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Vera: Northumberland Crime Trail

Vera filming locations run along the Northumberland coast, from Holy Island and Bamburgh to Amble and Whitley Bay, with Newcastle's Millennium Bridge and Hexham Abbey inland. The ITV crime series is based on Ann Cleeves's novels.

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Timeline & locations

What do the location labels mean?
Exact
The pin marks the actual place where it happened or was filmed.
Approximate
The right area — a town, park or district — but not a precise spot.
  1. Vera's cottage is the farmhouse on the Snook, part of Holy Island, used for the exterior shots of her home. Viewers often see detectives driving across the causeway, and the island's access depends on the tides. The Rising Tide, Ann Cleeves's novel, is also set here and was filmed on the island for the series.

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    Location precision: The farmhouse stands on the Snook; the pin marks Holy Island as a whole.

    Visitor guidance: Check tide times before crossing the causeway.

    Sources

  2. Vera's fictional police headquarters, Northumberland and City Police, is set in Newcastle, so the series often cuts to the city's landmarks. One is the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, a pedestrian and cyclist bridge across the River Tyne between Gateshead and Newcastle's Quayside. It is sometimes called the Blinking Eye Bridge because of its shape and tilting method. Walk across for the Quayside view.

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    Visitor guidance: A free walk or cycle across the Tyne between Gateshead and the Quayside.

    Sources

  3. Several episodes of Vera were filmed in Whitley Bay, including scenes at The Rendezvous Cafe and along the sea front. The Spanish City, the domed building on the seafront, is another coastal setting that appears in the series. After a GBP10 million renovation it reopened as a leisure hub with restaurants and event spaces, so you can visit the dome today.

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    Visitor guidance: The Spanish City is on Whitley Bay's seafront.

  4. The sand dunes of Bamburgh are among the Northumberland coast views seen in Vera, with Holy Island only a glance away. Bamburgh is one of the places the production lists as a filming location. Above the beach rises Bamburgh Castle, a Grade I listed building on the northeast coast. No single scene is pinned here; it is the series' coastal backdrop.

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    Location precision: The sources name the dunes of Bamburgh, not a specific scene; the pin marks the beach.

    Visitor guidance: The beach and dunes are open to walk.

    Sources

  5. Amble Marina featured in series 13 of Vera. The town, known as the friendliest port, sits at the mouth of the River Coquet on the North Sea coast. With neighbouring Alnmouth, Amble serves as the fictional village of Mardle, a home ground of the series. Amble also appears on the show's wider location list, beside Warkworth, Alnmouth, Bamburgh and Holy Island.

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    Location precision: The marina is named as a series 13 location, but no single scene is identified.

    Visitor guidance: Amble Marina is on the harbour; shops and eateries are nearby.

    Sources

  6. In series 13 the market town of Hexham doubled as the fictional town of Bentham, with Hexham Abbey and local cafes on screen. The Grade I listed church, dedicated to St Andrew, was originally built in AD 674. It is the one inland town on this trail.

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    Visitor guidance: The abbey is open to the public.

    Sources

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