The final season of Peaky Blinders has officially come to an end, and once again we’ve been treated to plenty of incredible sets based here in Manchester.
Our city is often used by BBC film crews for the series, despite the drama actually being set in post-war Birmingham.
The excitement started building way back in spring last year when Cillian Murphy and his co-stars were spotted filming scenes around Castlefield.
In previous years, Peaky Blinders cast and crews have descended on locations like Victoria Baths, London Road Fire Station, and Stockport Plaza.
There have been masses of familiar locations that have popped up on screen this year too.
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And a warning – spoilers lie ahead.
Chrome Hill
Chrome Hill was a filming location in the Peaky Blinders finale. Credit: BBC
One of the most spectacularly visual scenes of the whole season of Peaky Blinders was right at the end, where Tommy has taken himself off to live in a caravan in the hills.
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Those hills aren’t too far from Manchester – it was all filmed near Chrome Hill in the Peak District.
The beautiful peaks around here are sometimes nicknamed the ‘Matterhorn of the Peak District’ thanks to its pyramid-like shape, similar to that of the iconic Toblerone mountain in the Alps.
Ashton Memorial, Lancaster
Gina in Peaky Blinders inside the Ashton Memorial. Credit: BBC
The stunning art deco room where Gina Gray (played by Anya Taylor-Joy) lounged in a lot of her scenes was meant to be in America.
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But it’s actually in the north west – the incredible white marble interiors are the inside of the Ashton Memorial in Lancaster.
You’ll find the Grade I-listed building in Williamson Park.
Le Mans Crescent
Scenes at Le Mans Crescent in Peaky Blinders. Credit: BBC
The sweep of Grade II-listed buildings in the centre of Bolton regularly pops up in historical dramas, and Peaky Blinders is no different.
One of the end units in the grand terrace became the Shelby Sanatorium for Sick Children, where Tommy and his wife Lizzie sadly spent a lot of time in this series.
It cropped up in several episodes – including the gut-wrenching moment where the lead character found out his daughter had died.
One of Greater Manchester’s most iconic historical buildings pops up, very briefly, as a location in this final season of Peaky Blinders.
When Tommy – who is MP for Birmingham South as well as a notorious gangster – pops along to give a speech to Labour party supporters, it’s Salford Lad’s Club that he approaches.
The club has been there since 1903.
Arley Hall
Both the inside and the outside of Arley Hall have become familiar sights while watching the BBC’s hit gangster drama.
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And this year was no different – including an, erm, explosive moment right in the final episode.
The grand Cheshire mansion has been there from the very opening scene of season six, and its rooms have doubled up as Tommy’s study and the family’s dining room.
Castlefield
Castlefield’s historic cobbled streets have doubled up as Birmingham’s Small Heath for the final instalment of Peaky Blinders.
It caused a lot of excitement when the huge set was built, including a mock-frontage of the Garrison Pub owned by the Shelby clan.
The area beneath the railway bridge was even used in the season finale’s dramatic shoot-out scene.
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Castlefield, again
Castlefield was a major filming location for Peaky Blinders this year. Credit: BBC
Castlefield was also used for Chinatown, complete with red lanterns and fake tea houses.
The pyrotechnics were back out in force here, when Tommy dropped a bomb off one of the footbridges over the canal.
There were 1930s-style Chinese adverts plastered on billboards too, along with a poster advertising Shelby Dry Gin.
Lee Quarry, Bacup
Over in Lancashire, the Lee Quarry in Bacup provided a dramatic backdrop for Tommy’s encounter with his ex-sister in law Esme.
The former working quarry is now a free-to-use mountain bike trail.
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Hotel Gotham
Hotel Gotham was one of the locations used in Peaky Blinders. Credit: BBC
There’s absolutely no mistaking this Manchester landmark, even if the Peaky Blinders team have rebranded it to the Midland.
This is the Hotel Gotham on King Street, a huge art deco five-star hotel that is one of Manchester’s most beautiful buildings.
Its familiar exterior only gets a very brief appearance before Tommy heads inside to a nondescript hotel room.
Featured image: BBC
TV & Showbiz
New Amazon Prime Video docuseries to show Pep Guardiola’s final seasons at Manchester City
Emily Sergeant
A new all-access docuseries featuring Pep Guardiola’s final few seasons at Manchester City is set to air this summer.
Coming exclusively to Prime Video in the UK and Ireland, the four-part documentary is set to take Manchester City fans and neutral viewers alike inside the club as the players and manager – who delivered an era of dominance -make way for a new generation.
Filmed over the past two seasons, this is the ultimate account of an emotional farewell that marks the end of an era in English football, and will offer unfiltered access to Guardiola, his squad, and the City boardroom.
After 10 trophy-filled years – which included six Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League, three FA Cups, and five EFL Cups – Pep Guardiola called time on his tenure in Manchester last month, alongside fan favourite players Bernardo Silva and John Stones, as well as Kevin De Bruyne the season prior.
This new docuseries was there to follow them every step of the process.
Fans can follow City from a disappointing 2024/25 campaign right through to a domestic double the following season, charting the raw emotion of a squad in transition.
The series is directed by Academy and BAFTA award-winning filmmaker, Kevin Macdonald, alongside City Studios’ John De Caux, and is produced by Kevin Macdonald for Plan B/KM Films and Gavin Johnson and Ged Doherty for City Studios.
“This is the ultimate account of an emotional farewell that marks the end of an era in English football,” Amazon Prime Video said in a statement.
Joining Prime Video’s wide selection of sports programming, the series will be available to watch at no additional cost to Prime members this summer.
It’ll be ready to stream on 19 August.
Featured Image – Prime Video
TV & Showbiz
Trailer released of new BBC legal drama The Split Up set and filmed in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
The first trailer for a new BBC legal drama called The Split Up that was filmed in Manchester have now been released.
The Split Up is new six-part legal drama, with a story and characters created by Ursula Rani Sarma, based on the already-existing popular BBC drama The Split, created by multiple award-winning Abi Morgan, which focuses on the personal and professional lives of the Defoes – a family of female divorce lawyers in London.
This new series, however, is set in and filmed right here in Manchester.
Set within the charged world of Manchester’s high-net-worth divorce circuit, the new pictures reveal the first glimpse of the Kishan Law family – a powerhouse British-South Asian family firm, and the go-to for the city’s elite.
The trailer for new BBC legal drama The Split Up that is set and filmed in Manchester has been released / Credit: BBC
At its centre is Aria Kishan (played by Ritu Arya) as a fast-rising star of Kishan Law, poised to step up and take the mantle from her father Dhruv, played by Sanjeev Bhaskar, and Aria’s siblings Maya (Aysha Kala), Kav (Arian Nik), and partner Neal (Danny Ashok).
So, what is The Split Up about then? A description of the upcoming series on the BBC website reads: “The death of Aria’s mother has cast a new light over succession plans for Dhruv, who has begun to wonder if his daughter can, or should, take on this responsibility single-handedly.
“Aria’s relationship is placed under scrutiny too with the wedding to long-term partner Neal on the horizon, but with their personal and professional lives so entwined it’s unclear if their relationship can withstand any more pressure – a problem further compounded when a former secret flame (Dimitri Leonidas) arrives in Manchester unexpectedly.
“Alongside her siblings Maya and Kav, whose own relationships and loyalties are far from straightforward, Aria must navigate the splits that divide family and those we love – and ask herself, who should you live your life for?”
As well as the talented ensemble cast of actors already mentioned, viewers can also expect to see a handful of standout guest stars throughout the series too – including famous faces like Lenny Henry, Jane Horrocks, and Jameela Jamil.
Filming for The Split Up wrapped in Manchester earlier this year, but as of yet, there is still no word of when the show is set to air, so keep your eyes peeled.
Further announcements about the series are expected in due course.
Daisy Jackson -
6th April 2022 
