Where is ITV crime drama The Bay filmed?

As well as yet another gripping case to investigate, the series will also feature plenty of shots of the sandy beach, windswept promenade and choppy seas that fans have come to know and love.

The ITV drama also puts the spotlight on a small town, including more run-down areas and "leafier" neighbourhoods.

Here's what you need to know about Morecambe – and the locations we see on screen in The Bay season 4.

Where is The Bay set – and filmed?

ITV drama The Bay is set and filmed in the coastal town of Morecambe. This Lancashire town is located north of Blackpool, and was once a bustling seaside resort which has seen a decades-long decline in tourism.

But screenwriter Daragh Carville believes Morecambe doesn't get the recognition it deserves – and this drama puts the town back in the spotlight.

Although originally from Northern Ireland, Carville has made his home in nearby Lancaster where he and his wife, the novelist Jo Baker, have raised their family.

Speaking about returning to The Bay for season 4, Carville said: "We film in Morecambe and I live in Lancaster so both physically and metaphorically I feel like I’ve not left The Bay in a number of years now.

"It's been all-consuming over the last few years and the show is never very far from my thoughts. When we finish shooting a series, we're already thinking very intently about the next and planning storylines."

• Find beautiful places to holiday in Morecambe on Airbnb

He previously told RadioTimes.com ahead of the first season in 2019 that Morecambe was "a place that I always liked", saying: "It's a really interesting mix of things, because on the one hand it's very striking, it's beautiful, it's got extraordinary views out across the bay towards the Lake District.

"But it's also got that very distinctive British or Irish seaside town quality, because as with many seaside places, it has slightly lost its raison d'être."

Morecambe thrived after the arrival of the railways, with holidaymakers coming down on the trains from Scotland and from Yorkshire all through the first half of the 20th century. But from the 1970s, Brits could increasingly afford foreign holidays and Morecambe was out of fashion – especially after its two piers were destroyed.

"You can still see traces of it. There are still these magnificent buildings like the Winter Gardens and the Midland Hotel, so it's still got this sense of slightly faded grandeur," Carville said, explaining why he decided to set The Bay in Morecambe.

"And I suppose the combination of it being a beautiful place, but also a place that has had its struggles – there's something about Morecambe, it's literally on the edge of the country, but there's also a metaphorical edge to it as well."

Morecambe is also not the sort of place you usually see in a TV drama. "One of the reasons I wanted to write this story and to set it there was just simply because nothing had been set there before," Carville said. "And I think there's something really important about seeing your own life represented on screen or on stage."

So will people be tempted to visit Morecambe after watching The Bay? Will we see the Broadchurch effect?

"It is a crime drama so there is a dark aspect to this story and we can't get away from that," the writer said. "But that's not all it's about, and we also kind of show the beauty of the place and the richness and warmth of that community. Richness in the sense of a lived history. And I think that's all there, in the mix.

"At the same time, it's not like a tourist guide to Morecambe, it's not a travelogue. We have the dark side and the positives."

Speaking about the upcoming fourth season, series star Marsha Thomason stated that "Morecambe is a character in our show". She said: "It's so iconic and so distinctive. It is a place unto itself. The character of this place really adds to the grit and the drama of the show."

Where was The Bay season 4 filmed?

Speaking about filming on location for season 4, Erin Shanagher (who plays DS Karen Hobson) said that while the weather may be temperamental in Morecambe, the setting is ideal for the drama.

She explained: "Morecambe is incredible as a setting for The Bay because you can have four seasons in one day. We have literally filmed with rainstorms and then we're all having to put sun lotion on at lunchtime, and then the winds and then the landscape.

"Wherever you look, it's interesting and it's beautiful. It's got so much history here and it's a place where stories aren't normally told so it's incredible to bring these places to life."

She continued: "Setting the show in Morecambe adds endless opportunities in terms of story. Where there's water, where you have massive tides going in and out a few times a day, anything can happen in a town like this.

"It’s exciting and it's beautiful and it's so rich in its history. With Morecambe being a holiday town as well, where people come and go, this constant movement of people means anything can happen."

• Find beautiful places to stay in Morecambe on Airbnb

Similarly, Daniel Ryan (who plays DI Tony Manning) said that setting the series in Morecambe only adds to the drama. He said: "Morecambe is a beautiful, beautiful place. I've always said there's a sense of melancholy here because it was once this huge, thriving, British holiday destination.

"I was brought here as a kid. I remember going to the funfair that's literally behind where we filmed some scenes. There's an atmosphere here that you don't find anywhere else.

"On a sunny day, it can be the most joyous, lovely place and on a grey, cloudy day because we’re by the sea with that landscape and how it changes, it changes the atmosphere. It's intrinsic in the show, wherever you look, there's something extraordinary to see. But within that, it's a town that needs a cuddle."

Where were the beach scenes filmed?

Morecambe has a five-mile stretch of sandy beach with panoramic views over to the Lakeland Fells. Along the coastline is a long promenade, lined with cafés and restaurants and hotels.

Filming took place along the beach, but particularly around the Stone Jetty which is now all that remains of the original Victorian harbour.

While his character is primarily seen in the police station, Ryan admits that his favourite part of filming is when he does manage to get down to the beach. He reveals: "When I do leave the station my favourite bits are when we film anything along the shoreline. It’s the sea, the coast, the view of the lakes, the sheer beauty of it all."

Where is the police station filmed?

Many of the scenes of the hard-working MIU team are shot elsewhere, the police station as shown in Morecambe is a genuine place.

"It is indeed a working police station," Carville told us, adding: "To be fair, and without wanting to ruin the magic of television, the exteriors and the interiors are filmed at different places."

While exteriors were shot in Morecambe, the interior scenes of meeting rooms and office and interview rooms were filmed at a disused police station in Manchester.

Where is the B&B filmed?

This season, the grief-stricken Metcalf family are taken to a B&B to stay, seeing as their home is ruined by the arson attack. While it's under very sad circumstances, there's no denying that the setting itself is beautiful and we often see Dean and his children take time away from the indoors to explore the area around their temporary home.

Shanagher and Thomason's characters regularly have to venture to the B&B to help the family and chat with them, which was a treat of a location to go to.

Speaking about it, Shanagher says: "We filmed up in a location during the solstice and it was the most incredibly beautiful day. It is the B&B that we take the family to after the tragedy.

"We turned up to this location, right on the water, looked out with the Lake District over the water, the sky was incredible. We had the most phenomenal sunset that evening, which bounced off the sand, off the water and it felt really special."

The Bay season 4 premieres on Wednesday 8th March at 9pm on ITV, with the rest of the season then available to stream on ITVX. The Bay seasons 1-3 are available to watch on ITVX and BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial here.

Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only £1 with delivery to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.