After a three-year wait, Adrian Dunbar's back doing what he does best — solving crimes while looking perpetually windswept in some of England's most atmospheric locations in the sophomore season of Ridley.
Ridley season two doesn't just give us four new mysteries to untangle; it serves up a visual love letter to northern England that's as much a character in the show as Dunbar himself.
Ridley Season Two Filming Locations
Bolton
Bolton's famous Le Mans Crescent has become the show's hardest-working character this season, doubling as everything from the fictional police station to Ridley's beloved jazz club Marlings. The 1939-built Art Deco masterpiece isn't just masquerading, either — it actually used to be a working police station complete with cells and custody suites, making it the perfect authentic backdrop.
But it's not just the building that's notable here, but rather the juxtapositon of the building's grandeur and how it contrasts with the gritty crime stories that unfold inside. Episode three uses both the distinctive curved building and its courtyard for heated exchanges between Ridley and his colleagues, while other scenes capture those signature walk-and-talk moments. Ridley's waterside home, meanwhile, is filmed at Watergrove Reservoir near Rochdale, using the windsurfing clubhouse as his contemplative retreat.
Greater Manchester
The show's fictional town of Framley is set in the real-life location of Mossley, an industrial town nestled in a valley surrounded by the Pennines.
Season two's opening jewellery heist unfolds in Ashton-under-Lyne, where producers found a real family run jewellers willing to work with the production. The challenge was finding a store that faced onto a pedestrianised street for the getaway scenes, and they needed full control of multiple streets during filming, which they achieved by shooting on Sundays.
Heaton Hall
Episode three's murder-at-an-illegal-rave plot finds its home at Heaton Hall, the 18th-century Georgian mansion sitting within the grounds of Heaton Park (yes, the same park where Oasis recently played their reunion shows.) The Grade I-listed building provides exactly the kind of atmospheric backdrop that makes you wonder what other secrets these walls have witnessed.
For episode four's missing persons mystery, the production team used the oldest quarter of Bury to create the fictional village of Colden Vale, complete with its idyllic church, pubs, and community café. The sleepy village's Two Tubs pub, with parts dating back to the 17th century, became a notable key location.
Derbyshire
This season ventures beyond the usual Greater Manchester stomping grounds. Filming expanded into Derbyshire, about 90 minutes southwest of Bolton, using New Mills Marina, Albion Road, and canal towpaths for the more rural storylines. Location manager Danny Newton recently revealed to The Derbyshire Times that they also 'filmed scenes in and around a narrowboat in New Mills, scenes in the canal path near Swizzles and on Hawthorne Industrial Estate.'
Ridley season two airs weekly on ITV1.
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Naomi May is a seasoned culture journalist and editor with over ten years’ worth of experience in shaping stories and building digital communities. After graduating with a First Class Honours from City University's prestigious Journalism course, Naomi joined the Evening Standard, where she worked across both the newspaper and website. She is now the Digital Editor at ELLE Magazine and has written features for the likes of The Guardian, Vogue, Vice and Refinery29, among many others. Naomi is also the host of the ELLE Collective book club.
