Where is Strike: Troubled Blood filmed? Locations featured in the detective drama

Strike spends a lot of time in his home town for the latest instalment

Tom Burke as Cormoran Strike in Strike: Troubled Blood
(Image credit: BBC/Bronte Film & TV/Sam Taylor)

Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott are back, and circumstances take them out of London and to some very diverse locations. But where are some of the picturesque towns featured in the show? 

Legendary detective Cormoran Strike is back on TV screens in the latest adaption of Robert Galbraith's book series. Galbraith, AKA J. K. Rowling, offers up another dark and twisting tale in Strike: Troubled Blood, this time taking Strike and resourceful sidekick Robin, on the trail for Dr Margot Bamborough. Margot disappeared without trace forty years ago, and her daughter can't move on with life until she knows what happened to her mother. The hunt for the truth takes Strike and Robin to some unexpected places, leading to a frustrating number of dead ends. Strike also has the devastating illness of a family member to contend with, taking him away from the case while he manages family dynamics in the face of a huge loss. Aside from viewers being desperate to know if Strike and Robin will ever get together - the likelihood is increasingly teased with each book - fans are also keen to find out where the latest series was filmed. We've done all the sleuthing for you, and have a full list of locations featured in Strike: Troubled Blood

Also on BBC One, viewers are delighted to find out SAS: Rogue Heroes season 2 has been confirmed. The smash hit Stephen Knight war drama was responsible for bringing new audiences to the real life tale of Paddy Mayne and the rest of the SAS founding members. In the SAS: Rogue Heroes ending explained, we weigh in on the future of David Stirling for season 2, as the character's fate took a spectacular turn.  

Where is Strike: Troubled Blood filmed?

Strike: Troubled Blood filmed in Cornwall, Lincolnshire, Buckinghamshire, and London. 

In Cornwall, film crews were spotted in Holywell Bay, St Mawes, Falmouth, and Port Navas. According to Strike Fans, Holliday Grainger was seen filming at the Pier Cafe and the Palacio Lounge, in Falmouth. Found on the Prince of Wales Pier, The Pier Cafe is renowned for its 360 degree views of Falmouth harbour. By day, the venue is known for serving breakfasts, lunches, coffees, cakes and cream teas. In the evening, there's a shift to serving Cornish Tapas, where live music and other events are common. The Palacio Lounge is situated on The Moor in Falmouth, covering two floors of an imposing building in the seaside town. 

Anna and Kim's modern home can be found in Falmouth, on Tredynas Road. Ted and Joan's house is situated in St Mawes in the book, but scenes depicting their home were actually filmed in Port Navas. This small, sleepy Cornish village is predominantly used for leisure and boating activities.

Where is the pub in Strike: Troubled Blood?

The pub where Strike drinks when he visits Cornwall, is The Victory Inn, St Mawes. Dating back to the 16th century, The pub describes itself as the oldest and only traditional pub in St Mawes. 

Located on a quaint side street, the age of the pub is clear to see from the facade, and there are some sea views for drinkers lucky enough to get a seat outside the building. 

Where did Strike: Troubled Blood film in Lincolnshire?

In Lincolnshire, Strike: Troubled Blood filmed in Skegness. Specifically, North Parade Hotel, Skegness beach, and the courthouse. 

North Parade Hotel was renamed The Allardice for the show, and stars from the series were spotted many times at the location. BBC Radio Lincolnshire shared a video to Twitter of the hotel being transformed into The Allardice, and the finished product once the overhaul was complete. In its usual guise, the North Parade Hotel is a family run establishment, situated on the Skegness seafront and close to local amenities.

Where did Strike: Troubled Blood film in Buckinghamshire?

Strike: Troubled Blood filmed in the Buckinghamshire village of Fulmer for the series. 

Not much is known about exactly where filming took place, but an eagle eyed fan spotted and snapped Tom Burke and Holliday Grainger in the village. They shared the pictures to Twitter, with the caption "Some further photos of Tom Burke and Holliday Grainger filming Troubled Blood last Saturday evening (5th February) in the Buckinghamshire village of Fulmer."

Where was Strike: Troubled Blood filmed in London?

In London, the Strike: Troubled Blood film crews were spotted in the West End, Clerkenwell, and Ealing. 

Crews were spotted in Denmark Street, which is often used for exterior shots of Strike's London office. Filming also took place in Waterloo, and on Albemarle Way in Clerkenwell. In Ealing, My London reported that Balfour Road, Northfields was used for many scenes. 

Some residents were initially perplexed, with one telling the publication "I was shocked when I was taking my daughters to school and nursery this morning and I saw two police cars with the flashing blue lights. I've seen a lot of crime going on in West London recently so I immediately thought the worst. I quickly realised it was a film set and I was so relieved. I actually felt a bit silly afterwards because after looking a second time, it was quite obvious it was a film set". 

Strike: Troubled Blood cast

  • Tom Burke (The Musketeers, The Wonder) as Cormoran Strike
  • Holliday Grainger (The Capture, Great Expectations) as Robin Ellacott
  • Kerr Logan (Alias Grace, Showtrial) as Matthew Cunliffe
  • Sarah Sweeney (Cider With Rosie) as Lucy
  • Ben Crompton (Game of Thrones) as Shanker 
  • Christina Cole (Suits, Hex) as Izzy Chiswell
  • Abigail Lawrie (Tin Star, The Casual Vacancy) as Margot Bamborough
  • Sophie Ward (Heartbeat, Holby City) as Anna Phipps
  • Ian Redford (Heartbeat, Doctors) as Ted Nancarrow
  • Linda Bassett (Call The Midwife, Lark Rise to Candleford) as Joan Nancarrow
  • Samuel Oatley (Dr Who) as DI George Layborn
  • Kenneth Cranham (Finding Alice, The White Princess) as Dennis Creed)
  • Ruth Sheen (Brassic, Prime Suspect) as Pat Chauncey
  • Jonas Armstrong (Floodlights, Hollington Drive) as Saul Morris
  • Anna Calder-Marshall (The Third Day, This England) as Janice Beattie
  • Carol MacReady (Eastenders, Doctors) as Irene Hickson
  • Dayo Koleosho (Doctors, Holby City) as Samhain Athorn

On the impact that seeing where Strike grew up in Cornwall would have on the show, Tom Burke said in a statement "At first glance, the family life that you see in Cornwall looks rather idyllic but we know enough about what happened with his mother and his absent father to think ‘thank God he had these two’. However, we soon realise it was quite a complicated situation for him to be in because of the divided loyalty. It was a gradual journey and it would have been incredibly confusing for a child to immediately slot him into this new family set up."

Speaking about how his time in Cornwall would inform the character of Strike, Burke continued "I wouldn’t be able to pin it down exactly how it affects him but I think there is a different sense of periphery when you spend your life in a city to when you spend your life in open places. There is something about his physicality, you feel like he’s spent a lot of time strolling along the beach or over some cliffs. There’s just something about his line of sight and the way he takes in a room. I feel he’s been shaped by so many things, growing up in squats, living in London, the whole Cornwall side and then there’s his university life which helped shape his intellect. I feel like it all fits together."

Related BBC Features:

Video of the Week

Lucy Wigley
Parenting writer - contributing

Lucy is a mum-of-two, multi-award nominated writer and blogger with six years’ of experience writing about parenting, family life, and TV. Lucy has contributed content to PopSugar and moms.com. In the last three years, she has transformed her passion for streaming countless hours of television into specialising in entertainment writing. There is now nothing she loves more than watching the best shows on television and sharing why you - and your kids - should watch them.