Bath on the big screen

Lights. Camera. Action!

The city of Bath has hosted many famous faces over the years. From turning back time in Bridgerton, when the streets doubled up for Regency London, to welcoming multi-award-winning musical Les Misérables to turn Pulteney Bridge and the Weir into 19th-century Paris.  

So, if you consider yourself a bit of a movie buff, why not try and spot a few familiar Bath landmarks?  

The Seven Dials Mystery  

With its bold Georgian architecture, stunning manor houses, and rolling countryside, Bath has set the scene for many a mystery drama over the years.  

This summer saw the actor Martin Freeman spotted behind the wheel of a vintage car as Netflix began filming for its newest Agatha Christie series, The Seven Dials Mystery.   

The series will take viewers back in time to 1925; to a lavish country home and a house party gone wrong. When a practical joke turns into a murder, a gripping mystery unfolds, and the characters work through a series of clues to crack the case and unmask the killer.  

The witty, fast-paced drama is set to feature a few familiar Bath landmarks. See if you can spot the famous Great Pulteney Street.  

Sherlock Holmes  

This isn’t the first time Bath has doubled as the backdrop for London. Martin Freeman made his first appearance alongside Benedict Cumberbatch in the streets of Bath for the beloved adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes novels.   

A modernised spin on the detective story, the show uses Arthur Conan Doyle’s characters and plots to unravel countless mysteries, with the plucky Afghanistan War veteran, John Watson, by Homles’ side.  

Back in 2015, hundreds of local residents gathered in the centre of Bath to watch the filming of the BBC’s Sherlock Christmas special, and the cobbled Queen Street became a period backdrop, with clouds of atmospheric smoke filling the air.

McDonald and Dodds  

More recently, Bath welcomed McDonald and Dodds, when crew and cast landed on location in Bath for its fourth series. Tala Gouveia and BAFTA-award winning actor Jason Watkins resurrected their roles as the ambitious DCI McDonald and the quietly brilliant DS Dodds.

The crew visited numerous locations in and around Bath, where the drama is set. Familiar landmarks you might recognise include the Botanical Gardens, Royal Crescent, Abbey Green, and the Bath Marina. 

Bath has set the stage for many other notable productions over the years, including the highly anticipated live-action adaption of Willy Wonka. You can find out more about Bath’s starring role on the big screen on our blog.