Where was The Bay season 3 filmed and is Morecambe a real place?

12 January 2022, 11:30 | Updated: 17 January 2022, 10:32

Where is The Bay filmed and what are the beach locations? Locations in Lancashire and Manchester revealed

The Bay is finally back on our screens with another thrilling series of the ITV drama.

We last left the residents of Morecambe after DS Lisa Armstrong solved another case involving the murder of Stephen Marshbrook at a family barbeque.

This time around, DS Armstrong (Morven Christie) has been replaced by brand new Family Liaison Officer DS Jenn Townsend (Marsha Thompson).

But as we get to know the new characters, here’s where The Bay season three was filmed…

Where was The Bay season 3 filmed?

The first and second seasons of The Bay were set and filmed in the real life coastal town of Morecambe, and the third season was also shot there.

Morecambe is a town in Lancashire which is north of Blackpool and used to be very popular with tourists.

Last June, the cast and crew were spotted at a Heysham Village, as well Morecambe’s Queen Street.

One pub even offered fans of the show front row seats to see the scenes unfold from their window.

In a Facebook post, Bar Eighteen 66 on Queen Street wrote: “So exciting to see that more filming is taking place on Queens street on Thursday 24th June from 1pm until midnight, right outside Bar 1866.

“As you know our huge windows will create the possibility to view the filming and who knows you may meet the stars of the show.

“We will be taking table bookings for this day and night as it's such a fantastic show in our beloved Morecambe so please message to book them ASAP.

“I can see this is going to be a busy day.”

The beach in The Bay

Filming took place along the beach and around the Stone Jetty, which is all that remains of the original Victorian harbour.

Screenwriter Daragh Carville, who lives in Lancaster, explained: “Morecambe’s right on our doorstep, and when our kids were young we’d bring them to Morecambe and it was a place that I always liked.

“It’s a really interesting mix of things, because on the one hand it’s very striking, it’s beautiful, it’s got extraordinary views out across the bay towards the Lake District.

"But it’s also got that very distinctive British or Irish seaside town quality, because as with many seaside places, it has slightly lost its raison d’être.”

Explaining why the location is so important to the series, he went on to say: “It is a crime drama so there is a dark aspect to this story and we can’t get away from that.

“But that’s not all it’s about, and we also kind of show the beauty of the place and the richness and warmth of that community.

"Richness in the sense of a lived history. And I think that’s all there, in the mix.

“At the same time, it’s not like a tourist guide to Morecambe, it’s not a travelogue. We have the dark side and the positives.”

The Police station in The Bay

The police station in Morecambe is real, so the outside was shot on location.

However, the interior scenes of meeting rooms, offices and interview rooms were filmed in Manchester at a disused police station.