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Where is Bookish filmed?
Fans may be surprised to learn just where filming on the crime drama actually takes place.
UKTV/Guillaume Van Laethem
- James Hibbs
Published: Tuesday, 25 August 2026 at 3:35 pm
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It's time for three new mysteries, as Mark Gatiss's Gabriel Book is back on the case in Bookish season 2.
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The detective drama, which has also been written by Gatiss, has a distinctive look and feel to it, in part due to its 1940s setting. It follows Book, the owner of an antiquarian bookshop in 1946, who also helps the police in their investigations due to his knack for crime-solving.
The second season is once again made up of six episodes, with every two focusing on a new case. However, fans don't need to worry that there will only be three more cases for them to sink their teeth into – the series has already been renewed for a two-part Christmas special and season 3
But just where does the series shoot, in order to make it look so authentically as though it takes place in the 1940s?
Read on for everything you need to know about the filming locations used for Bookish.
Where is Bookish set?
Conor Finch in Bookish. UKTV
Bookish is set in London, with Book's bookshop being located on Archangel Lane, a fictional street in the heart of the city.
Throughout the series, Book and the other characters also visit other locations across the city, including a film studio and a fictional hotel, The Walsingham, in season 1.
We also see Book sat on the bank of the River Thames, opposite Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.
In season 2, Book and Jack also travel to Germany, specifically to the medieval town of Würl, to investigate what happened to Jack's father, Felix.
Where is Bookish filmed?
Mark Gatiss, Polly Walker, Elliot Levey, Connor Finch and Buket Kömür behind the scenes of Bookish. UKTV
Despite being so distinctly set in London, Bookish is actually primarily filmed far away, in Belgium.
The specific street set for Archangel Lane is located in Namur, a city slightly south of the middle of Belgium. Other locations used across the country can be found in Ghent, Antwerp, Charleroi and Sint-Niklaas.
Polly Walker, who plays Book's wife Trottie in the series, said of filming in the country: "The sets are breathtaking. And the locations. We’re used to seeing the same old locations in the UK, so to discover all these very cool places in Belgium has been a treat."
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Meanwhile, Connor Finch, who plays Jack, said he was "so glad" the series filmed in Belgium, explaining that "it doesn’t need to be in London because the London we are in you wouldn’t get the same feeling back home".
"Ghent is beautiful," he continued. "And in Antwerp I was cycling and there was that feeling of being on a bike on cobbled streets. The bikes were so much flimsier back then. It’s the little things. I didn’t think that was going to help but it does."
Of course, that doesn't mean there was no filming done in London at all - Gatiss and other cast members were spotted filming in the city in 2024, for a scene in season 1 outside The Walsingham Hotel.
Speaking about his favourite locations in season 2, Gatiss said: "I think my favourite location has to be the Schloss (Von Bode, a castle in episodes 5 and 6), which is quite something. In terms of onscreen value, it's quite remarkable. Then of course, the other location is Monschau in Germany, just over the border, which was absolutely remarkable.
"It's just like having a huge set at Pinewood Studios, bigger than you could ever imagine. There are so few people there and we were practically left on our own the whole time. It looks amazing. I think their 1.3 million visitors a year might go up a bit after this has gone out... or maybe down."
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Bookish season 2 starts at 8pm on Wednesday 26 August on U&Alibi.
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Authors
James HibbsDrama Writer
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
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