Here’s how the city and county keep turning up in murder mysteries and gritty detective series – often without being named on screen.
Durham has quietly become a go‑to location for crime drama producers looking for atmospheric streets, river views and dramatic skylines.
Its cathedral and castle, tight back lanes and old bridges give directors instant depth for everything from moody detective walk‑and‑talks to big set‑piece confrontations.
Beyond the city, County Durham’s villages, old industrial sites, moorland and coast offer the kind of varied landscapes crime series love for body finds, chase scenes and tense stand‑offs.
Crime dramas that have filmed in and around Durham
Inspector George Gently
BBC drama Inspector George Gently is one of the clearest examples of a crime series using Durham itself on screen.
Filming took place at Durham Cathedral, Durham Castle and across the city, including locations such as Crossgate, Prebends Bridge, Allergate and Old Elvet Bridge, to recreate a 1960s North East setting.
Those familiar streets and river views helped tell stories about changing communities, policing and crime, even when individual locations were given fictional names.
(Image: ARCHIVE)
Vera
ITV’s long‑running crime drama Vera roams across the North East, and County Durham has featured alongside Northumberland and Tyneside.
The series has used real North East towns and coastal spots, with County Durham locations appearing as part of the patch DCI Vera Stanhope investigates.
Market squares, estates and stretches of the Durham Heritage Coast have stood in for fictional communities dealing with murders and long‑buried secrets.
Why producers keep coming back to Durham for crime dramas. (Image: ITV)
Wire in the Blood
Psychological crime series Wire in the Blood was set in a fictional northern city but filmed extensively in the North East.
North East itineraries and film‑location guides list it alongside other productions that have used regional streets, industrial backdrops and rural landscapes to create its unsettling atmosphere.
For viewers, that means flashes of recognisable bridges, lanes and countryside in among its darker storylines.
(Image: PA MEDIA)
I Fought the Law
Newer BBC crime drama I Fought the Law is part of a wave of productions backed in the North East, with filming of the dramatisation of the true story of Ann Ming taking place across the region.
Promotional material highlights North East locations and companies involved in bringing the story to screen.
While individual scenes may move between different towns and cities, the overall look is rooted in the landscapes and streets of the region.
(Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)
Durham city: cathedrals, cobbles and riverside scenes
Crime dramas love Durham’s mix of grandeur and grit.
Cathedral courtyards, palace greens and narrow streets leading down towards the river make striking backdrops when detectives are hunting suspects or piecing together clues.
Wide shots from the bridges or opposite banks give immediately recognisable skylines that establish a “northern city” feel in a single frame.
Productions also use ordinary streets, ginnels and residential areas away from the historic core when they need believable homes, student digs or witness addresses.
Because everything is close together, crews can film scenes that feel like they’re in several different places without moving far, which makes the city attractive when budgets and schedules are tight.
(Image: UGC)
County Durham landscapes in crime stories
The wider county gives crime dramas a huge range of looks within a short drive of the city.
Former mining villages, small market towns, industrial estates and rural lanes have all been used as stand‑ins for fictional communities dealing with serious crimes.
Moorland, forests and rivers are ideal for body‑discovery scenes, search parties and tense confrontations away from the city lights.
Coastal stretches and clifftops within County Durham also turn up when series want dramatic viewpoints or brooding seascapes.
These locations help writers and directors balance intimate, character‑driven scenes with sweeping shots that show the wider world their stories sit in.
Why crime dramas keep coming back to Durham
For producers, Durham offers a lot of variety in a compact space.
They can film everything from police station exteriors and suspects’ homes to posh dinner scenes and quiet back‑street meetings without leaving the city and its immediate surroundings.
The combination of historic buildings, lived‑in housing and nearby countryside means a single shoot can cover multiple fictional settings.
Over time, positive word‑of‑mouth between production teams has helped cement Durham and County Durham as reliable filming spots.
Local authorities, cathedral staff and location managers have gained experience in working with drama crews, which makes it easier for new series to choose the area for key episodes.
How to spot Durham in your favourite crime series
If you’re watching a crime drama set “somewhere in the North” and think it looks familiar, there are a few signs it might be Durham.
Look out for cathedral towers, cloisters and palace greens in the background of interviews and emotional scenes, or for steep streets and bridges over a winding river.
In the countryside, keep an eye open for stone‑built villages, viaducts and moorland that match places you know from days out.
End credits sometimes thank local councils, cathedrals or location offices, which is another clue that scenes were shot in the city or nearby.
Fan sites and social media groups often share behind‑the‑scenes pictures when crews have been spotted, helping viewers connect particular episodes to real streets and landmarks.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login