Created by Steven Knight, ‘Peaky Blinders’ is a British crime drama series that revolves around the titular crime gang after the events of the first World War. Loosely based on the eponymous real urban youth gang who were active between the 1880s and 1910s, the narrative follows Thomas Shelby — the leader of the Peaky Blinders — and his brothers as they return home after fighting for the British Army in World War I. The gang controls the city, but Shelby grows ambitious and plans to extend Peaky Blinder’s empire.
In the meanwhile, anyone who comes between Shelby and his ambitions meets with grave consequences. Since the storyline is set in the 1900s, the viewers get to witness some interesting backdrops throughout the series. This makes them wonder how and where the production team is able to create the suitable settings. Well, in case you have similar questions in your mind, allow us to answer all of them by providing you with all the information!
Peaky Blinders Filming Locations
‘Peaky Blinders’ is filmed across England and Scotland, specifically in the counties of West Yorkshire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, West Midlands, Lancashire, Cheshire, North Yorkshire, Greater London, Northumberland, Derbyshire, and the council area of Aberdeenshire. Even though most of the series is set in Birmingham, the production team utilizes the locales of other locations in England. So, let’s head over to the specific locations where the British series is filmed!
Bradford, England
Over the course of six seasons, a large portion of ‘Peaky Blinders’ was filmed in different cities across the county of West Yorkshire, mainly in Bradford. The railway sequences in season 1 were filmed in Keighley & Worth Valley Railway with the help of carriages from the Ingrow Museum of Rail Travel. It is located at 39 Damems Lane in Keighley. The production team also utilized the Bradford City Hall in Centenary Square to tape several scenes for the series. Furthermore, a number of scenes were also lensed in Little Germany, Peel Park, Salts Mill, and the town of Saltaire located in Bradford Metropolitan District.
Dalton Mills in Dalton Lane, King’s Hall & Winter Gardens on Station Road in Ilkley, Undercliffe Cemetery at 127 Undercliffe Lane, and The Bradford Club at 1 Piece Hall Yard all serve as prominent production locations throughout the several seasons of the drama series. Unfortunately, the historic Dalton Mills complex suffered severe burns in early March 2022 from extensive fire. A month later, it was reported that the officials are working to bring it “back into beneficial use.”
Other Locations in West Yorkshire, England
The production team set up camp in Leeds to film various sequences in Leeds Town Hall on The Headrow, City Varieties Music Hall on Swan Street, and Braime Pressings on Hunslet Road. Moreover, several pivotal scenes were also shot in Studio 81, which is located at 71 Kirkstall Road. The studio houses over 100 workstations across three individual production areas, along with several studios, offices, and parking spaces.
In addition, the cast and crew members of ‘Peaky Blinders’ also utilized the facilities of the North Light Film Studios. Located on Brooke’s Mill in Huddersfield, the studio has 4 main stages that provide plenty of scope for interior as well as exterior adaptation for productions. A few scenes were also recorded in and around Brooke’s Mill in Huddersfield.
Liverpool, England
Liverpool is one of the prominent filming sites that feature in several seasons of ‘Peaky Blinders.’ The production team taped several pivotal scenes on Stanley Dock, Rodney Street, Upper Duke Street, and Admiral Grove (which stands in for Small Heath). As for the beach scene involving Thomas Shelby and Alfie Solomons (Tom Hardy) at the end of season 4, it was lensed at the Formby Beach, located on Victoria Road.
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The political rally sequences in season 6 were taped in St. George’s Hall, situated in the center of Liverpool, while the church scene involving Thomas in season 6 was filmed inside the Liverpool Cathedral built on St. James Mount. In order to shoot scenes involving Aunt Polly’s house, the cast and crew of the series traveled west of Liverpool to the model village of Port Sunlight in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside.
Manchester, England
Many pivotal scenes were recorded across Manchester, especially for the sixth iteration. The horse fair scene where Thomas encounters his love interest May was filmed in Victoria Baths on Hathersage Road. The interior scenes involving the iconic Garrison pub were shot on a purpose-built set in Space Studios. Located on Vaughan Street, the studio comprises 6 acoustically treated stages, workshops, and several production facilities. Hotel Gotham, situated at 100 King Street, stands in for The Midland Hotel in the sixth season.
The area of Castlefield is used to embody 1930s Small Heath, Garrison Lane, and Chinatown in season 6. Other than that, pivotal scenes were also taped in Northern Quarter and outside Manchester Town Hall. The production team even moved out of Manchester but stayed within the Greater Manchester county, to Bolton, which stands in for London. In addition, the meeting hall scene in season 6 was lensed in Salford Lads Club on St. Ignatius Walk in Salford.
West Midlands, England
For filming purposes, the production team set up camp in the Black Country Living Museum on Tipton Road in Dudley. Some sequences were also likely recorded in Birmingham. Moreover, to tape a few important scenes, the cast and crew members headed west of West Midlands county to St. Chad’s Church at 1 St. Chad’s Terrace in Shrewsbury.
Lancashire, England
The interior sequences involving the luxurious Grays’ mansion in Boston in the sixth season were filmed inside the Ashton Memorial situated on Williamson Road in Lancaster. The Lee Quarry Mountain Bike Trail near Bacup and Stacksteads in Rossendale Valley also serves as a filming site for a pivotal scene in season 6. Furthermore, some scenes were also taped in Beacon Fell Country Park in Preston.
Peaky Blinders filming in Lee Quarry Bacup yesterday. pic.twitter.com/VcbEfeoOXM
— bettyblue37degrees (@bettyblue37degr) April 7, 2021
Cheshire, England
Arley Hall & Gardens, located in Arley in Northwich, doubles as the setting for Thomas Shelby’s lavish manor home. The library of the country house was transformed to provide the setting for Thomas’ study. In addition, some sequences were also filmed in the town of Ellesmere Port.
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North Yorkshire, England
The production team even set up camp across North Yorkshire to shoot important scenes for the series. Bolton Abbey and Skipton are a couple of civil parishes that feature in several sequences throughout the series. Moreover, Newby Hall & Gardens also serves as a prominent production location for multiple scenes. It is located on Skelton-on-Ure in Ripon.
Other Locations in England
There are a few other locations in England where the production team traveled for shooting purposes. Chatsworth House in the Derbyshire Dales stands in for May Carleton’s mansion in the second season of ‘Peaky Blinders.’ The sequences set in the community of Small Heath were also taped in and around Powis Street in the district of Woolwich. Mount Street in London and Pilgrim Street in Newcastle upon Tyne were also utilized for filming scenes for the crime drama series.
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Portsoy, Scotland
The production team even traveled to Scotland to film a few pivotal sequences for the sixth season. Specifically, the town of Portsoy in Aberdeenshire stands in for Newfoundland. Reportedly, they searched for a suitable location across the country and found Portsoy as their best option.
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