The Larkins on ITV is new adaption of H.E. Bates' novel, The Darling Buds of May - and everyone is talking about it this month as the second season airs.
The comedy drama returned to screens in October 2022, promising to offer up more shots of the idyllic 1950s countryside. Though the original series was filmed in the village of Pluckley in Kent, the new adaptation has travelled a little further afield.
And just like TV fans are keen to know more about other popular ITV series, such as how many episodes of Karen Pirie are there and what is The Walk-In based on, filming locations are also a hot topic, with many wanting to know where was The Crown filmed as season 5 is soon to air. So, whether you were a fan of The Darling Buds of May or are tuning in for the new series, here's everything there is to know about where is The Larkins filmed.
Where is The Larkins filmed?
Most of The Larkins season two is filmed in Kent, much like season one of the show was. However, The Larkins did not visit Puckley where The Darling Buds of May was filmed, instead choosing to film on a different Kent farm that ITV hasn't disclosed the name of.
Executive producer Sophie Clarke-Jervoise said: "We wanted it to be in Kent because the novels are set in Kent. We wanted these lovely rolling hills, farms in the background, it’s just gorgeous, we’ve been so lucky."
It was great to had met Bradley Walsh in Broadstairs, Kent, for the making of The Larkins pic.twitter.com/WU1hG72rVpJuly 9, 2021
Bradley Walsh, one of the principal stars of the show, added: "The joy of shooting here in Kent is the fact that this is where the books took place, so you get an infinity with it and you get a real feel for it. I think the farm we’re working on has a good couple of hundred, three hundred acres maybe, it’s beautiful."
However, filming of The Larkins season two moved further afield on occasion, with work for the series also taking place in London and Surrey. Film crews spotted at Flanchford Farm in Reigate in April 2021 were thought to have been part of The Larkins too, with filming also taking place at a nearby primary school in Betchworth.
Season one of The Larkins was filmed mainly in the villages of:
- Underriver
- Eynsford
- West Peckham
- Faversham
All four villages were given a 1950s makeover for the show - particularly Faversham, where all the shops in the Market Place donned a full vintage look. Bradley Walsh was also spotted in costume at Walpole Bay Hotel in Margate, and additional filming took place at Viking Bay in Broadstairs.
Where is The Larkins' house?
Most of the filming for The Larkins took place on an undisclosed farm in Kent, so it is not known where exactly the set for the Larkins' home is.
However, some of the other locations used have been revealed. For example, The Hare and Hound pub from the show is really The Swan in West Peckham. Overlooking the village green, The Swan was first built as an inn in 1526 and
originally known as The Miller's Arms, according to its website.
Meanwhile, East Peckham was used as the location for scenes at the church and church shop, while Horsted Keynes Railway Station in Sussex provided the backdrop for other moments in the series.
Director Andy De Emmony explained what it was like filming in Kent during first season, telling the Express: "The only challenge we really had was the weather, which was a nightmare. Despite everything looking fine on camera we were in and out of rain.
"I hadn't really spent much time in Kent which, as it turns out, is beautiful. I normally just travel through. But we made the most of it. We got drones out, the area we were in was particularly beautiful, it went well with the period."
Where was The Darling Buds of May filmed?
The 1990s TV series The Darling Buds of May was filmed in an around the village of Pluckley, near Ashford, in Kent.
In this adaptation, Buss Farm was the set for Larkin family life - boasting a Grade II listed 18th Century farmhouse with 14 bedrooms, en-suite bathrooms, an oak framed barn, a detached two-storey oast house and a two bedroom cart lodge.
Unfortunately, fans of the show aren't able to visit Buss Farm as it's private property. In 2018, the farm went on the market for £3 million.
What year is The Larkins set in?
The Larkins is set in the 1950s. Although it's not clear what exact year, H.E. Bates' first book about the family was released in 1958. The author went on to release five more books in the series.
The show paints an idyllic picture of post-war British family life. Speaking ahead of the first series of the show, star Bradley Walsh told the Express: "This is a big family values show – this is about caring, worrying and loving all about your nearest and dearest.
"I think the pandemic has brought a lot of people closer together and they’ve realised how much they miss people in their lives and to stop rushing around, stop chasing and spend time more time with your family.
"This show takes you back to the days when none of that rushing around existed, there were no mobile phones, there was no internet, when you needed something you had to go and ask them."
The Larkins cast 2022
- Bradley Walsh - Pop Larkin
- Joanna Scanlan - Ma Larkin
- Joelle Rae - Mariette Larkin
- Tok Stephen - Cedric ‘Charley’ Charlton
- Lydia Page - Primrose Larkin
- Julian Rhind-Tutt - Mr Jerebohm
- Morgana Robinson - Pinkie Jerebohm
- Amelia Bullmore - Miss Edith Pilchester
- Kriss Dosanjh - Brigadier
- Seeta Indrani - Miss Chand
- Peter Davison - The Vicar
- Maxim Ays - Reverend Candy
- Tony Gardner - Alec Norman
- Selina Griffiths - Norma Norman
- Robert Bathurst - Johnny Delamere
- Natalie Mitson - Pauline
- Barney Walsh - PC Harness
- Stephen Hagan - Tom Fisher
The Larkins season 2 airs Sundays 8pm on ITV from 16th October.
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