Grantchester filming location: Explore glorious Cambridge setting for ITV series
Where is Grantchester filmed, and is the picturesque Cambridgeshire village a real place?
ITV's Grantchester returns this March for a seventh season, with Geordie and Will investigating more Cambridge-based crime, while also moving in together following the former's split from wife Cathy.
The long-running period drama has seen a number of cast changes over the years, however it's always stayed in Grantchester – a picturesque village on the River Cam in South Cambridgeshire.
That being said, season 6 saw the Keatings, Will and Leonard head off to Merries holiday camp in episode 1 for a break from all the Grantchester drama – although the trip didn't prove to be as relaxing as planned.
The first three episodes of Grantchester season 7 look set to take place in Cambridgeshire as normal, with the synopsis teasing: "It’s the long hot summer of 1959 and wedding season is in full swing in the Cambridgeshire village of Grantchester."
There'll also be scenes shot at Cambridge University (King's College campus is often used for the series), with the season 7 synopsis continuing: "A book found on the body leads Geordie to suspect the victim might be Robin Fellows, a student at the university"
Read on for everything you need to know about the Grantchester filming locations for series 7.
Where is Grantchester filmed?
Like many period dramas shot on location, filming resumed on Grantchester during the pandemic. You can read our deep dive into how the National Trust made TV shoots work despite COVID.
Grantchester resumed production on season 6 back in October 2020, and PBS (the home for Grantchester in the US) celebrated the news with a compilation video of cast members' experiences of adapting to their COVID-safe working environment while filming. Filming on season 7 kicked off in July 2021.
Grantchester is filmed in various picturesque locations, including in and around the village of Grantchester itself. Other filming sites are dotted across the Cambridgeshire area, including the nearby city of Cambridge, and various Cambridge University spots, like the King's College campus.
Speaking ahead of season 6, Tessa Peake-Jones, who plays Mrs Chapman in the Grantchester cast, said: “I think the viewers love the 1950s, it gives some of the audience a chance to reminisce on that time. It’s colourful, the costumes are beautiful, Grantchester itself and Cambridge, the buildings and the scenery are so picturesque."
She continued: “The production made it feel like such a safe and secure place, it didn’t matter how impractical the protocols were, it just felt great to know we were filming something that would bring happiness to the audience. It also made us realise that entertainment was a real source of escapism for people during lockdown.”
Asked about season 6 holiday camp Merries, Robson Green revealed that the camp wasn't real at all, but entirely designed by the Grantchester production team. "I was receiving phone calls from the production team who weren’t on set asking ‘Where is that place, I want to take my kids there!’ and that’s testament to the design team, they made it look amazing."
He continued: “Although we were filming outside of Grantchester, it really is our happy place. I love filming there for all of the space it has, it’s always good to be there and before we even start filming I always want to know if we will be filming in Grantchester even if sometimes it’s only for a couple of days, and if it’s for a few weeks it’s such a joy!"
Is Grantchester a real place?
Yes, Cambridgeshire village Grantchester is a real location, and can be found two miles away from Cambridge itself.
The ITV series Grantchester mainly films on location in and around its namesake. Eagle-eyed viewers will note that Grantchester's church, Church of St Mary and St Andrew, features prominently in the TV series. According to the church's website, the oldest parts of the building date back to the 14th century.
Adapted from the fictional Grantchester Mysteries novels by James Runcie (set in the real-life village Grantchester), the series has already been renewed for season 7.
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Grantchester will return to ITV for season 7 on Friday 11th March 2022. You can order the Grantchester Mysteries books from Amazon.
Check out what else is on with our TV Guide, or visit our Drama hub for more news and features.