Where is Father Brown filmed?
Father Brown has been bringing us picturesque views of the English countryside for 13 seasons - but where is it filmed?
It's time to return to Kembleford, with the 13th season of cosy crime drama Father Brown now available to stream in full on BBC iPlayer.
The series, which is based on the short stories by G K Chesterton and has been running since 2013, continues to draw in fans with its mix of intriguing cases and engaging personal drama for the key characters.
Starring Mark Williams at the titular Catholic priest, the series is also known for its host of guest stars, plus its stunning rural locations.
The show's village setting is actually in contrast to Chesterton's books, which take place all over the country. But where actually is the on screen version of Father Brown set, and where are the picturesque scenes filmed?
Read on for everything you need to know about the filming locations and setting for Father Brown.
Where is Father Brown set?
Father Brown is set in the picturesque, fictional village of Kembleford, which in the series is located in the Cotswolds, Gloucestershire.
This is in contrast to G K Chesterton's short stories, the source material for the series. In those stories, Brown is at first the priest for the parish of Cobhole in Essex, after which he relocated to London. The stories take place all across England and further afield, following Brown on his travels.
Producer on the show's first season Ceri Meyrick explained the change ahead of the first season airing, saying: "We wanted a sense of place for the audience to come back to every week. Plus, we needed to film near our base in Birmingham.
"The Cotswolds is gloriously beautiful and also, quite easy to film as period, with little in the way of modern buildings. Also, we didn’t have the budget to go to Mexico, New York and all the other places G K sent Father Brown."
Where is Father Brown filmed?
Most of the show's external scenes are shot in and around the Cotswolds and Gloucestershire, with the Church of St Peter and St Paul in Blockley doubling as Father Brown's own church, St Mary's Catholic Church in Kembleford.
Other Gloucestershire locations include the village of Guiting Power, Upper Slaughter, the old hospital in Moreton-in-Marsh, Sudeley Castle and Winchcombe Railway Station, while Ilmington in Warwickshire has also been used.
The series has also filmed at locations in Oxfordshire including Kirtlington Park, Chastleton House, Bloxham School and Broughton Castle.
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Ahead of the show's eighth season, which aired in 2020, producer Peter Bullock revealed some of the locations the crew had filmed in for that season. "We’ve been to Kirtlington House in Oxfordshire, Worcester Cathedral, the Cornwell Estate and Upton House.
"We’ve been to the canals in Cropredy, we have shot round our regular locations in Blockley, which is Kembleford itself. We also shoot in standing sets; the presbytery kitchen and study and police station interior, which is in the studio in Evesham. We do quite a good tour of the Cotswolds in 14 weeks of filming."
For season 13, the cast also filmed an episode at Western-super-Mare beach.
Williams also revealed some of the other filming locations for the season, saying: "This year, our 13th, has been a great year for interesting locations.
"We have filmed in The Chateaux Impney a French fantasy in Droitwich, the little theatre in Chipping Norton (an ex Salvation Army Citadel), the wonderful 18th Century octagonal Crown Courts in Warwick and an atmospheric ex-Nunnery in Great Malvern with a glorious chapel by Ninian Comper.
"Also, The Fleece Inn in Bretforton which is a English pub time capsule, the spectacular Baroque church at Great Witley, and to top it off a selection of lovely stone Cotswold houses and churches. What a fabulous itinerary. And we filmed an episode at the seaside!"
Father Brown returns on Friday 9th January at 2pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
