TV & Movies

The Ipcress File Revived This Iconic Broadchurch Location

Set across London and Berlin in the 1960s, the series is based on Len Deighton's spy novel.

The Ipcress File Filming Locations
Altitude Film for ITV

Based on Len Deighton’s spy novel of the same name, The Ipcress File tells the story of Harry Palmer, played by Peaky Blinders’ Joe Cole. Palmer, a British Army Sergeant, relocates to Berlin in the aftermath of the completion of The Berlin Wall in the 1960s. With a habit for criminality, he quickly lands himself in hot water, but is offered a deal by the British Intelligence. Instead of serving time in prison, Palmer is given a job as a top spy. His first case? The Ipcress File.

In his endeavours, he travels the world – but where was The Ipcress File filmed?

The short answer? All over the place. Before moving to Berlin, Palmer is located in London. But, interestingly, these scenes weren’t actually filmed in the big smoke, unlike the 1965 film starring Michael Caine, which was filmed across the likes of Westminster, Marylebone, and Shepherd’s Bush.

As per The Sun, the cast and crew travelled to Cheshire and Liverpool in early 2021. The iconic locations of Hope Street and Falkner Street were transformed into 1960s London. Rodney Street, Liverpool Lime Street Station, St George’s Hall, Castle Street, and the Philharmonic Pub were also used, with the idyllic Nantwich in Cheshire similarly used for these early scenes.

Liverpool has been used for many famous TV shows, including Broadchurch, Grange Hill, Casualty, and Doctor Who. In Russell T. Davies’ award-winning drama, It’s A Sin, it doubled up as New York City, attesting to the versatility of the northern city’s red bricks.

And there’s another catch. The Berlin scenes? They also weren’t filmed there either. The team chose to shoot the majority of the series in Croatia, filming across Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, and Opatija. The capital’s King Tomislav Square and the Archaeological Museum were top filming locations, doubling up as a very convincing 1960s Cold War Berlin.

Lucy Boynton’s partner, Rami Malek, was also spotted in Croatia around the time of filming, contributing to fan hysteria about the upcoming series. Boynton will revive the character of Jean Courtney — Palmer’s colleague and eventual romantic interest.

The Ipcress File premieres on ITV on March 6, at 9pm