Creative England Provides Filming Location and Crew Support to New BBC Drama ‘Happy Valley’ When Filming in Yorkshire

Creative England provides filming location and crew support to new BBC drama Happy Valley when filming in Yorkshire

Creative England’s Production Services team provided facilitation, location and crew support to the new six-part BBC One drama, Happy Valley when filming in Yorkshire. Written by Sally Wainwright (Last Tango in Halifax) and starring Sarah Lancashire (Last Tango in Halifax, The Paradise, Upstairs Downstairs) as police Sergeant Catherine Cawood, Happy Valley tells a dark tale of betrayal, kidnapping, vengeance and redemption.

The crime involves accountant Kevin Weatherill’s plot to kidnap his boss’s daughter and get enough ransom money to fund his children through private school.

Where was BBC drama Happy Valley filmed?

The famous Yorkshire moors and rolling Pennine hills of the Calder Valley act as a back drop to the series, with the filming in Yorkshire also taking place in and around some of the historic mill towns and villages including:

• Huddersfield
• Halifax
• Todmorden
• Luddenden
• Mytholmroyd
• Bradford
• Keighley
• Sowerby Bridge
• Hebden Bridge
• Heptonstall

One of the key filming locations for the series was the police station. Prior to filming, one of the main challenges was to source a police station that would allow access to a film crew. Creative England was able to come up with the goods via its relationship with West Yorkshire police to enable the production to film at one of its former police stations.

North Light Film Studios at Brookes Mill, Huddersfield, which featured in Creative England’s studio book, also served as a major asset for the series.

Creative England’s Film Friendly Partnership members in Calderdale also played a key role in providing support with vital filming permissions and local knowledge for stunt scenes. Additional support was also provided by our Film Friendly Partnership members in Kirklees and Bradford.

Location Manager, Andy Morgan, said: “Happy Valley is a true Yorkshire drama; we filmed in the Calder Valley against the backdrop of the iconic Pennine hills. It’s just one example of the diverse range of landscapes Yorkshire has to offer. The region is extremely film friendly thanks to Creative England’s location support. I look forward to returning to Yorkshire to film again soon”.

Chris Hordley, Creative England’s Production Liaison Manager for Yorkshire added: “Happy Valley is one of over 20 major TV dramas supported by Creative England’s Production Services Team which filmed in Yorkshire in the last 18 months. Filming continues to have a significant impact on the regional economy, with a typical TV drama series spending between 1-4 million pounds locally per series. We have seen a growth in demand for Creative England’s location service and productions looking for crew in Yorkshire and we are working hard ensure production companies keep coming back for more”.