Return of BBC1’s The Coroner set to boost South Devon tourism

South Devon is looking forward to a boost to tourism following the airing of the second series of The Coroner, starring Claire Goose, which starts at 2.15pm on BBC1 next Monday.  Last year the programme led to a remarkable 44% rise in traffic to www.visitsouthdevon.co.uk on the very first day of the series, lifting searches for South Devon by 28% throughout November.

Filmed largely in the attractive coastal town of Dartmouth, the second series includes scenes shot at Blackpool Sands, Slapton Sands, Salcombe, Dartmoor and the Dartington Estate near Totnes.  Starring Claire Goose as local Coroner Jane Kennedy, Goose investigates a series of sudden or unexplained deaths alongside Detective Sergeant Davey Higgins (Matt Bardock), her childhood sweetheart, who broke her heart when she was a girl.

Following on from the huge success of series one, which was seen by 1.7 million viewers, series two is set in of Lighthaven using Dartmouth, Salcombe and the Dartington Estate as the patchwork of backdrops for the fictional South Devon town.

Commenting on the anticipated rise in interest in South Devon among visitors, Sarah Stride, Acting General Manager for Visit South Devon, said: “The Coroner was filmed in South Devon earlier this year. With miles of sandy beaches, historic villages and fishing harbours, the South Hams, which was used extensively in filming, provides the perfect backdrop for the new series and is set to show of the raw beauty of this wonderful part of the country to millions of potential visitors.”

“Having seen just how popular last year’s series was, we’ve set up a special page which will help fans find where the scenes were shot in both series.  You’ll be able to find the beaches, the villages and locations in and around Dartmouth, such as the Old Customs House in Dartmouth, which doubles for Jane Kennedy’s office.”

Series two of The Coroner includes ten episodes, which will air each weekday for two weeks starting on 21 November.  Locations to look out for include Blackpool Sands, one of Devon’s finest beaches, which was used for a murder scene involving a harpoon gun.  Further down the coast Slapton Sands, which played a vital role in the D-Day landings, is also used as a haunting backdrop, as are many other stretches of the coast including Hallsands, Hope Cove and Salcombe estuary. 

From a lethal skydiving accident to a killer big cat on the moors, South Devon shines as one of the main stars of the new series.  As Goose herself said about filming in South Devon:

“Every Day I get up and I’ve got a view of the water somewhere – it’s the most idyllic thing.”

“The make up team had a saying, ‘What’s not to like?’ That became the catchphrase of the whole series”.

More details can be found on Visit South Devon’s webpage on the series: http://www.visitsouthdevon.co.uk/lots-to-do/outdoors-activities/filming-...

Watch a wonderful short video by the BBC about the location used in the show and during filming of series one. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p037zsl4

For more information on Visit South Devon visit: www.visitsouthdevon.co.uk

ENDS
Press Enquiries:

Ewan Davy/Rachael Whitson
Absolute PR and Marketing
Tel:  01392 680 740
Ewan@absoluteprandmarketing.com

Visit South Devon is the official tourism body for the South Hams and Teignbridge; an area which encompasses some of the region’s most dramatic and breathtaking countryside as well as miles of captivating coastline characterised by iron rich ruby red beaches in the North and sweeping sandy and shingle beaches in the South.  From Teignmouth to Torcross and from Shaldon to Salcombe, this enchanting part of the world welcomes thousands of visitors every year introducing them to the delights and discoveries of this beguilingly beautiful part of the world.

Visit South Devon works with tourism businesses and attractions in Teignbridge and the South Hams to help raise the profile of the area as a destination for both national and international visitors.  Its aim is to increase the number of visitors to South Devon for the benefit of the local tourism economy.

Visit South Devon is a Community Interest Company that exists solely for the benefit of the local tourism community. It is a public-private company limited by guarantee and not for profit – ensuring all revenue is put back into marketing initiatives for the area.

Visit South Devon’s website www.visitsouthdevon.co.uk appears in the top search results for places to visit, things to do and places to stay in South Devon.  It provides an affordable portal through which local tourism attractions, food and drink and accommodation providers can promote their businesses.  Visitors can book B&B, hotel, guesthouse and self catering accommodation directly through the site.  The website also provides comprehensive information on destinations to explore as well as places to dine, enabling visitors to build up an itinerary of things to do while on holiday in South Devon.

For more information about Visit South Devon, go to www.visitsouthdevon.co.uk or contact Acting General Manager, Sarah Stride Tel: 01626 215293.