Where Is Thursday Murder Club Filmed

So you’ve devoured Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club books, right? Now you’re picturing the gang—Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim, Ron—scheming over a cuppa. Naturally, you want to know: where on earth was it all filmed?

Grab your coffee, settle in, and let’s spill the tea. The answer is both simpler and more charming than you’d think. The TV adaptation, starring the legendary Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, and others, didn’t actually film in a real retirement village.

Most of the interior scenes—especially the Coopers Chase retirement complex—were built entirely on a soundstage. Yes, a giant, fake village inside a UK studio. But that’s not the fun part, is it?

The real magic happens in the surrounding countryside. The filmmakers packed their bags and headed to the stunning county of Buckinghamshire in England. That’s where you’ll find the rolling hills, quaint villages, and that very English vibe.

The Village That Played the Village

The exterior of Coopers Chase? That’s actually the prestigious luxury retirement village called Danesfield in Medmenham. But wait—it gets better. The show used a different village for the wider scenes.

For the bustling local high street, they transformed Farnham Royal in Buckinghamshire. Imagine cobbled streets, a post office, and a pub that looks like it’s been there since the 1500s. Exactly where you’d expect Elizabeth to hatch a plan.

And that pub? The Jolly Coopers (the fictional one) was brought to life using the White Hart pub in Marlow. Yes, you can actually go there. No, you probably won’t spot Ibrahim scheming in the corner—unless you time-travel.

The Murder Hotspots (Don’t Worry, They’re Lovely)

Remember the dramatic scenes at the graveyard? That was filmed at St. Mary’s Church in Hambleden. It’s a postcard-perfect English church, surrounded by yew trees. Honestly, it’s so pretty you’d forgive a body turning up there.

The police station interiors? Those were built on a soundstage at Twickenham Studios in London. But the exterior—the one with Donna and Chris looking worried—is actually the Marlow Town Council building. So if you see a council worker, don’t ask them for a murder update.

And the famous scene where Ron walks his dog, Joey, past the lake? That’s the serene Black Park in Iver, Buckinghamshire. It’s also where they shot parts of Harry Potter. So Ron is basically walking in the Forbidden Forest. Power move.

Why This Place Matters

Osman set the books in the fictional village of Fairhaven in Kent. But the showrunners said, “Nah, let’s go to Buckinghamshire instead.” And honestly? It works. The region has exactly the right mix of cozy and secretive.

The houses are old enough to have stories. The countryside is empty enough to hide a body. And the pubs? They serve proper ale and a side of gossip. It’s the perfect stage for a bunch of septuagenarian sleuths.

Plus, the producers wanted to capture that feeling of a community where everyone knows everyone’s business. You can’t fake that with CGI. You need real cobblestones and a real postmistress who definitely has an opinion.

Can You Visit? (Yes, Please Do)

Here’s the best part: you can totally visit these locations. The White Hart pub in Marlow? Open for lunch. The Black Park woods? Free to walk through. Just don’t expect to find any dead bodies in the shrubbery.

If you’re feeling fancy, you can even stay at Danesfield House—the real retirement village used for exteriors. It’s actually a luxury spa hotel now. So you can pretend you’re Elizabeth for a weekend, sipping tea and solving the mystery of why your room service is late.

Just remember: no one is actually investigating a murder while you’re there. Unless you count the missing sock from the laundry. That’s a cold case.

The Final Clue

So to sum it up: Thursday Murder Club was filmed in a soundstage in London, a retirement village in Medmenham, a pub in Marlow, a church in Hambleden, and a council building in Marlow. Basically, it’s a greatest hits tour of Buckinghamshire.

The showrunners wanted it to feel timeless. That’s why they avoided glass skyscrapers or modern roundabouts. Every location has a sense of peeling wallpaper and memory. It’s exactly where you’d find a group of old friends solving puzzles.

So next time you watch a scene and think, “That looks like a comfy murder village,” you’re right. It’s real. And it’s absolutely begging for a visit. Just don’t be late—the murder club starts at four.