Time series 3 filming locations include disused prison posing as HMYOI Alderwick now used for weddings
It's a change from series 1 and 2, which filmed in Shrewsbury Prison and Liverpool
Time is back with a series 3, introducing a (largely) new cast, and a different set of filming locations from the previous episodes.
The Jimmy McGovern prison drama is an anthology series. Each series centres on a different prison, and new set of characters. With the exception of Siobhan Finneran’s chaplain who is the only returning character in series one to three.
The first series of the drama came in 2021, starring Sean Bean and Stephen Graham as prisoner and seasoned prison officer in a male prison. It was filmed in Shrewsbury Prison in Shropshire, and around Liverpool.
The second series followed in 2023. This time, it was set in a female prison and starred Jodie Whittaker and Bella Ramsey. The production team filmed in and around Liverpool, including Halton, Wirral, and Knowsley.
Series 3 is the latest and most likely the last instalment of Time. Cast and crew set camp in a totally different filming location, and here’s everything you need to know.
Where is it set? Is HMYOI Alderwick a real prison?
Time series 3 is set in an unnamed town, home to HMYOI Alderwick. However, His Majesty’s Young Offender Institution Alderwick is not a real place.
Of course, cast and crew of the BBC One crime drama could not film in a real prison. Disclaimer: No film crew or famous faces were harmed or put in harm’s way in the making of this series.
Production filmed previous series in decommissioned prisons, and Time series 3 is no exception.
Where was Time series 3 actually filmed?
Filming on Time series 3 took place in and around Belfast, Northern Ireland, last year.
Belfast has been a hotbed of filming activity in recent months. Cast and crew of Trespasses, Blue Lights, and the upcoming series 7 of Line of Duty all filmed there.
Series 1 of Time was filmed in Shrewsbury Prison and across Liverpool. Series 2 was also filmed in and around Liverpool.
What prison was used as a filming location in Time series 3?
Cast and crew of Time series 3 used disused prison Crumlin Road Gaol in Belfast to film the crucial scenes in the Young Offender Institution. It closed in 1996 and now hosts public tours, live music, paranormal investigation events, and even weddings!
The building is famous because it is Northern Ireland’s only surviving Victorian-era prison. It “served as a central witness to 150 years of the region’s most turbulent political and criminal history”.
It held thousands of high-profile prisoners from across the political spectrum, including early nationalist leaders like Éamon de Valera, as well as figures like Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness.
Operating from 1846 to 1996, the prison witnessed 17 executions by hanging and subjected inmates to intense hard labour and isolation.
Crumlin Road Gaol closed on March 31, 1996, because it was an outdated 19th-century facility. It no longer met modern penal standards and changing prison requirements in Northern Ireland.
Filming in a prison ‘feels oppressive’
Talking about what it’s like filming in a prison, actress Siobhan Finneran told Radio Times: “It feels oppressive. Crumlin Road Gaol [formerly HM Prison Belfast] is freezing, one of the coldest places I’ve been in my life – and I’ve worked in Iceland! You’re burning energy just to stay warm. At one point we were in the green room, in warm coats, sipping tea, thinking that young kids get locked away here for long periods. Then people wonder why they kick off when they get out.”
David Tennant, who plays Bobby Bailey, admitted that filming in a disused prison like Crumlin Road Gaol affected him. He said: “It’s a very emotive place. We made part of the prison look like a contemporary Young Offender Institution, based on the bones of the building. Then we’d escape upstairs between takes where you’re seeing the actual cells people were in for a long time. They saw a lot of fairly serious prisoners, so the history is in the walls.”
Key filming locations used for Time series 3
- Cast and crew of Time series 3 filmed outside Belvoir Park Golf Club in Belfast. It’s where Jennings skives off work to play golf, which results in a car park confrontation between him and colleague Bobby Bailey.
- In the final episode, viewers see Louis McCartney’s James attend the funeral of his father. This was filmed at the scenic St Joseph’s Church in Hannahstown, famous for its cemetery situated on a hill with views over Belfast.
- Viewers will also see David Tennant’s character Bobby Bailey walk through the interior hallway of the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast after giving testimony at an inquest. The Royal Courts of Justice is the historic home of the Court of Judicature for Northern Ireland, and found on Chichester Street. It’s a Grade A listed landmark.
- Bobby and Nicola enjoy a date night at Spence’s Original Fish and Chips restaurant, which is a real eaterie on Beersbridge Rd in East Belfast. Before that, they also visited the Nu Delhi Restaurant Lounge, a popular Indian dining spot located at 68-72 Great Victoria St, Belfast.
- Lastly, the cute coffee shop where Marie-Louise and Michael meet in the series finale is Coan. Situated on the shores of Strangford Lough in the quaint village of Kircubbin, it’s a real coffee shop serving sweet treats, freshly baked scones, sausage rolls, sandwiches and quiche. Find it at 1 Main Street, Kircubbin.
- Ushindi’s mum lives in an estate in the New Lodge area of north Belfast, one of the iconic residential tower blocks characteristic of the area.
- Other locals might recognise Cosgroves, a traditional local pub located on 34-36 King Street (top of Castle Street, beside the Ibis Belfast City Centre hotel).
Read more: Top must-see dramas from writer Jimmy McGovern from Time to The Lakes
