Northumberland is a principal character’
In real life, Robson Green lives in a cottage near Hexham, about an hour’s drive from Alnwick. He revealed he was “happy to be working” and doing so in a place he was still “very proud to call home”. He said Northumberland was a “production designer’s dream” because of its iconic landmarks, such as Hadrian’s Wall and Bamburgh Castle.
Speaking to BBC Look North, he said: “They’re absolutely astonishing and give us all comfort when we’re there. And I think that will really, really help the drama. Northumberland, the landscape in itself, is a principal character.”
Newcastle’s Lonesome Pine Productions created the new crime drama. They recently produced The Fortune, The Feud, and The Inheritance.
Lesley Douglas, executive producer and co-founder of Lonesome Pine Productions, said: “We could not be happier to have Robson Green lead the cast and bring Joe Ruby to life, within the magnificent backdrop of Northumberland.”
The Northumbria Mysteries filming locations include Morpeth
The production team filmed the eight-part series in locations including Morpeth, Holy Island, Rothbury, Bamburgh, Alnmouth, and Amble. They also filmed scenes in the historic fishing village of Seahouses.
Much of the drama was filmed in Alnwick. Episode 4 of the crime drama starts with a stunning aerial view of Alnwick Castle. It’s the second-largest inhabited castle in England (after Windsor Castle).
Lesley Douglas, co-founder of Lonesome Pine Productions, said: “This series has been a labour of love for everyone at Lonesome Pine. It has been a privilege to work with Robson and Liz on this crime series set in the stunning Northumberland, from Holy Island to Rothbury, and from Bamburgh to Alnwick.”
Morpeth is a picturesque historic market town, lying on the River Wansbeck. It’s the administrative headquarters for the Northumberland County Council.
Locals saw Robson and co filming scenes in Fannies Emporium Antique Centre and Courthouse Cafe earlier this year. The location’s architecture is one of the “jewels in the crown” of the historic town of Morpeth.
Locals also saw the Grantchester actor shooting scenes on a bike in the town centre and near The White Swan pub. Eagle-eyed passers-by also saw him filming with Coronation Street’s Chris Gascoyne.
What filming location was used for the priory in The Northumbria Mysteries?
In The Northumbria Mysteries, Robson Green’s character Joe is a volunteer at a local priory. He tends to the grounds, seeking forgiveness for his past life of crime, and attempts to start a new life – all under the kind but watchful eye of The Prior Father David (Simon Callow).
When someone discovers a monk’s body buried in a remote part of the priory grounds, the mysterious circumstances make the case difficult to solve. But when Joe comes up with some unusual insights from his own dodgy past, detective Rose senses that she might have a useful ally.
The production team filmed at Brinkburn Priory and Manor House. It’s an English Heritage site, located on a picturesque loop in the river Coquet and reached by a scenic woodland walk. Builders constructed Brinkburn Priory in the 12th century, and restorers carefully and accurately restored it during Victorian times.
While most of the great monastic churches in the care of English Heritage are ruins: Brinkburn Priory isn’t. Which makes it an ideal filming location for The Northumbria Mysteries.
Beside the church is a neo-Gothic-style, 19th-century manor house on the site of the old monastic buildings. Fans of the drama can visit the historic site in Longframlington, Morpeth, on select dates.
‘Northumberland is staggeringly beautiful’
Talking about filming in Northumberland, Robson Green told us: “Yes my home! I’ve never had a job where I could just go back and forth from home [in Hexham] before… It was just joyous spending so much time in the local area. We were wandering around and I thought ‘what’s the catch?’ It was perfect. Did you know Hexham is one of the happiest places to live?”
Liz White added: “Northumberland is staggeringly beautiful. Every single location we visited took my breath away. There was one particular week where we filmed at Bamburgh Castle and Dunstanburgh Castle. We were also extremely lucky with the weather. We were shooting a car chase, with Bamburgh in the background. The sun was cracking the flags, the clouds were dramatic landscapes in the sky, the fields of rape were glowing either side of the road.”
Gurjeet Singh, who plays DS Raj Singh, told us: “I was blown away by the majestic, natural beauty of the land. And the warming strength of the locals in every part of Northumberland we had the pleasure of visiting. The series really shows off just how incredible the natural landmarks are around the North East.”
Simon Callow added: “I was a Northumberland virgin when I started work on The Northumbria Mysteries. It was breathtaking to discover the beauty of its landscape and the depth of its history. I stayed in Alnwick, an extraordinary town. It’s the seat of the Duke of Northumberland, whose castle is crammed with historic items, not least an art collection to rival any of the great palaces of Europe.”
Eglingham Hall poses as Lady Philippa Armstrong’s home in episode 3
Cast and crew shot some of episode 3 in Eglingham Hall. It’s a historic country house and Grade II listed building located in Eglingham, near Alnwick, Northumberland. In the show, it’s the home of Paula Wilcox’s character Lady Philippa Armstrong.
The stunning building features a classical seven-bay Georgian-style façade rebuilt in 1728, attributed to architect William Wakefield. The Ogle family originally built it, after acquiring the manor in 1514. They later passed it to the Bewicke family in the early 20th century.
Unsurprisingly, the mansion house is now used as a wedding venue.
What key filming locations including Alnmouth and Alnwick were used in The Northumbria Mysteries?
- The very opening scene of episode 1 shows St Cuthbert’s Cross on Church Hill in Alnmouth overlooking the Aln Estuary.
- Cast and crew also filmed in Alnwick, voted one of the best places to live in Britain, and famous for the Alnwick Garden and Castle.
- The Northumbria Mysteries on BBC One also features the historic 14th-century ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle. An English Heritage site, the spectacular ruins defend a headland on the rugged Northumberland coast.
- The Northumbria Mysteries production team also used Bamburgh Castle as a filming location. Bamburgh’s Victoria Hotel on Front Street also features in episode 2.
- Cast and crew stood on the sea floor of Holy Island to watch the sunrise. Also known as Lindisfarne, it’s a tidal island off the northeast coast of Northumberland.
- Robson Green’s highlight was filming in the large, tranquil tidal Budle Bay, situated about 2 miles north of Bamburgh and south of Lindisfarne. He said: “My dad used to have a caravan and we’d go there. So it brought back loads of lovely memories. We’d go swimming in the bay together. We both liked cold water swimming, I still do.”
- Lastly, Simon Callow revealed he and Robson Green “had a wonderful scene in the remarkable St George’s church in Jesmond, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne”.
- In episode 4, DI Rose O’Connell and DS Raj Singh discuss a case in a house with a stunning interior staircase and stained glass dome ceiling. This was filmed at Neptune House on Neptune Road in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear. Originally constructed in the Baroque style, it formed part of the historic Neptune Bank Power Station. It is now a Grade II listed building used as offices and, in this case, for filming.
