This Is Where Broadchurch Was Actually Filmed

"Broadchurch" is a crime drama that really pulled viewers in over its three seasons of mystery and murder. This is especially true of Season 1, which currently holds a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. That first season focused on Detective Inspector Alec Hardy (David Tennant) and Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) investigating the murder of an 11-year-old boy, while Season 2 covered the fallout of that case while focusing on a case in Hardy's past. Season 3 brought in a completely new story centering on sexual assault. Season 3 received a higher rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, sitting at 98%, but Season 1 still has a slightly higher average audience score.

Either way, one of the things that many critics and fans of the show have noted about "Broadchurch" is how well it was shot and the beautiful locations to go along with that. As some may have guessed, the show is set in the eponymous English town where these crimes take place. However, considering that Broadchurch isn't a real place, many fans may wonder where it was actually filmed. Well, like the crimes that are eventually solved in the show itself, the mystery surrounding that question is over.

According to BT, "Broadchurch" was actually filmed in various settlements in England. Primarily, a lot of the exterior shots were filmed in West Bay, Dorset. For those who don't exactly have the time to learn complicated geography, West Bay is settled on the English Channel, which is itself part of the Atlantic Ocean. BT notes that this place was likely chosen for its cliff faces and general beautiful scenery — a point of pride for Dorset, which details the exact cliffs and beaches used in the series on the county website. 

In addition to the locations in West Bay, a lot of the in-town street scenes were shot in Clevedon, Bristol, itself another city containing suburbs set against the sea (though much further north than Dorset). In the second and third seasons, other locations ended up on the filming roster, such as Charmouth and Portishead. In Season 3, the fictional Axehampton House where the brunt of the crime took place is actually known as the Bridehead House in real life. This particular house is located in a village called Little Bredy, also in Dorset. 

It's amazing that the producers of "Broadchurch" made these locations all feel like one small location and an actual lived-in community. The scenery in the show was arguably half of the appeal, so finding the right locations was probably key. In fact, at the height of the show's popularity, many of these areas saw an increase in tourist interest (per The Telegraph), which was dubbed the "Broadchurch effect."