TV settings for popular TV shows the Inbetweeners, Afterlife and Dcotor Foster have appeared on a list of 50 top staycation destinations in the UK and Ireland, according to a survey.
All three are in Hertfordshire and rank among some of the most visited locations after a study of 2,000 adults was conducted to look at which TV shows were bringing in the most tourists this year, reports CambridgeshireLive.
Hitchin was used for filming the BBC One drama Doctor Foster, about a Dr seeking the truth after her husband has an extramarital affair.
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Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, has become well-known for the internationally renowned After Life starring Ricky Gervais. The crew often films in the Old Town which is where the newspaper office features in the show.
The research found that more than half – 56 per cent – of those polled have already been inspired to visit parts of the UK they had never visited before after they appeared as backdrops in British and Irish dramas and comedies.
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A spokesman for Virgin Media O2, which commissioned the study to launch TV Mapper, an interactive online tool that maps UK filming locations of the nation’s favourite shows, said: “TV became a lifeline in lockdown and during the periods when travel wasn’t possible, we were only able to escape to these destinations through our screens.
“With some of the world still cut off from us due to travel restrictions, there has been a rise in UK TV tourism, as many want to follow in the footsteps of their favourite characters or discover new staycation locations they’ve seen in shows.”
For eight in 10, visiting a location they had seen on television was “everything they’d hoped for”, according to the OnePoll research. More than four in 10 have spotted a TV or film crew at work in their city and taken time to stop and watch the action.
Just under half – 48 per cent – of respondents believe the UK has some of the most scenic filming destinations in the world. Three in 10 even feel proud to be British when they see cities or locations from the UK used in TV shows and films.
Virgin’s spokesman added: “It’s natural to feel a bit of home pride when we see somewhere we recognise in a big-budget production.
Top 50 UK destinations
1. Port Isaac, Cornwall – Doc Martin
2. Highclere Castle, Hampshire – Downton Abbey
3. Truro – Poldark
4. Holmfirth, W Yorks – Last of the Summer Wine
5. Bath – Bridgerton
6. Scotland – Outlander
7. Barry Island, Glamorgan – Gavin & Stacey
Hitchin Market Square
(Image: Nylah Salam)
8. West Bay, Dorset – Broadchurch
9. London – Bodyguard
10. Cardiff – Doctor Who
11. West Yorkshire – Happy Valley
12. County Clare – Father Ted
13. Buckinghamshire – Midsomer Murders
14. Margate, Kent – Only Fools and Horses
15. Belfast – Line of Duty
16. Birmingham – Peaky Blinders
17. London – Black Mirror
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18. Scotland – Behind Her Eyes
19. Thetford, Norfolk – Dad’s Army
20. Bristol – Skins
21. London – Luther
22. Lyme Park, Cheshire – Pride & Prejudice
23. Derry, Northern Ireland – Derry Girls
24. Chatham Dockyard, Kent – Call the Midwife
25. Oxford Street – I May Destroy You
26. Glasgow – The Nest
27. Manchester – The Stranger
28. Lancaster House, London – The Crown
29. Halifax – Last Tango in Halifax
30. Kent – Gangs of London
31. Wye Valley, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Monmouthshire – Sex Education
33. Lancashire – The English Game
34. North Gower Street, London – Sherlock
35. Birmingham – Man Like Mobeen
36. Lacock, Wiltshire – Cranford
37. Hertfordshire – The Inbetweeners
Greg Davies was spotted filming a new TV series in Hitchin town centre by eagle-eyed fans
(Image: Martin Isherwood)
38. Laugharne, Carmarthenshire – Keeping Faith
39. Sligo, Ireland – Normal People
40. Craiglang, Glasgow – Still Game
41. Dartmouth Park, Kentish Town – Fleabag
42. Hitchin, Hertfordshire – Dr Foster
43. Hackney – Top Boy
44. Larchfield Estate, Northern Ireland – Marcella
45. Hertfordshire – After Life
46. Burpham, West Sussex – Unforgotten
47. Paton Street, Manchester – It’s a Sin
48. Southmere Lake, Thamesmead, SE London – Misfits
49. Northleach, Gloucestershire – This Country
50. Rousham House, Oxfordshire – The Pursuit of Love
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