Thursday Murders Club Film Filming Location

So, you’ve seen The Thursday Murder Club on Netflix, right? The one where four retirees in a swanky retirement village solve murders with the energy of a caffeinated book club? Well, grab a cuppa, because the real star of the show isn’t just the clever dialogue—it’s the filming location, a place so absurdly picturesque it feels like a painting that learned to walk.

You might picture a cozy English village straight out of a postcard. You’d be close. But the actual spot is a jaw-dropping, 900-year-old country estate called Wrotham Park in Hertfordshire. Yes, the “Coopers Chase” retirement village is absolutely fake—it’s a real-life mansion pretending to be a condo for spies and cake enthusiasts.

The Big, Fancy Lie

Here’s the dirty secret: that cute retirement village with the manicured lawns? It’s a private home. Wrotham Park is a Grade II* listed mansion that’s been in the same family since the 1700s. They just slapped up some fancy signage and fake garden furniture to trick you into thinking it’s a retirement home where everyone wears silk scarves and squabbles over bridge.

Filming a murder mystery there must have been a riot. Imagine trying to shoot a crime scene in a house where the owner’s great-great-grandfather once hosted a ball for the Prince Regent. “Sorry, your lordship, we need to move that antique Chippendale chair—it’s in the way of the corpse.”

But Wait, There’s More Villages

The crew didn’t just use one spot—they went location-hopping like tourists with a map and a grudge. The village of Shiplake in Oxfordshire doubled for the fictional “Fairhaven” high street. It’s so charming you’d expect hobbits to pop out and sell jam. Actually, they just filmed the exterior of a local pub and a post office, making them look like the epicenter of senior sleuthing.

And the church where a key scene happens? That’s St. Mary’s Church in Hambleden, Buckinghamshire. It’s the same church used in Chocolat and Hamlet. So if you see a vicar looking confused, it’s because he’s used to Johnny Depp or Kenneth Branagh showing up, not a gang of over-caffeinated retirees.

Where was The Thursday Murder Club filmed? A behind-the-scenes look at

The Lake That Almost Drowned the Plot

One of the most surprising facts? The lake used for a climactic scene is actually a man-made reservoir on the Wrotham Park estate. They had to drain part of it to film safely, which means the murder weapon was probably retrieved by a guy in waders holding a net. Think of the expense: “Sorry, ducks, you’ll have to swim in the next pond over—Helen Mirren is about to solve a crime.”

And get this: the entire interior of “Coopers Chase” was built on a soundstage at Pinewood Studios. That’s right—the cozy common room, the dining hall, and the murder board were all fake. But the books on the shelves? Those were real, and the prop master apparently used actual antique books from a charity shop. Because nothing says “murder mystery” like a 1973 copy of How to Knit a Cardigan.

The Real Hero: The Bus

Let’s talk about the bus. You know, the one that chugs around the retirement village in the show? That’s a real vintage bus, a 1960s Bristol Lodekka, brought in from a transport museum. It cost more to insure than the lead actors’ wigs. The driver had to retake his test three times because the narrow lanes around Wrotham Park are basically goat paths with tarmac.

Imagine the logistics: “We need the bus to arrive at exactly 3 PM, but only if the swans have moved from the driveway.” Yes, there are actual swans. They live on the lake. They are paid in breadcrumbs and are unionized.

Where was The Thursday Murder Club filmed? A behind-the-scenes look at

The Villain Was a Weather Forecast

Filming in an English estate means battling the weather. The crew shot during an unseasonably wet spring, so the grass was constantly squelching. They had to use fake turf for the lawn scenes, which looked so good that the real gardener of Wrotham Park asked if he could order some for his own patch. (He was denied, obviously—it’s a movie prop, not a lifestyle choice.)

Also, the sheep in the background? Paid extras. No, really—the production hired a local farmer’s flock to graze artistically during a key exterior shot. They were paid in hay and a credit in the liner notes. I’m not making this up: those sheep have IMDB credits now. One is a method actor who only eats organic clover.

Why You Should Visit (But Can’t)

Here’s the punchline: Wrotham Park is not open to the public. It’s a family home, so you can’t just waltz in and ask to see the murder room. But you can visit the church in Hambleden or the pub in Shiplake. Just don’t expect to see Pierce Brosnan ordering a pint. He’s probably in a trailer somewhere, playing chess with a swan.

So there you have it. The Thursday Murder Club was filmed in a mansion that’s older than your country, a pub that’s been serving ale since Shakespeare was a lad, and a fake retirement village that cost more than your house. It’s all a glorious, glorious lie—and I absolutely love it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to rewatch the show and spot the fake lawn. It’s in scene 17, between the murder and the scone joke.