Sally Wainwright has done it again. After bringing us iconic British TV fare like Happy Valley and Gentlemen Jack, her latest offering is as bingeable and just as addictive and just as quintessentially British. In the best way possible, of course.
Her new BBC drama Riot Women follows five women who are all dealing with the ups and downs of the rollercoaster of menopause. Naturally, they find a solution, of sorts, by forming their own rock back. It's empowering, hilarious, invigorating stuff. And it's also set against a pretty idyllic backdrop. So where was Riot Women filmed?
The show sets the scene in the Calderdale area of West Yorkshire where Wainwright grew up. However, she almost chose another place as her location.
“I was worried about getting typecast by setting everything in Yorkshire,” she told Living North. “It’s a story that could’ve happened anywhere, and I did wonder about setting it in the village where I live now in the Cotswolds, but it just didn’t feel right. The kind of women I know in my village probably wouldn’t do this, whereas my friends who I went to school with (who still live up in the Calder Valley)… I could kind of imagine them doing it in the spirit of having fun and for a good cause.”
And so, she landed on the “unusually beautiful town” of Hebden Bridge. “Not least because I just love filming there,” she said. “It’s got that fantastic landscape around it. It’s in the bottom of the valley and it’s surrounded by hills, and the town itself is just so colourful and so interesting. Everywhere you look, it has interesting nooks and crannies. I really wanted it to feel characterful, and like these women really live there – it’s their landscape and their culture. I think sense of place is really important in television.”
So, let's get into all the Riot Women filming locations.
Riot Women filming locations:
The Albert on Albert Street in Hebden Bridge serves as The Duke of Wellington Pub in the show where the group perform to locals.
Look out for Calderdale Royal Hospital during the hospital scene in episode 5 where a few of the women find themselves in A&E – no spoilers though!
This quaint church served as another Riot Women filming location for the talent show hall where the group first perform their ABBA cover.
This pretty stone mill dates back to 1859 and can be seen in the background of several scenes.
And, more importantly, can we please go?
The crew used the Hold Cock Pub and the surrounding area for a scene that involves a crashed police car.
This historic manor-turned-hotel appears in several scenes. It's also used in other Yorkshire shows like Happy Valley, Gentleman Jack, and Last Tango in Halifax.
Starring The Walking Dead's Andrew Lincoln and Indira Varma.
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