From the perils of Peaky Blinders to Des’ downfall: TV’s spookiest scenes mapped for Halloween

• Virgin Media O2 has mapped twelve of the spookiest spots from British TV for those looking for an eerie escape this Halloween
• Follow the frightening footsteps of the Fall’s Paul Spector or explore the historical horrors of Ardkinglas House, the scene of soul swapping spooks in Behind her Eyes
• ‘TV tourism’ is on the rise in the UK, with more than half of Brits visiting UK destinations after seeing them on screen
• Virgin Media O2’s TV Mapper is a first-of-its-kind tool that allows TV fans to find where their favourite shows are filmed

Those looking for an eerie escape or a night of thrill seeking this Halloween can now visit the sites of spine-tingling scenes from British TV thrillers, including Arley Hall, Cheshire, the home of Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders and the scene of a shootout with a rival gang and Harbour Cliff Beach Dorset, the scene of a gruesome discovery of Danny’s body in Broadchurch.

The lurid locations are part of the latest update from Virgin Media O2’s TV Mapper, an online tool which enables fans to find where their favourite shows are filmed.

Take a spooky spin down Ulsterville Avenue, Belfast, to retrace the murderous footsteps of the Fall’s Paul Spector, or sit down for a pint (if you dare) at London’s Horseshoe Pub, the scene of a Brutal and Deathly fight in the gruesome Gangs of London.

The list of haunting locations on TV Mapper includes:

• Behind Her Eyes
  • Aubert Court, London – The location of Louise reading Rob’s diary when she discovers his criminal intention was first shown in episode one
  • Ardkinglas House, Argyll – The scene of the tragic fire that sees Adele’s family perish and where Rob’s obsession for Adele’s husband unfolds
• Broadchurch
  • Harbour Cliff Beach, Dorset – The location where Danny’s body is discovered in the opening scenes of the first series and is frequently used throughout both series of the ITV drama
• Des
  • Holloway Prison, London – The location where the set of Dennis Nilsen’s prison set was created for the shooting of the TV series. The location was used for many of the tense interviews between Nilsen and the officers investigating his case
  • Cranley Gardens, London – The flat in which Nilsen lived and carried out some of his gruesome crimes. The location was used across the series while the scale of Nilsen’s brutal crimes were unravelled
• The Enfield Haunting
  • Enfield, London – Where the spooky, supernatural hauntings took place, the locations are spread out across the town. Over an 18-month period, ghostly events took place around the area of 284 Green Street, leading to more than 30 people reporting that they had experienced furniture moving with a mind of its own
• The Fall
  • Ulsterville Avenue, Belfast – The location was used for serial killer Paul Spector’s house, first appearing in series one when Paul’s gruesome character comes to the fore. The location is frequently used throughout the first season of the thriller
• Game of Thrones
  • Castle Ward, Northern Ireland – The location of Winterfell, the area is complete with Game of Thrones themed tours allowing you to get into the capital of the Kingdom of The North and ancestral home of House Stark
• Gangs of London
  • Horseshoe Pub, London – The scene of the infamous gang fight that sees Sean Wallace’s men fight to protect his family’s criminal empire. The East End pub features in episode one as the Albanian gang seeks out Finn Wallace’s deputies culminating in a devastatingly violent brawl
• Line of Duty
  • East Belfast Yacht Club, Belfast – The location that many bodies wash up ashore within the TV show. The Yacht Club features in both series three and six of the show, whilst also being used when AC-12 are being given the run-around by the OCG
• Luther
  • Petticoat Lane Market, London – The location is used in series two, episode one as the body of art student Cameron Gray is discovered by Luther and DC Ripley, leading to Luther making a breakthrough in the investigation by recovering a DNA sample
• Peaky Blinders
  • Hoghton House, Preston – The location becomes St Hilda’s orphanage, where Polly Grey and Tommy Shelby question the nuns over the mistreatment of children. The location appears in episode three of season five of the show, as Polly delivers yet another spine-tingling display of her fearsome nature
  • Arley Hall, Cheshire – Arley Hall becomes Tommy Shelby’s country retreat where he fights off hitmen to protect his young family in series three of the BBC series. The locations crowning glory was the fight scene staged by Ilex Columns outside the property
• Silent Witness
  • Gloucester Prison, Gloucester – The scene of a prison riot that kicks off series 24 of Silent Witness as Jack and Nikki visit the prison to investigate a suspicious death following the riots
• The Stranger
  • Grand Pacific Hotel, Manchester – This grand hotel is the stage for sting operation in which Kimberley awaits her target with Johanna watching on in episode five of the Netflix thriller.

The list comes as research shows a rise in ‘TV tourism’ with more than half (56%) of Brits visiting UK destinations after seeing them on screen with nearly a quarter enjoying a TV-inspired staycation in the last year.

Virgin Media’s online tool, TV Mapper, allows users to search by show, genre or region, plan the ultimate fan route and follow in the footsteps of their favourite characters, virtually or in person.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

• The survey of 2,000 UK adults was carried out by One Poll between 18^th and 22^nd June 2021.
• The analysis of the most searched for TV show and the increase in searches of ‘staycation’ is based on Google search data captured between May 2020 and May 2021.