MURDER IN MORECAMBE: THE BAY

Being set in a seaside location and starting with the disappearance of two teenagers, inevitably there will be comparisons between The Bay and Broadchurch.  Personally, I think The Bay is the better of the two.  It starts on a very interesting premise, every policewoman’s nightmare.  I won’t say any more in case anyone has not got around to viewing it yet. 


The seaside location in question is Morecambe of Morecambe Bay, with its famously treacherous sands, and there are plenty of shots of the beach.  Much of the filming took place around the Stone Jetty.  Apparently Morecambe was chosen because as well as being a beautiful part of the British coast, it is also a town with an edge to it.  At the beginning, there is an aerial shot of the town with the magnificent art-deco Midland Hotel taking centre stage. The hotel was renovated and reopened in 2008, but in its heyday was frequented by the likes of Coco Chanel and Noel Coward. 

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Beach at Morecambe (7907). Photo by Nilfanion, via Wikimedia Commons.

Episode 1 has the lead policewoman in the drama heading to town on a night out, culminating in a karaoke session.  This takes place in the Royal Bar at the Royal Hotel, which was actually used in the scene.  Away from Morecambe, there is a scene involving an outdoor lido.  This was filmed at nearby Grange Lido at Grange-Over-Sands, on the north shore of Morecambe Bay.

Map of the area.

FAMILY STRIFE IN SHROPSHIRE: ATONEMENT/STOKESAY COURT

The film Atonement, based on the novel of the same name by Ian McEwan, begins in the stately abode of the Tallis family, whose daughter Cecilia is smitten by Robbie, the son of one of the servants whose university education the family has paid for.  Robbie is wrongly accused of rape by Cecilia’s younger sister Briony, who has already misinterpreted an encounter between the two by the fountain in the garden as malicious behaviour on Robbie’s part.  This combination of misunderstanding and malice has a lasting effect on the lives of Cecilia and Robbie.

During the summer of 2006 the film’s production team headed for Stokesay Court, a privately-owned country house and estate near Onibury in Shropshire.  The team had discovered the property in an issue of Country Life magazine and decided it was a perfect candidate for the role of the Tallis house.  The crucial fountain scene did not use the actual fountain to be found in the grounds; a sculptor produced a more elaborate one specially for the filming.  As well as the grounds of the estate, the film made use of the interiors of the house and a cottage, occupied by the Robbie character.  The library which featured in Atonement is actually a billiards room in real life.

Stokesay Court - panoramio(1). Photo by PJMarriott, via Wikimedia Commons.

Stokesay Court was originally built for a wealthy Victorian businessman whose father went into partnership with a Worcester glove maker, with construction starting in 1889.  During World War I it was used as a convalescent home for soldiers, and during World War II the property was requisitioned by the Army for training purposes. The property remains in private hands with tours available for individuals or groups on certain set dates, to be booked in advance.  The estate acquired by the original owner included the nearby Stokesay Castle, run by English Heritage, which is a fine example of a fortified medieval manor house built in the 13^th century by Laurence of Ludlow.  

Map of the area.

LEWIS CARROLL'S WELSH WONDERLAND: LLANDUDNO

In the latter part of the 19^th century a little girl called Alice Liddell used to visit the Welsh resort of Llandudno, staying at the family holiday home Penmorfa on the town’s West Shore.  Like any young girl, Alice had her share of adventures while on holiday in the town.  The writer Lewis Carroll was a close friend of the Liddell family, and although he reputedly never met Alice there, he got wind of Alice’s holiday exploits and used them as the basis for a story which he recounted to Alice and her sisters on a rowing trip.  And so the famous children’s novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland came into being, followed by the sequel Through  The Looking Glass.



Llandudno has not forgotten its association with Lewis Carroll and Alice, and commemorates it in a number of ways, including a a town trail.  There is a statue of the White Rabbit character on the West Shore, and also just off the West Shore there are two big rocks which are said to represent the Walrus and the Carpenter from Through The Looking Glass.  Unfortunately, fans visiting the town will not be able to see Penmorfa.  After a few years as a hotel, in 2008 the building was demolished as it was deemed to be  unsafe.

Alice in Wonderland - geograph.org.uk - 580510. Photo by Steve F, via Wikimedia Commons

Llandudno is a typical seaside resort, with its long promenade and pier and its array of restaurants and shops, but what makes it stand out from other similar resorts is its position at the foot of the mighty Great Orme, a mountain which can be reached by tramway or cable car or, for the energetic, on foot.  There is a bar and restaurant at the top and the views out to sea are stupendous, only marred by the ‘forest’ of wind turbines on the horizon.  The sheep to be found on the mountain have been joined by 122 wild Kashmiri goats, who made the news recently when they headed down to the town during bad weather, stopping the traffic, nibbling plants in people’s gardens and generally causing chaos.

The Great Orme, from the Promenade.

Map of the area.