Where to find TV show filming locations in London

With movies like Notting Hill, the film premiere event hotspot Leicester Square, and Harry Potter themed tours and shops, it’s safe to say that London is a filmophile’s paradise. But while you’re busy scouting out all the notable movie locations in London (you can see a massive map of them here), you could be walking by a spot used in your favourite Brit TV series without even realizing it!

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So if you’re a TV fanatic and you want to follow the footsteps of Benedict Cumberbatch and Claire Foy around London (who doesn’t, right?) here are some of the many places in London where you can see a classic scene from your favourite Brit-based TV show unfold right before your eyes:

Sherlock

Of course heading to 221B Baker Street (nowadays the Sherlock Holmes Museum) should be at the top of any Sherlock fan’s list, but the exterior shots of the address were actually filmed on North Gower Street, which was a much quieter location for the crew to use during filming. (While you’re there, pop into Speedy’s Cafe at #187 (AKA “Mrs. Hudson’s Snax” in the pilot episode).

Chinatown’s Gerrard Street was used in the first season’s “Blind Baker” episode, and Sherlock and Watson can be seen walking past the Feng Shui Inn at 6 Gerrard Street, (which does a delicious Dim Sum, if you’re interested), in the same episode as well.

Black Mirror

Finding filming locations in London for this series might not be as straightforward as it’s been filmed in several countries, but luckily seeing a spot used in Black Mirror is as easy as having a meal in a Pizza Hut. (No, really).

St. George’s Walk in Croydon was used extensively a couple of months ago for the show’s upcoming fifth season. (Keep an eye out for the 80s-style Pizza Hut and WHSmith stores when you watch it!) Other notable filming locations include Durand Gardens in Lambeth, areas of Camden (in “Hated in the Nation”), and streets around Kingston (in “Shut Up and Dance”). Also, if you’re not too busy heading out on a pub crawl in Camden (as you should), head to Islington’s Electrowerkz Club at 7 Torrens Street, which can be seen in the “San Junipero” episode.

The Crown

Unless you’re made of money and can afford the £625 car tour to see many of The Crown’s filming locations in London, you can easily visit a handful of spots shown in the TV series for no cost at all.

Scenes of the TV show which were set in Buckingham Palace were actually filmed at Lancaster House (for obvious reasons) which is a six-minute walk away; and the palace’s courtyard scenes were shot at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich. Eltham Palace was also used for a handful of “travel-themed” location scenes in the series, and can be seen in the eight episode of the first season when the Queen meets fashion designer Norman Hartnell.

Doctor Who

Given that it’s the longest-running sci-fi television show in the world, “Whovians” will be delighted to know that there’s a ton of Doctor Who-related filming locations in London. (You can check out The Londonist’s massive map version of all the spots here).

From the Canary Wharf (“Doomsday”), Madame Tussauds (“Spearhead from Space”), St. Paul’s Cathedral (in more episodes than you can count), Westminster Bridge (“The Dalek Invasion of Earth”), The Shard (“The Bells of Saint John”), the Battersea Power Station (“The Age of Steel” and “Rise of the Cybermen”), the London Eye (“Rose”)….pick any famous London landmark, and chances are it was featured in a Doctor Who episode at some point or another.