Grace is one of our fave British crime dramas, and sees Detective Superintendent Roy Grace (John Simm) solve crimes while suffering trauma from his wife’s death years prior.
Grace works alongside partner Detective Inspector Glenn Branson (Richie Campbell), and colleague Detective Sergeant Bella Moy, as the team takes on cases including a property developer who vanished during his stag night, a body dredged up from the sea, and a 30-year-old cold case.
ITV
The series comprises of film-length episodes based on the books of Peter James and we’ve already had word that three of the four episodes in season 6 will be titled Left You Dead, Picture You Dead, and One Of Us Is Dead (death is, as you can see, a recurring theme here).
One prominent detail of Grace is its setting: unlike shows such as Beyond Paradise (set in the fictional Shipton Abbott) it’s actually based in a real-life location. Namely, Brighton and Hove.
Where is Grace filmed?
Okay, but just because Grace is set in Brighton doesn’t mean it’s actually filmed there, right? Wrong! Grace is in fact filmed in Brighton, and the crews from the show have been spotted in the area across the production of the numerous seasons.
Speaking of the filming of the new series, specifically, executive producer Phil Hunter said:”Grace is such a joy to make so we are thrilled at how well received series five was. It’s great to be back in Brighton with our brilliant and talented cast and crew to shoot another four episodes this summer.”
The show’s filming also takes place in the wider Sussex area but the main goal is to be authentic as possible.
“I am very much a local lad and trying to make sure that Brighton comes across is very important, using little nooks and crannies and the views out of the windows. We’ve got a location manager that lives in Worthing and we just try to make everything as local as we possibly can. We know certain places and we look back at the books and talk to the writer,” explained producer Kiaran Murray-Smith.
Grace real-life filming locations
If you’ve ever tried to research what Brighton locations are used in Grace, you’ll know that the show has touched down in many parts of the city. This includes Brighton Pavilion, Brighton Dome Theatre, Brighton Marina, Devil’s Dyke, Madeira Drive and even a former Popworld club on West Street.
However, a warning: it can be hard to recognise some of the featured locations due to the buildings being transformed in order to fit the plot lines of the show. Below, we track down some key locations from throughout the series’ run.
Brighton Beach = Brighton Beach
Sally Mais//ITV
Brighton Beach is probably one of the most recognisable, and emblematically Brighton, locations which pops up throughout Grace. In particular, the Brighton Palace Pier has been featured in promotional shots for the show.
Daly’s Vintage Emporium = Julian Stephens Goldsmith
In season 4’s Dead Man’s Time, Branson stakes out a shop called Daly’s Vintage Emporium in Millpark Street. This doesn’t exist IRL, but it is an actual shop unit which the team changed for the purposes of the show. If you want to visit the shop which was used, it’s Julian Stephens, a jewellers on Queen’s Gardens in the North Laine.
CID HQ = Martlets Heights, Burgess Hill
ITV
The CID is short for Criminal Investigation Department, a branch of police force where plainclothes detectives work. In Grace, the CID HQ appears to be filmed in an office building in Martlets Heights, Burgess Hill. The same red brick facade appears in multiple episodes, and has done since episode one.
Roy Grace’s house = Eaton Place in Kemptown, Brighton
ITV
Roy Grace’s Victorian period home is on Eaton Place, as the crew have been spotted filming in the area. The street is located in Kemptown, an area known for its eclectic vibe and community spirit.
It’s worth noting that in later series, Roy moves to a different location with Cleo. We have no confirmation of the precise location, but Reddit sleuths think it may be Houndean Rise, Lewes.
Morgue = Former Lidl building, Burgess Hill
ITV
Intriguingly, reports from 2021 suggested that shots of the morgue in the second season of Grace took place in The Martlets Shopping Centre in Burgess Hill. According to the centre manager, the former Lidl unit had been transformed into a morgue set.
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