'Grantchester's Picturesque AF Filming Spots Are Here To Fuel Your 2019 Wanderlust

The fourth season of the ITV's detective drama Grantchester is back, and the arrival of the new series will see the departure of a major character. However, despite changes to the cast, the series' eponymous village is still the one we know and love. But where is Grantchester filmed?

According to Visit Cambridge, much of the ITV series is actually filmed in Grantchester, the small village in the south of Cambridgeshire where James Runcie set his books The Grantchester Mysteries, upon which the show is based. Statistics from 2017 show that Grantchester, which lies beside the River Cam, has a tiny population of around 590 people, and locals claim that settlement in the village dates back as early as the 9th century. Interestingly, Grantchester is thought to have the world's highest concentration of Nobel Prize winners, according to the Huffington Post, but this is pretty unsurprising considering Grantchester's close proximity to the University of Cambridge. The area is popular among tourists, and is often visited by nearby students, many of whom enjoy the Grade II-listed Church of St Mary and St Andrew, an occasional backdrop for the ITV drama.

Although Grantchester is indeed the primary filming location used throughout the series, the show does include segments that are filmed in other locations, including London and Cambridge.

As reported by Creative England, who helped in the production of the show, other locations featured within Grantchester include King’s Parade in Cambridge, which was used for a street scene set in the 1950s, along with Kings Cross Station and Borough Market in London. The Horsted Keynes railway station in West Sussex has also been used, doubling for the exterior of Cambridge station in some episodes of the hit drama.

Grantchester is set for some major changes, with actor James Norton departing the ITV show this season. Although fans will surely miss the presence of Reverend Chambers, there will be a fresh face to look forward to in the new series in the form of Tom Brittney, who will play the new character of Reverend Will Davenport. The 28 year-old actor spoke of his excitement about joining the show in an ITV press release:

"I am beyond excited. From the moment I heard about the role of Will Davenport, it was something I wanted more than anything." He continued: "It’s a real honour to be joining such a wonderful series, with such a loyal fan base."

The new series kicks off on Friday Jan. 11 at 9 p.m. on ITV1. Viewers can expect to see the characters continuing to grapple with the ever-changing world of 1950s England, reports the Radio Times, and take on new subject matters such as homosexuality, racism, and female equality. When discussing some of the themes included in the upcoming series, Grantchester creator Daisy Coulam told the Radio Times:

"The world is changing, people are changing, and we decided to make that a theme of the series," The creator continued: "Our theme is evolve or die. You have to move with the times or you kind of fade away. Our characters are all sort of struggling with that, really. Geordie Keating will be facing a world without his best friend, but in good crime tradition, he will still have a new best friend to fight crime alongside."

Grantchester series four begins Friday Jan. 11 at 9 p.m.