Keira Knightley is certainly no stranger to our screens at Christmastime. But whilst we’re usually watching her bang on about banoffee pie and how pretty she looks; this time it’s less carol-singing and kissing-under-the-mistletoe, and more – well… murder.
Netflix’s brand new spy thriller, Black Doves, centres around a covert organisation (the Black Doves), who uncover and trade political secrets. Set against the somewhat juxtaposing backdrop of Christmas in London, the filming of Black Doves supposedly took place across a whopping 85 locations in just 93 days.
Minus a few scenes that had to be filmed in a studio in Slough and a couple in Rome, the majority of the filming took place across our lovely capital city. And considering that nothing screams ‘Secret London‘ like a bit of espionage taking place in the Big Smoke; we thought it only right to round up some of the London filming locations that can be seen on screen in the hit new show. You’re welcome, Londoners.
1. The South Bank
One of the first London locations you can spot in the series is London’s legendary South Bank. It’s here that we see Andrew Koji’s character, Jason, crossing the Golden Jubilee Bridge and sitting on a bench on Queen’s Walk. Scenes were shot on and around the South Bank five times throughout the filming process. Usually very early in the morning or very late at night to avoid the chaos of the crowds. If you know, you know.
2. Crystal Palace
The suburb of Crystal Palace is where you’ll find the family home of Keira Knightley’s character, Helen Webb. Supposedly 85 houses across the city were looked at before the team settled on the Crystal Palace pad seen on screen, which has an estimated market value of a rather hefty £2.5 million.
3. St Paul’s Cathedral
A few surreptitious scenes were filmed in the shadows of St Paul’s Cathedral and the nearby Paternoster Square. I mean, did you even film in London if you didn’t get at least one shot of one of the most iconic cathedrals in the world?
4. The Royal Lancaster Hotel, Hyde Park
Another of the show’s assassins, Sam Young (played by Ben Whishaw), has a stay at this luxury Hyde Park hotel, and is seen drinking at the bar during the show. The interior of the Royal Lancaster Hotel was also used as the filming location for the scene that takes place at a 2014 conference.
5. Buzz Bingo Hall, Tooting
A hard-drive is handed over between characters inside this legendary theatre-turned-bingo-hall in Tooting. In a past life, the ornate venue was the Granada Theatre, and was designed to look like a Russian Orthodox church.
6. Leadenhall Market
Some festive scenes were filmed inside Leadenhall Market, which is always decadently decked out for Christmas. Helen Webb heads to a jewellery shop in Leadenhall Market to get her hands on a crucial piece of technology.
7. Liberty London
Viewers also get to feast their eyes on another Christmas-in-London staple, Liberty. The iconic department store can be seen in a sequence in episode one.
8. Pines and Needles, Victoria Park
In the fourth episode of the series, Keira Knightley and Sarah Lancashire go shopping at Pines and Needles – a Christmas tree market in Victoria Park. ‘Tis the season, after all…
9. The Coal Hole, Covent Garden
One of the best parts about Christmas in the capital is that it’s socially acceptable to spend the majority of your time in a cosy pub. And in the name of authenticity, Black Doves characters visited their fair share of London watering holes. Covent Garden‘s historic spot, The Coal Hole features in the first episode, when Jason pops in for a drink.
10. The Market Coffee House & Bar, Spitalfields
Another drinking den featured in the show is Spitalfields‘ Market Coffee House & Bar, where a few clandestine meet-ups take place throughout the series.
11. The Westminster Arms, Whitehall
Rather fittingly, the Westminster Arms (a boozer frequented by real-life politicians due to proximate to the Houses of Parliament), was used to film some scenes in Black Doves.
12. The King’s Arms, Waterloo and The Palm Tree, Mile End
We really weren’t lying when we said a lot of London pubs were used in the making of Black Doves. The last one two we’ll mention are the King’s Arms in Waterloo and the Palm Tree in Mile End. Why are these two being clubbed together, I hear you ask? Well, the exterior of the King’s Arms was used during filming. But once characters stepped inside the Waterloo watering hole, they were actually at the Palm Tree, as the Mile End boozer was used as the pub’s interior.
So, there you have it. We hope you enjoy making your way through these London filming locations almost as much as you enjoy binging the entire season of Black Doves in one delicious sitting. It is Christmas, after all…
Catch Black Doves on Netflix now.