Shipton Abbott: BBC's Beyond Paradise Filming Locations

Shipton Abbott is a fictional town from BBC’s Beyond Paradise, filmed primarily in Looe, Cornwall. The show follows DI Humphrey Goodman solving crimes in this picturesque coastal setting.

The Story of Shipton Abbott

Shipton Abbott serves as the primary setting for the BBC television series Beyond Paradise, a spin-off of the popular show Death in Paradise. The fictional Devon coastal town is where DI Humphrey Goodman (played by Kris Marshall) and his fiancée Martha Lloyd (Sally Bretton) settle after their adventures in the Caribbean. While Shipton Abbott doesn’t exist on any real map, the locations used to create this charming seaside community are very real and can be visited by fans of the show.

The series follows Humphrey as he takes on the role of Detective Inspector at the local police station, solving various mysterious crimes alongside his team. Martha, meanwhile, pursues her dream of opening a restaurant called The Ten Mile Kitchen, with all produce sourced within ten miles of Shipton Abbott. The town is portrayed as a close-knit community where everyone knows each other, creating the perfect backdrop for the cozy crime drama that has captured viewers’ hearts.

The Real Locations Behind Shipton Abbott

Although Shipton Abbott is set in Devon according to the show’s narrative, most of the filming actually takes place in Looe, Cornwall. This picturesque fishing village, located about 20 miles west of Plymouth, serves as the primary filming location.

Tim Key, the show’s producer, explained the choice: “We traveled around lots of different places and were on the hunt to find somewhere that felt like a real town over a seaside resort. When we went to Looe, which is actually in Cornwall, it was a beautiful tourist town, but also a thriving community with fishing businesses, so we felt we had found our home.”

Looe is divided by the River Looe and connected by a famous seven-arched bridge built in 1854, which features prominently in the show. The town’s population of around 5,300 people provides the authentic community feel that the producers were looking for. The coastal setting offers stunning scenery that translates beautifully to screen, with the East Looe Beach appearing throughout both series of the show.

Key Filming Locations in Beyond Paradise

The production team has utilized numerous locations across Cornwall and Devon to create the world of Shipton Abbott. Here’s a comprehensive guide to the main filming locations that bring Beyond Paradise to life.

Looe, Cornwall – The Heart of Shipton Abbott

Looe serves as the primary filming location for Shipton Abbott. Several specific spots in Looe feature prominently in the show:

Looe Bridge – This iconic seven-arched bridge built in 1854 appears in the opening credits of Beyond Paradise. It connects East and West Looe and provides some of the most recognizable views of the town.
Looe Guildhall – This historic building serves as the Shipton Abbott Police Station in the show, where Humphrey and his team work to solve the various crimes that occur in the town.
East Looe Beach – This beach features throughout both series of the show. The seafront area includes the Lifeboat Station and a shelter where Humphrey sat with his foster son enjoying ice cream in one episode. The beach was also the setting for the “non-wedding” scene and the Sixties Exercise Class that Humphrey attended.
Buller Quay Car Park – This location was used in Season 2, Episode 6, where PC Hartford and the backup team had cyber-criminals under surveillance.
The Fish Market – Located along the quay, this area was featured in Season 2, Episode 3, when Looe’s RNLI Volunteer crew investigated a mayday call from a local trawler reporting a missing person.
The Watermark Hotel – Located in West Looe and visible across the estuary, this hotel was used as the “Copacabana” where Humphrey stayed the night before his “non-wedding.”

Other Cornwall Locations

Beyond Looe, several other Cornwall locations have been used to create the world of Shipton Abbott:

Port Eliot House & Gardens, St Germans – This estate serves multiple purposes in the show. It appears as Shipton Abbott Manor House and The Stables at Port Eliot is used as The Ten Mile Kitchen, Martha’s restaurant.
Pentillie Castle and Estate, Saltash – This location is used as Anne Lloyd’s house (Martha’s mother). The property sits on the River Tamar where Humphrey and Martha’s houseboat is moored.
Launceston – Many of the exterior town shots of Shipton Abbott in Season 1 were filmed in this picturesque town in the north of Cornwall. The High Street in Launceston doubles as Shipton Abbott High Street.
Millbrook and the Rame Peninsula – These areas feature often in Season 2. The Old Fire Station in Millbrook was used as the location of the psychic’s house in Episode 2, while Queen Adelaide’s Grotto at Mount Edgcumbe was used as a location in Episode 4.
Pelynt Garage – Located in the village of Pelynt between Looe and Polperro, this garage appears as Shipton Autos in the show.
Weir Quay Boatyard, Bere Alston – This Devon location serves as the Shipton Abbott Boatyard in the series.
The Weary Friar Inn, Saltash – This real pub appears as itself in the show.
Pencalenick House, Fowey – This property was used as Gwen Tyler’s house in the series.
Quayside Fresh, Looe – This real business on Buller Quay appears as itself in the show.

Devon Locations

Although Shipton Abbott is supposed to be in Devon, relatively few scenes are actually filmed there. However, some Devon locations do make appearances:

South Devon Railway – This scenic railway takes a starring role in Season 2, when a rehearsal for a murder-mystery play ends in an actual murder aboard one of its carriages. The scenes were filmed at Buckfastleigh Station.
Mothecombe Beach – This South Devon coastal location featured in Season 2, Episode 4.
Bere Ferrers and Weir Quay – These Devon locations have been used for filming certain scenes in the series.

Beyond Paradise: The Show’s Premise and Characters

Beyond Paradise follows DI Humphrey Goodman and his fiancée Martha Lloyd as they relocate to Martha’s hometown of Shipton Abbott. The series picks up their story several years after they left Saint Marie in Death in Paradise (2017), having grown tired of life in London.

Main Characters

DI Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall) – The lead character who moves to Shipton Abbott and joins the local police force. Known for his brilliant but somewhat unconventional detective work.
Martha Lloyd (Sally Bretton) – Humphrey’s fiancée who returns to her hometown to open a restaurant called The Ten Mile Kitchen.
DS Esther Williams (Zahra Ahmadi) – A tenacious detective sergeant who works with Humphrey.
PC Kelby Hartford (Dylan Llewellyn) – A local police constable who grew up in Shipton Abbott, meaning he often knows the criminals they catch.
Margo Martins (Felicity Montagu) – The tough-nut police support worker at Shipton Abbott police station.
Anne Lloyd (Barbara Flynn) – Martha’s mother, with whom Humphrey and Martha initially stay.

The Show’s Development and Reception

Beyond Paradise was developed as a spin-off from the successful Death in Paradise series. The first season premiered on February 24, 2023, and consisted of six episodes. It was followed by a Christmas Special on December 24, 2023. The second season aired from March 22, 2024, to April 26, 2024, also with six episodes and a Christmas Special on December 27, 2024. The third season began airing on March 28, 2025, and is scheduled to conclude on May 2, 2025.

The show has been well-received by audiences, with the first season averaging 6.78 million UK viewers. The Christmas Special 2023 drew 6.20 million viewers, while the second season averaged 5.60 million viewers. The Christmas Special 2024 attracted 5.18 million viewers.

Notable Episodes and Storylines

Throughout its run, Beyond Paradise has featured a variety of intriguing cases and personal storylines:

Season 1 Highlights

Episode 1 – Humphrey’s first case involves a woman convinced she was pushed by a seventeenth-century witch of local legend. Meanwhile, Humphrey and Martha, who is pregnant through IVF treatment, suffer a personal tragedy when she loses her baby.
Episode 3 – A valuable painting called the “Solo Mare” is stolen from Shipton Manor despite being under guard overnight.
Episode 4 – A man is found dead in a newly formed crop circle at North Farm with no identification.
Episode 6 – Humphrey, distracted by personal problems, takes a holiday to Saint Marie, featuring guest appearances from characters in Death in Paradise.

Season 2 Highlights

Episode 1 – A murder mystery event on the South Devon Railway turns deadly when a rehearsal ends in an actual murder.
**Season 2 also features cases involving a body discovered in a river, a long-standing farming feud, and a spiking incident at sea.

Visiting “Shipton Abbott”: A Fan’s Guide

While Shipton Abbott doesn’t exist, fans can visit many of the filming locations to experience the world of Beyond Paradise firsthand. Here’s a suggested itinerary for visitors:

Looe, Cornwall

Start your visit at the Looe Tourist Information Centre at the Millpool. From there, turn right up a short lane towards Looe Bridge. Cross the bridge to see the familiar view from the opening credits of Beyond Paradise. The bridge itself is a historic structure built in 1854 with seven arches.

Walk along Buller Quay past the Fish Market, continuing to the seafront. East Looe Beach features throughout both series. The famous Banjo Pier is to the right, where Martha and Anne often sit on the benches in the show.

As you walk along the quay, look to your left to see Looe Guildhall (Shipton Abbott Police Station) across the square. You can retrace your steps along the quay or meander back through the pretty streets of the town, enjoying the shops, cafes, and pubs.

Other Locations to Visit

Port Eliot House & Gardens – Visit The Stables Café, which features as Martha’s Ten Mile Kitchen throughout both series.
Pentillie Castle and Estate – See where Anne Lloyd’s cottage is located and where Humphrey and Martha’s boat is moored.
Liskeard Museum – This local museum now has a special room containing props from Season 2, Episode 6, when it featured as Shipton Abbott Museum.
South Devon Railway – Experience the railway where the murder mystery episode was filmed. The railway does offer real murder mystery experiences, albeit with no actual fatalities!

Accommodation in “Shipton Abbott”

For those wanting to extend their visit, Looe offers various accommodation options mentioned on the Shipton Abbott village website:

Top Hotels – The Hannafore Point and The Portbyhan are recommended.
Cozy Pubs – The Jolly Sailor offers accommodation.
Luxury Options – There are luxury campsites and award-winning Airbnbs like Harbour House.

Beyond Paradise: Behind the Scenes

The decision to set Beyond Paradise in the West Country was deliberate. Tim Key, the show’s executive producer, told The i: “There were lots of conversations about where we take it but we settled quite quickly on the West Country as we felt that Devon hadn’t had a huge amount of exposure in TV drama, Cornwall often nabs the glory.”

Ironically, despite being set in Devon, the show primarily films in Cornwall. Key explained that Looe met all their criteria after searching the West Country for a place with a real community feel: “It was a beautiful tourist town, but also a thriving community with fishing businesses, so we felt we had found our home.”

The fictional town is described as being “set slightly back from the coast,” allowing the show to explore “all sorts of story worlds.” Key also mentioned that they were “lucky with the weather” during filming, which helped showcase the beautiful scenery.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Shipton Abbott a real place?

No, Shipton Abbott is a fictional town created for the BBC show Beyond Paradise. It’s portrayed as being on the Devon coast, but most of the filming actually takes place in Looe, Cornwall.

Can I visit the locations where Beyond Paradise is filmed?

Yes, many of the filming locations are real places that you can visit. The town of Looe in Cornwall serves as the main setting for Shipton Abbott, and other locations in Cornwall and Devon are also used.

Where is The Ten Mile Kitchen from the show?

The Ten Mile Kitchen, Martha’s restaurant in the show, is filmed at The Stables Café at Port Eliot House & Gardens in St Germans, Cornwall.

Where is the Shipton Abbott Police Station?

The Looe Guildhall in Looe, Cornwall, serves as the exterior of the Shipton Abbott Police Station in the show.

When did Beyond Paradise first air?

The first episode of Beyond Paradise aired on February 24, 2023. The show is currently in its third season, which began airing on March 28, 2025.

Samantha Yates

Samantha Yates is a creative writer and journalist with expertise in content creation and editing. She holds an MA in Creative Writing and brings professional experience from Lionbridge, where she developed engaging content for leading technology companies

Shipton Abbott: BBC’s Beyond Paradise Filming Locations

The Story of Shipton Abbott

The Real Locations Behind Shipton Abbott

Key Filming Locations in Beyond Paradise