New Channel 5 drama 'Murder Before Evensong' starts next week - and Shropshire has a starring role
The new Channel 5 drama 'Murder Before Evensong' starts next week - with Shropshire taking a starring role.
The six-part murder mystery, based on the Sunday Times best-selling debut novel by Reverend Richard Coles, stars Matthew Lewis - who played Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter films - as Canon Daniel Clement, a country rector drawn into a chilling murder investigation after a body is found in his church.
Shropshire has provided a perfect backdrop for the show, with filming taking place in Bridgnorth in February of this year, and at the historic National Trust property Dudmaston Hall.
The show also filmed scenes at the former headquarters of the Express & Star - the Shropshire Star's sister paper - in Wolverhampton, and at the former police station at Mary Stevens Park, Stourbridge.
The first episode is due to air at 9pm on Tuesday, October 7, on Channel 5.
With the series set in 1980s rural England, Dudmaston Hall and Comer Woods provided an evocative backdrop for the series.
Viewers and regular visitors to Dudmaston might recognise key scenes filmed at the Boathouse and Big Pool.
With its blend of grandeur, history, and intriguing spaces, the estate brings to life the fictional village of Champton where Canon Clement faces secrets, suspicion, and danger in equal measure.
Filming at Dudmaston was supported by the West Midlands Production Fund and forms part of Channel 5’s and Acorn TV’s commitment to showcasing the character and beauty of the UK’s regions on screen.
The cast also includes Amanda Redman from New Tricks as Audrey Clement, Amit Shah from Happy Valley as DS Neil Vanloo, Adam James from The Day of the Jackal as Bernard de Floures, and Marion Bailey from The Crown as Kath.
The series is adapted by Nick Hicks-Beach of Midsomer Murders fame, and directed by David Moore, whose previous credits include Outlander and Shetland.
Speaking about the production, Dudmaston Hall's property operations manager Gow Gibson said: “We were delighted to welcome the cast and crew of Murder Before Evensong to Dudmaston earlier this year.
"The hall’s history and our atmospheric woodland made it the perfect setting for this intriguing new drama, and we can’t wait for audiences to see this special place on screen.”
Murder Before Evensong will air on Channel 5 at 9pm on Tuesday, October 7, and will also stream on Acorn TV in the US and Canada.
The galleries, garden, parkland and tearoom at Dudmaston Hall are open Sunday to Thursday until the end of October.
People are asked to note the historic rooms in the hall are now closed until the spring.
Admission fees apply but National Trust members get free entry.
For opening times and more information visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/shropshire-staffordshire/dudmaston.
Comer Woods car park and Café are also open daily, and for more information visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/shropshire-staffordshire/dudmaston-estate-comer-woods.
