A Quick Tour of Broadchurch

A few years ago, a show premiered in England that had everyone talking.  It was a fairly simple concept - over the course of 8 episodes, the detectives would solve the murder of an 11 year old boy in a small, sleepy town on the coast.  The show of course was Broadchurch.  And I'm not sure why it took off the way it did, but it was probably the combination of a superbly talented cast, a compelling mystery, and stunning cinematography.  I, like everyone else, was hooked on the show from the very first moment.  

This year, after 3 successful series, it's coming to an end, which is unfortunate.  However, the gorgeous filming locations still exist in West Bay Dorset, UK.  This means that any time you find yourself in the UK - as I did last month - you can visit this gorgeous area of the country, and relive the television magic.  To say this part of the country is beautiful, is an understatement.  And luckily for the residents, they're seeing a boom in their tourist economy in large part because of Broadchurch.  Tourists are finally seeing what the residents have known all of their lives, this area of the country is stunning and the people are lovely.  Quite honestly, after just spending a day there, I could have easily stayed much longer. Between the market shops, the great restaurants, the beautiful beach, and the hustle and bustle of kind people - tourists and residents alike - I was in heaven!

The stores really bought into the show...

Of course, the whole reason for visiting Bridport was because of the Broadchurch connection, but I did discover so much more to love while I was there.  The day started out with a snack - as most of my days do... - from the Waffle Box.  The Waffle Box is a fabulous food truck, owned by a delightful gentleman that was more than happy to treat us to a few tastes of his many different flavors of ice cream, and help us decide which particular flavor was best.  It wasn't too hard of a sell for me.  As soon as I saw Banoffee on the menu, that was going to happen.  And since the truck was called the Waffle Box, it was quite necessary to have my scoop of Banoffee on top of a waffle with hot fudge on top of that.  How could I possibly resist? 

                   

 

After we ate, we headed down to get some shopping done.  Now my friend had been trying to find a rain coat all week because it had been pouring in London.  After no luck anywhere, she finally gave up hope. However, in the first store we visited - on a sunny 75 degree day - she found the perfect rain coat.  It was fate!  In that same store I found 2 dresses that I just love.  After that, we wandered over to a small market, where we found even more goodies. This time the goodies were handmade, which are my favorite type of goodies.

After a trip to the car to off-load our purchases, we then started our very own personal Broadchurch tour. I had found a small map on line, which told me where the locations were. But the truth is, the town center is so contained and I've been so hooked on the show, that I would have been able to recognize them without the map. 

First up was the hut that housed Jack Marshall's Sea Brigades.  Ordinarily, this is the town's Methodist church.

Right around the corner from there, was Jack Marshall's Newsagents.

Then there was the harbor, which was directly in the center of the bustling city center.  The small harbor played into Series one - which is where Hardy and Miller found blood in Mark Latimer's boat. And you realize that Hardy isn't a fan of the water - for some mysterious reason, that you won't learn until Series 2. (Have I peaked your interest yet?)

Across the harbor, is the small blue hut that Hardy lives in throughout Series 2.  The hut is adorable, and I'd be happier living there, than Hardy was.  As it turns out, someone must own the hut, as they were out front sun bathing the day we were there. How cool would it be to loan your home to David Tennant for a few months?

Then of course was the beach with those beautiful and terrifying cliffs, where Danny's body was found in Series 1.  They are stunning to look at, however, they had just experienced a cliff fall, which mean tons of rocks were piled up on the beach.  And yet, people were still sitting under the cliffs, like nothing had happened. I'm not sure I would have been that calm.

Heading away from the city center is a circular luxury condo building, that stood in for the local police station where Hardy, Miller and the rest of the force worked to solve the case. It's a beautiful building, but I'm not sure it would be a great place to live.  

A bit past the police station, is the caravan park that Susan Wright lived in.  Not nearly as foreboding as it looks on the show - though it's probably because Susan Wright, in all her evilness wasn't there to scowl at us.

Past the harbor there are 2 piers.  On the first, you can find the shack where Hardy met with a doctor friend in Series 1 about some mysterious illness he has.  I have to say, I was more than happy to sit where David Tennant sat.  On the second pier, you'll find the benches where Hardy and Miller sat at the very end of Series 1 during Danny's memorial.  Also again, I sat where David Tennant sat!

Lastly, from the pier you can see a beautiful house up on a hill which is the house where Jocelyn, the Latimer's solicitor lived.  This house is gorgeous and yet, I can't for the live of me figure out how to reach it without climbing that scary hill to the left of it. 

So there you have it, a lovely tour of one of the prettiest - in my opinion - towns in England.  The only Broadchurch locations we didn't get to see were the church and the High street - which were filmed about 50 miles away in Exeter.  As much as I wanted to see them, I was more terrified of driving through the small towns.  So those areas will need to wait until next time. But if ever you're in England, and feel the need for a quick field trip out of the major cities, I highly recommend Bridport Dorset, even if you're not a Broadchurch fan.  Bridport is a really a beautiful town, and you'll find some great food, shopping and fun around every corner.