Think of filming in Yorkshire and you might not instantly
think of Barnsley – but think again!

Nestled at the northern tip of South Yorkshire, Barnsley is
home to an array of filming locations and has played host to some landmark film
and TV projects in recent years including Victoria (ITV1), Brief
Encounters (ITV1), Utopia 2 (Channel 4) and Paddy Considine’s feature film Journeyman.

Barnsley is incredibly film friendly and it was a pleasure filming there for Journeyman. I think it is an undiscovered gem, full of interesting locations, if you scratch the surface you'll be surprised at the great locations you will find.

Leon Seth, Location Manager, Journeyman

Barnsley Town Hall

Creative England’s Production Service in Yorkshire has been
working with Filming Partners Barnsley Council to profile the towns existing filming
locations and uncover some hidden gems.

We value the economic benefits that filming can bring to our borough, both in terms of film making and screen tourism, we are committed to supporting the film industry and those working on productions in our borough. We have a good working relationship with Creative England who are actively promoting Barnsley as a film friendly borough.

Sue Thiedeman, Head of Culture and Visitor Economy, BMBC

What makes Barnsley
the star attraction?

Barnsley is steeped in a rich industrial heritage, the town
was founded on both the coal mining and glassmaking industries, and you’ll see
examples of former industrial buildings and glimpses of the old coal pits if
you know where to look.

Digital Media Centre

The town also
has sleek modern architecture and grand period buildings including the stately 1930’s
Town Hall a finely preserved building built in Portland stone which dominates
the town centre. But it’s not just the
urban locations that have film makers interest - bordering the iconic Peak
District, Barnsley boasts some stunning rural landscapes just a stone’s throw
from the town centre. Primetime TV
dramas such as Jamaica Inn (BBC1) and Jericho (ITV1) have caught Barnsley
countryside locations on screen, and the borough is also home to quaint period
towns and villages such as Penistone which also feature in ITV’s Brief
Encounters.

Penistone village in Barnsley offered ITV's Brief Encounters not only a warm welcome but a period cinema and use of Town Council offices. The cinema allowed us to think out of the box with the full use of their facility. It was only a shame we could not stay for longer....!

James Muirhead, Location Manager, Brief Encounters - ITV1

Cannon Hall

And if you’re looking for
opulent splendour – the district of Barnsley is home to the beautiful Cannon
Hall Museum, a fine Georgian mansion and just down the road Wentworth Castle
Gardens and Stainborough Park which featured in period drama Jonathan Strange and
Mr Norrell (BBC1).

To be tasked with placing drama the scale of Jericho in any borough was always going to be a sizable task. To deal with Barnsley Council in planning & highways amongst numerous other departments within the council made the process a whole lot easier. Barnsley offers a varied landscape and an accommodating authority to work with.

James Muirhead, Location Manager, Jericho - ITV1

Cannon Hall (interior)

Perfectly placed

Barnsley is also easy to travel to located just off the M1
motorway and being equally placed between Yorkshire’s two busiest filming
cities Leeds and Sheffield – both are just 30 minutes’ drive away. Leeds and Sheffield have a long established
track record for filming and a large number of skilled freelance crew and film
and TV facility companies; with Yorkshire’s
regional studios also based within easy reach, giving Barnsley easy
access to Yorkshire’s regional industry infrastructure. Barnsley also has its own studio build-space
at Goldthorpe which is currently being developed as the Northern Film & TV
Studios which was home to BBC2’s documentary series Britain’s Hardest Grafter.

Barnsley provides great period locations along with ease of use thanks to the willingness of
owners and authorities. Victoria Series 2 filmed at Wentworth Castle
Gardens over two days this year, the
management and staff could not have been more helpful and the scenes will be
shown on ITV 1 this Autumn & Xmas.

Jim Allan, Supervising Location Manager, Victoria Series 2 – ITV1

Locke Park

Barnsley was a great town in which to film and the council's approach was overwhelmingly positive and supportive throughout. The scenes for Utopia 2 were highly dramatic and not for the faint hearted but everyone who helped make it happen treated things like a normal day at the office!