Filming locations used in Brassic Hero Image

Brassic is set in the Lancashire town of Hawley… but if you’re hoping to head there for a cheeky visit to The Rat & Cutter, you’ll be disappointed as it’s a fictional town. Don’t go thinking Sky have gone and built a massive set for the Brassic gang to run amok in – it’s all filmed in real locations to make the madness as authentic as possible.

Hawley

So where is the gang’s fictional home of Hawley? You’ll want to head to the Rossendale Valley, on the south eastern Lancashire border near Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire, to the town of Bacup. It’s become a home away from home for the Brassic cast, who love returning to the town with each new series.

“Everyone is so lovely there” says Michelle Keegan “And because it's a small community as well, I think as soon as they get wind that we're filming there, everyone just wants to come out and get involved and see it, see the crew and say hello. So it's a really nice place to film.”

While Tom Hanson aka Cardi loves that he is “more famous in Bacup than anywhere else in the world”, continuing “The north of England is so beautiful - I just love it. Especially if we get a sunny day and we are up the side of a mountain in Lancashire or Yorkshire.”

The Crow’s Nest

As Tom says, the gang’s antics don’t just stop at Bacup. Their go-to hangout, The Crow’s Nest pub, is actually the Star & Garter, based in central Manchester. Parth Thakerar, who plays JJ, says of the pub “It's got such a history in Manchester, in itself, and it's also one of the most wackiest pubs I think I'll ever visit. We've all had many, many, many days, if not weeks in that pub, it feels like home away from home!“

Vinnie’s Shack

Vinnie’s put-me-up has moved a bit since the series first started. The shack was originally built in the woodlands in Bolton, but from series three it was moved to the woods near Arley Hall in Cheshire. Writer and co-creator Danny Brocklehurst put the move down to ease of filming stating "Where we shot it originally was a challenging location to get to so we thought we could find somewhere a little bit easier for ourselves. We were using the Arley Hall estate for other locations [the classic car show in season 3, episode 4] so it was convenient to use the woodlands there as the location for the shack."

Dr Cox’s Surgery

Further afield, the crew have to travel a little further south for Vinnie’s appointments with Dr Cox. The surgery is actually filmed in Salford, specifically the Frederick Road Campus at Salford University. Worth the trip for the top notch care Dr Cox provides, obviously.

Jim’s Farm

Crazy Farmer Jim’s farm is a real working farm, and it’s just on the other side of the Forest of Bowland, found on the outskirts of Burnley. Back in the Premier League and used for weed farm locations – Burnley is living the life.

The Wedding

Remember when the gang stole an entire wedding? That stately home they attempted to embezzle the event from was Haigh Hall in Wigan. The crew returned to the area surrounding the historic country house in season four to shoot an episode in the woods.

Erin’s House

Erin’s House is closer to Manchester than Lancashire, in Ashton-under-Lyne. For a cash-strapped single mum she found a place with a lovely view on the hillside.

The Travellers’ Site

Ashley’s traveller site has moved a bit between series. For the first two series it was located at Eastlands with the iconic gas cylinders in the background. For series three onwards, the caravans were moved along to Salford. Locals will immediately recognise it as the area near the AJ Bell Stadium, with the M60 visible in the background.

Google!

The cast were even clocked filming the new series in Whalley Road, Manchester by Google Street View here – is there nothing they won’t hijack?

Is Brassic based on Chorley?

Star and co-creator Joe Gilgun has made no secret that much of Brassic is based on his real-life experiences growing up. So does that mean the town of Hawley that the gang call home is based on his real-life hometown of Chorley? Yes, basically.

“I can’t really go into it too much because I’m going to get in trouble in Chorley!” Says Joe. “All I’ll say is some of it happened, some of it is loosely based on reality and some of it we made up. You’ll have to guess what’s what!” Although he does admit there are certain characters from his hometown that made it into the series. “What I’ve done is hidden some clues to these people where only the person in question be able to be like, “Well that is f*cking supposed to be me, then!”

Writer Danny Brocklehurst explains why they took inspiration from the town by saying “It’s because it is not like the centre of Manchester, it’s on the far outskirts and is a very rural setting. Taking the stories that Joe has told and setting them in an urban environment just didn’t feel right, so we wanted to stay in a rural setting.”

Molden Pier

Episode four of the fifth season sees Erin lead a daring raid on an amusement arcade on a pier from her hometown. Molden Pier, as it’s called in the show, is fictional. However, the scenes were in fact shot at Blackpool’s North Pier –the oldest and longest of the seaside town’s three piers. As well as the amusements, eagle eyed viewers will also be able to pick out the pier’s iconic sunset lounge and theatre. And if you’re planning a heist, bear in mind that eleven million coins pass through the pier’s arcade each year. So bring a decent sized bag.