A sleepy Northumberland village was thrust into the spotlight in the finale of one of the UK’s best-loved detective dramas.
Usually, the busiest weekend in Glanton is the village’s country show which takes place in August. The show can be traced back 170 years in some form, with with 99 shows taking place since the “Glanton Games” were first held in 1855.
However, when the last ever episodes of Vera were filmed in June, it brought hundreds of people to the village. Extras took part in filming a sinister witch hunt parade, while visitors looked to catch a glimpse of Brenda Blethyn in her famous fishing hat.
Millions more saw Glanton, renamed Ghyllstead, in the final episode on Thursday, with the Queen’s Head pub’s name changed to the Stanhope Arms. Villagers have since reported a number of people pulling up to take pictures of the pub, according to landlady Lisa Chisholm.
She is hoping to capitalise on her pub’s new found fame with a feature wall dedicated to Vera, which she is in the process of putting together. She told ChronicleLive: “I’ve got some of the signs that were out the front, so we’re making a wall where people can have their pictures taken.
“Hopefully it might bring in a few people because they do have a good following! People want to follow where they’ve been and the villages where it’s been filmed.”
Vera’s Brenda Blethyn films in Glanton
(Image: Glenn Martin)
Other than changing back to the pub’s original name, things are much the same as when filming took place. The windows, which were previously painted white, have been left black, with Lisa saying that it left the building “looking quite good.”
Not everyone is expecting more visitors in Glanton though, partly due to the village being renamed in the finale. John Radgick, one of the organisers of the Glanton Show, said: “I do think there’s a lot of interest, certainly when the filming was on people came from quite some distance to watch it happening.
“But I don’t know how many people will be aware that the village that they’re filming in is ours.”
ITV’s Vera cast filming in Northumberland village Glanton
(Image: ITV)
He added: “We’re not exactly a major tourist destination, it’s not like Alnwick Castle having Harry Potter. They’re geared up for tourism, but there’s not a lot in Glanton, especially for a wet Tuesday afternoon.”
Nevertheless, the Vera effect has been credited for boosting the North East’s image, with tourists travelling from all over the world to see the region’s gems for themselves. And despite Glanton’s relative obscurity, it’s not the first time it has appeared on TV recently.
Robson Green became one of the first visitors to The Roundhouses, designed to be a luxury glamping accommodation a short walk from the village. Owner Ruth Moralee said that she hoped the village’s appearance in Vera could prove a boost to bookings.
She said: “Obviously it was a nice vibe in the village, but I haven’t noticed anything for the Roundhouses yet. You would hope that it does get Glanton on people’s radar though, because I do think lots of people don’t know it exists as it’s not on a main road.
“There are still people who are from Newcastle, Durham, even Northumberland who don’t know Glanton and don’t ever come up that way. It would be good that maybe if Glanton became more of a place people wanted to visit, and maybe Vera could have an impact. It’s a nice story, the local village being on TV.”
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